About Me

My photo
Monroe, Ohio, United States
Began my photography career as most people do...the highschool yearbook. Upon graduation I attended the US Naval Photography School in Pensacola Fla. After getting a qualification in basic photography and then later attending their Portrait School,was assigned to a military operation. Experiences included USO photography for Bob Hope, Brooke Shields, Kathy Lee Crosby and Wayne Newton.Have also had the opportunity for travel assignments to places such as Beruit, Israel, Africa, Australia, Brazil, Italy, Spain and England. Upon exiting the Navy in 1984,opened up a Tanning Salon and Health Club in Oxford,Ohio and began photographing weddings, all as a vehicle to fund my way through college. I enjoy travel, sports photography, special event and Cincinnati Reds photography. I am frequently contracted as a sports photographer by parents, sports teams, and organizations,throughout the Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio areas, to provide the highest quality sports photography, both on an individual and team basis.

April 30, 2009

Last Game



One of the smarter thing I did while shooting sports photography at the 2008 Cincinnati Metro softball tournament, was to grab a few shots of "The Men in Blue", otherwise known as the umpires.

Umpires can be your biggest ally in a game of any type, because they are generally hard working guys that have to put up with a lot of crap and no one ever takes a picture of them.

After taking a few pictures of these men and posting them at Cincysoftball.com, I was greeted by a senior umpire the next night and was introduced to the consession stand as he told them to give me anything I wanted as long as I was there.

Softball is one thing and the same principles often work for Highschool Baseball or Football. Those guys appreciate a good quality photo of their work.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 29, 2009

One More Yard



One of the first Youth Sports Photography clients I ever had was for the Centerville Wee Elks football team in Centerville Ohio.

Youth football is a favorite of mine to shoot. The action is always enjoyable, uniforms on the little kids are always great and there is generall great lighting.

Angle of shot is always important in Pee Wee Football. Dads are always proud of their little bruisers and getting a low angle shot of that star running back fighting for an extra yard will validate your fee fro the day.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 28, 2009

Stare Down



It doesn't matter if I'm shooting Cincinnati Reds photographs or little league baseball, there are certain classic shots that are applicable in both.

The pitchers stare, over the top of the glove, as he "clears the mechanism", is a classic shot. Getting this shot is a little more complicated than it seems.

First, you have to have a quality lens. In this case I am using a Nikkor 2.8 80-200 on a Nikon D200. There are two techniques I use. One is to press the lens hood up against the chain link fence. The fence disappears in the the picture and it looks nice and clear.

The second and most common technique I use, is shooting during in between inning warm ups. In this shot, I did just that and got a good picture of an intimidating stare down by Forest Park, Ohio little leaguer Conner Hartmann.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 27, 2009

Pro vs Schmoe




Ok, here is a great topic that I've always wanted to comment on, but had to have just the right comparison to do so. (By the way, I don't consider the guy who shot the small picture a Schmoe, but it rhymed with Pro)

I always hear, not that I really care, that question; "Why should I pay someone for pictures, when I have a digital camera myself?" Well, it really comes down to personal preference, but the top picture is a shot that Mom doesn't capture from the stands with her D40 or Rebel, with a kit lens. And especially with her "point & shoot".

Look, I never feel guilty about charging $8-10 for a glossy 8x10 when I consider that at any time, I have at least $4K worth of equipment on my monopod and I am working the angles and the set up of shots, spending my day at a hot ball field.

Kids grow up in a blink of an eye and quite often, they also lose interest in the sports of their youth. Sports Illustrated quality shots of that little superstar last forever. I would currently give $100, for shots like this of me, when I was 8,9 10, etc...

There are those parents who just really don't care about this and that is ok. But then there are parents that pay me $200-250 per game to focus on just their kids, and don't blink an eye at the price. They understand that you get what you pay for.

It's a great emotional reward to be invited over to a home to see what they have done with your work.

These are two seperate shots of the Eaton Little League, Marlins. The top one was one I shot in 2008 and the bottom one was shot by a local this past weekend.
Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 24, 2009

Left Handed Catcher



When covering a youth sports event, a photographer has to have the paitience of a good Texas Holdem player in waiting for the good shot. It is rare that you see a left handed catcher and I wanted to grab a really good picture of this kid, who had good athletisism and technique.

In the youth little league game in Eaton, Ohio, I had to shoot the catcher for nearly 2 innings before I captured a good action shot of him. I couldn't get around the background distraction, but his parents really loved the shot.

My angle on this shot is from knee high with my monopod, from the 3rd base dugout.


Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 23, 2009

Pudge



I'm asked quite often, if I have field passes that enable me to get these incredible pictures at a Major League Baseball Game. The answer is no. I do put myself into a very good postion by buying very good tickets and I don't skimp on my glass.

The best investment a photographer who wants to shoot good youth sports photography can make, after a 10mp camera, is not in an additional 1-2 MP's but in a razor sharp 80-200 2.8 lens. My lens of choice has been the Nikkor 80-200 2.8.

In this "walking on air" picture of future Hall of Famer "Pudge", I was sitting in row one of the Detroit Tiger dugout seats.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 21, 2009

Full Speed



Sometimes you're lucky in shooting a sports photograph and sometimes you're set up just right.

One of the things I look for when shooting a game is look of the athelete. In men's softball, you get a lot of different looks, shapes and sizes of ball players. An athlete that moves well, dresses well and presents himself as a professional, will always provide for some good photographic opportunities in a game.

Now while this is not the most important aspect of shooting a sports photograph that will sell to an individual player, they are great gallery photographs that advertise the quality of work that you do.

In this picture, during the 2008 Cincinnati Metro softball tournament at Rumpke Park in Cincinnati, I went and set up in the 3rd base dugout when I saw this player get a base hit. I knew he would be rounding second base and turning it on for third on the first base hit. I intentionally put myself in a position to catch the score board in the shot. The end result was a ball player that was "flying" to the bag and a great action shot.

Not every great sports shot has to be of a pro team like the Cincinnati Reds. In this case I captured a shot of a guy who was a very good athelete and more importantly, a picture he will buy.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 20, 2009

Mad Max



I shoot a lot of interesting sports photos, in and around the Cincinnati area. One of my favorites that I get asked to shoot every year, is the Cincinnati Softball Metro Tournament for my friend, Andy Larkins at www.Cincysoftball.com

When marketed and posted properly, this tournament can net you several hundred dollars a day from shooting, editing and posting the pictures on an easy to find website. As a former softball player myself, I can tell you, big egos live in this sports and every "baller" loves a quality "Sports Illustrated" style shot of himself.

There is also plenty of color and variations at these games. This picture was shot from the 3rd base dugout with a Nikkor 80-200 2.8 lens. Classic Mad Max style shot. This is also a smart pitcher, as balls can come back at the pitcher in speeds in excess of 100mph.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 16, 2009

Smokin!




Not every youth sports picture to take, has to be of Cincinnati Reds or Sports Illustrated quality. Case in point...I was shooting Friday night little league as the sun was setting and I notices that the catcher in this picture would always sccop a little dirt into his mitt before each pitch to create a little explosion with each pitch.

I lined up my angle so that the black backdrop would frame up his glove and the sun would backlight the sibject.

After motor driving through about 6 pitches I got a keeper. It's a little "noisy" for my taste, but a fan favorite none the less.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 15, 2009

Cute kids and your portfolio



I've always believed that if you want to create a great portfolio of youth sports shots, you need a lot of cute kids. Now granted, all kids are cute...to someone...but not to everybody. When putting a portfolio together, make sure you get a bunch of those adorable little tykes on the first few pages. I have a friend who is a pretty good wedding photographer. The problem is, that most of the people who hire her, are...well lets say they won't be on America's Next Top Model. Now that doesn't make them any less special, but this photographer posts some of the most "snaggle toothed" brides and grooms on the landing page, that I've ever seen. This in turn, diminishes the quality of her work.

This little cutie was playing in a Tee Ball game in Eaton, Ohio and made for a great portfolio picture.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

Diamond Pirate



Sometimes the best youth sports photographs do not involve any real action, but rather capture the child in a candid moment during the flow of a game. I hear so many aspiring photographers gloat about that shat that catches the ball on the bat. While I also like those pictures, they come some where down the list for me. The focus of my attention is always the player and the eyes of the subject, but not posed and looking at me. I can take my kid to Glamour Shots for that.

This shot is good because of the contrast of youthful innocense and and the rugged look of the catchers mask...complete with the official logo of the Somoli Pirates of the Carribean

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 14, 2009

Yankee...Go Home



Good postioning lead to this shot of 2008 New York Yankee outfielder Bobbu Abreu headed home in a game against the Detroit Tigers. High stop action shutter speed caught both feet off of the ground and a lot of dirt in the air.
Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 13, 2009

Home Stretch



I was asked recently what I meant, when I refer to shooting youth sports with a "low profile". Now while I admit that my termanology can sometimes vere away from the photography industry norm, I am referring to the height of the camera lens...in relation to the subject.

