A Little Bit Of Something

Former UFC champion Jens Pulver

While landscape and concerts / events still remain to be my favorite things when it comes to photography, I’ve discovered a growing enthusiasm for shooting sports events. There’s really something different to be seen – and captured in images – in every sport.

Which is why dim light aside, I was especially hyped to shoot the live workouts of several of the fighters for One FC’s ‘Pride of a Nation’ MMA event, held last August 29. One FC touts itself as the biggest MMA promoter in Asia, and with their line-up for fight night (which I will discuss in a separate blog post soon), it does seem that they do walk their talk.

Anyway, here are a few images from the live workouts:

Former UFC heavyweight champion Andre Arlovski

Undefeated Pinoy fighter Eric Kelly

Up and coming Brazilian Jujitsu sensation Bibiano Fernandes

It was truly a challenge to get the shots I wanted, considering that the light inside the Balance Gym in Discovery Suites was sorely lacking, and so many other photographers showed up and I had to pick the right spot and prevent anyone from blocking me.

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I’ve noticed though, that the rudest and most insensitive of the lot aren’t usually fellow lensmen (although there are several out there), but rather cameramen from TV stations – who’ll shove you aside without a second glace if you’re in their way, never mind if you were there first, or if they can’t shove, they’ll shout and cuss at you to get out of their frame like they owned every bit of space they can see through their cameras.

It’s a bit saddening, disappointing, and infuriating at the same time that there are members of the “media” who have a lot of misplaced sense of entitlement, just because they’re from some TV network. It seems that right now, it is too much to expect professionalism from members of the ‘fourth estate’. Sigh.