When I'm taking pictures at Great American Ball Park of the Cincinnati Reds, I am limited by certian restrictions as to my shooting angles. I won't even take my camera to a Major League Baseball game, unless I am going to be sitting in the first couple of rows.

In little league baseball or highschool, I usually have more freedom to move onto the field at some point. (Later, I will cover the finer art of "stealthing" your way onto the field).

In this Eaton, Ohio Little League contest, I positioned myself in a seated position by the edge of the first base dugout and captured kids as they were running homeward. The lower angle give the kids a much more dramatic and big league look. This particular photo is one of 8 that I got of this little guy.

If you want to shoot sports pictures that "wow" the parents and cause them to order off of your web site, don't go the lazy route and stand in one place all day. You've got to work to justify why your art is worth more that Mom's point and shoot from the stands.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 11, 2009

TimmyToodles



One of the more unusual sporting events I shot was the Special Olympics Baseball qulifier in Camden, Ohio. I kept noticing this one really talented kid that all the Mom's called "Timmy Toodles". Tim was probably the most gifted kid on the field.In fact I found out that he had competed and did very well in "swing dance" contests and all the other kids looked up to him.

After focusing on him in the outfield for a few plays, a batter hit a routine fly ball to Timmy that he misplayed badly. In a desperation leap he caught the ball and I caught a great photo. From what I understand, this picture not only hangs in his parents RV, but in the Camden, Ohio VFW Hall where the Special Olympic team meets once a month.


Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

Swing for the Fences



In shooting sports photography, specifically baseball, set up angles are extremely important. I cases like this, when I was shooting Eaton, Ohio Little League, the centerfield fence was not far away, that I couldn't get a great shot of a batter teeing off on one. In this case I used a Nikkor 300mm and a 1/1000 shutter speed at ISO 400.

One can also see why the batter popped this one up. His eyes are not on the ball.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 10, 2009

Flyin High



In shooting Sports Photography, you may get asked to cover a wide variety of subjects. Baseball and Football are my specialty, but occasionally I get an odd request to do something new. Motorcross is one such event. I went up to a place called Buzzard Valley, somewhere in North Eastern Ohio. I only got two good shots the whole day.

This goes back to what I always say about, understanding the flow of the particular sports in question. I'm an idiot when it comes to this sport. Put me on the Cincinnati Reds, or a Tee-ball team and I'm right at home, but here I was out of my comfort zone.

I positioned my Nikon D200 and monopod at the final jump and let the motodrive fly and was fortunate to nail a good one. I could not see the bikes as they came up the hill, but I could hear them. The overcast day made for great lighting and exposure. The cropping hides the fact that he is only 3 feet above the dirt.

Cropping is one of the most important elements in creating a great sports photo. Sadly enough, many aspiring sports photographers are too lazy to do the extras that seperate them from the masses.

Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 9, 2009

Out of the croutch


One of my favorite shots is to get a picture of a catcher coming up out of the croutch and getting ready to gun a runner down. Now the tricky question is, how do you get an angle that looks like your're at about the pitchers mound? The answer is, that's almost exactly where I am. Although a photograph of a Cincinnati Reds catcher would be an impossiblility, unless you had field credentials, many little league and highschool games I cover, allow me to roam the field in between innings. This allows me to position myself during warm ups and get some great action shots of infielders tossing and losening up.

Once they are posted, no one cane tell the difference between game and warm up shots.

Shot with a Nikon D200 and Nikor lens.


Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

Batters Eye




Shooting sports photography can be simple and mundane if you're just going through the motions. I've always said that anyone can take pictures but few can take photographs. While covering a Varsity baseball game between the Monroe Hornets and the Carlisle Indians, I kept noticing that the pitcher for Monroe had this Bob Gibson like fall off from the mound. I envisioned this as having the potential for a great head on shot, much like some of those famous Gibson shots.

I moto'ed through about 10 pitches before I finally got a keeper. Now the trick to a photo like this is a quality lens, like the Nikkor 80-200 f2.8. I was on the other side of the fence and had the lens hood pressed against the chain link fence. My focus is on the pitchers eyes. Everything else is irrelevant in the picture except for the ball it's self. If the pitcher is out of focus, the picture just simply does not work.
Posted by Cincinnati and Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio. For more information (877) 858-6295

April 8, 2009

To Flash or Not to Flash....


WHEN IS IT OK TO USE YOUR ON-CAMERA FLASH?

People photos can be some of the most rewarding and challenging shots
to take. They can also be the most lucrative if you get them right.

One of the most important elements you need to master in order to sell
your photos of people (family, friends, or strangers) is light.

The pop up flash on your camera is ALMOST NEVER an option if you want
to sell your photos to magazines, stock agencies, or as fine art. It’s
fine for pictures you plan to keep in your photo album at home, but
it’s not acceptable for photos you plan to sell.

It’s a classic sign of a “snapshot” and it’ll ruin an otherwise
acceptable image.

...That being said, I am not advocating that you never ever use your
on-camera flash again. I am, however, encouraging you to know the
difference between saleable images and those that you tuck into an
album and pull out at family dinners for a giggle and to reminisce.

The above shot is an example of using a natural light source for a more dramatic
photograph.

It’s a wonderful shot of a friends 82 year old Grandmother.
Had the light source been a pop up flash, you would have had a bright intense light on the forehead and a big shadow on the wall behind her head.

I was asked to come take some photographs of my friends "Nanna" who has not been in very good health the past couple of years. I had a very small dimly lit home that gave me very litle astetical advantages. I found out that religion and her Bible were a very important part of her life. In her Bible she keeps obituaries of her late friends, one of them being her late husband. I used an Expodisc to get a proper light temperature reading and bracketed my exposures. The end result was this family keepsake.

One thing you can do during the day is simply step out onto the front
porch and use the natural light from outdoors. Another thing you can
try is moving her to a window-lit area of the house.

Be careful to stay away from bright midday sun or areas that have a
mix of direct light and shade. Instead, watch for “even” lighting.

And if, for some reason, you must use a pop-up flash, try diffusing
the light, using something to make it spread out. You can do this on
the run with something as simple as a white Kleenex slipped over the
flash. There are also products you can find online made specifically
for this. One is the Puffer by Gary Fong, which fits over your
on-camera flash and softens the direct light. I often use the Gary Fong LightSphere. But you can find the right diffuser for your flash at http://garyfong.com

While these options are not perfect solutions, they will give you
better results in a pinch if no natural light is available.

For more examples of natural or diffused light portraits visit http://rushintl.smugmug.com/gallery/2302283_jaJrf#480252706_rpfgY

All were taken either indoors with a Gary Fong Lightsphere, light coming from a window or outside with natural light. Notice that none of them have harsh shadows. And that my subjects aren't blown out by the intensity of an on-camera flash
(because I didn’t use it).

And again, I’m not suggesting that you never use your flash. I’m
simply saying that there’s a lot of money to be made out there selling
photographs of people. And with a little planning and readjustment of
your subject, you might just be able to cash in on it.

April 7, 2009

Pay Dirt



Anticipation, Timing, Understanding of Game Flow and a little luck. Sometimes as a sports photographer, you've got to take a fishermans approach and cast the line out one more time. This was exactly the case while covering the Monroe Hornets 3rd grade football game against the Eaton Eagles.

I was wrapping up an assignment for a parent and heading out of the stadium when I noticed the ball on the far side of the field. Monroe had been running the strong side sweep with success all day. I decided to set up the mono pod and wait. Sure enough this little guy turns the corner and heads 68 yards to pay dirt. I let the moto drive use up its capacity and this was the big fish that got stuffed and mounted.

This picture was also published in the 2008 Capture Cincinnati Book. Shot with a NIkon D200. Monroe Hornet Photograph, Cincinnati Sports Photographer Vincent Rush

April 6, 2009

Wind Up



One of the mistakes that I see a lot of aspiring youth sports photographers make, when posting the days shoot, is simply downloading 2-300 pictures with no editing, cropping or filtering involved. What a lot of youth sports photography sites consist of, is a bunch of random shots with no story telling signifigance in any of them. Typical symptoms include,kids too small in frame, too slow of a shutter speed, too many out of focus pictures

If you want to sell enough pictures on your site to buy more equipment or pay for your gas to the park, you have to put eye popping action shots that are of baseball card quality, to keep parents clicking through untill they find their little superstar on your site.

I shot this picture on a Sunday during Fall League, in Fairfield, Ohio with a Nikon D200 at 1/1200th of a second and cropped it after downloading.

Cincinnati Reds Opening Day



One of my favorite days of the year. Opening day for Major League Baseball and the Cincinnati Reds. I've only went to one opening day. In 2003, my friend Dave Fallat and I went to the very first game at Great American Ball Park, to commemorate me becoming a newly qualified Emerald in Amway. Dave had went Emerald the year before. Today was a great example of why I usually don't like to go...37* at the start of the game. Cold, wet, damp and a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Mets. The Cincinnati Red's are now on pace to lose 160 games.

April 5, 2009

Cincinnati Reds Opening Day...24 Hours



Shooting a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the LA Dodgers,I just happened to catch a big swing...and a spit, from Reds Second Baseman, Brandon Phillips.

Nikon D200, Nikkor 80-200 2.8 at 1/1600th of a second. Cincinnati Reds Photo, Cincinnati Sports Photographer,Vincent Rush

Primping



As the Eaton, Ohio Little League season gets ready to kick into full gear, I was looking back at some of my photos from last year, whaen I came across this gem. In my opinion, one of the things that sets a good youth sports photographer apart from the picture takers that post up every frame that they shoot, with no editing or cropping, to their web sites, is having an "Eye" for the unusual and unexpected.

I was shooting Eaton Little League Tee-Ball one Saturday, and I noticed that this little girl had stopped on 1st and 2nd to adjust her hat so it was "just right".

I was rewarded with this picture when she hit 3rd. It may not be an action shot, but it is typical of the innocence of little league. Shot with a Nikon D200, 1/250 at F8.

Eaton Little League Photograph. Cincinnati Sports Photographer, Vincent Rush

April 4, 2009

Opposite Field



During the Summer, I have carved out a nice little niche shooting kids sports photography, specificly, little league baseball. Parents love seeing their little superstars in a "Sports Illustrated" quality photo. In this picture, I am the parent as my son Zachary, playing in Eaton, Ohio Little League, goes the opposite way as a left handed hitter. I set up on the first base line and used a Nikon D200, Nikkor 80-200 2.8 lens and 1/1600th of a second shutter.

A great deal of Sports Photography is about anticipation and understanding the flow of the game. My son,Zachary who is 10, will be playing in both the Monroe and Eaton Little League's this year.

Cincinnati Reds Opening Day in 48 Hours



The Cincinnati Reds arenow less than 48 hours away from opening day in the 2009 season. Chris Dickerson is another rising star in the Reds organization that figures to have a big impact on the success of the team.

In this photograph, I positioned myself down the right field line and waited for a lefty to turn on one. I used a Nikon D200 with aperature priority at 1/1200 ths of a second.

Cincinnati Reds Photograph. Cincinnati Sports Photographer, Vincent Rush

April 1, 2009

Nikon D400...soon to be released?

Just when I was getting ready to go out and buy a Nikon D700 for the noise reduction factor, I come across this article from a publictaion called "Electricpig" out of the UK, dated March 20th.

"A few weeks ago we picked up the first rumblings concerning a new D400 digital SLR from Nikon, apparently due to launch in the summer. Well, now some specifications have apparently appeared on the German Nikon website, before being mysteriously removed minutes later. The plot thickens…

Nikon Rumors received the tip-off from a reader, who emailed in a screenshot of the Nikon Germany site with the D400 camera added to the existing line-up with a “New” tag next to it. The camera’s blurb reveals that the D400 has a 15.4-megapixel CMOS sensor, 6fps continuous shooting mode, ISO from 200 to 6400 and the ability to shoot full HD 1080p video via its Live View mode.

But by the time the folks at Nikon Rumors had checked the site, the D400 had disappeared from the listing - suggesting either that the picture was a hoax, or that Nikon had spotted its premature listing and taken it down before anyone spotted it.

So it remains a mystery for now, but it does seem as though the D400 will launch eventually. As we reported last month, a guidebook for the camera has already appeared on Amazon’s German store, written by a man with a substantial back catalogue of Nikon tomes. We’ll keep an eye out for more news."

For all of us Nikon users that have clung to our D200's up to now, this could be a nice reward for the wait.

Personally I will not get too excited until I hear it from Ken Rockwell at http://kenrockwell.com Ken tend to be one of the leading authorites on Nikon and his website is unmatched in my opinion.

6 days till Cincinnati Reds Opening Day



Less than one week till Major League Baseball's true opening day, and that is Cincinnati Reds opening day. When the season opens, Jeff Keppinger, seen in this photograph in a late 2008 season game against the Pirates at Great American Ballpark, will not be on the roster. Keppinger, a fan favorite in Cincinnati, was traded yesterday to the Houston Astro's.

For this photograph, anticipation played a key role in getting the shot. I set up along the first base line and focused on secondbase, once a runner was on first. Sure enough a few pitches later a 6 to 3 double play developed. This is one of my favorite Cincinnati Reds photographs. The only thing that would have enhanced the shot...fans in the stands. Since I have zero Photoshop skills, that was not possible. Picture takenwith a Nikon D200, 80-200 2.8 lens at 1/1600th of a second.

Cincinnati Reds Photograph. Cincinnati Sports Photographer, Vincent Rush