New endeavor to focus on Loudon County sports

I haven't kept this blog up very well lately, but I've learned from my son that a blog can be a very handy and useful means of communication. So, my goal now is to post at least weekly if not more often, to keep my friends informed about what's going on in my world as a professional photographer.

Last March I had the privilege to begin work for the News-Herald newspaper as sports writer. Taking photographs of fast-paced action on the baseball diamond or softball field, volleyball court, soccer or football fields, golf course, basketball court etc. has been great fun. Photographing sports action is however, quite different compared to a family portrait, high school senior or wedding ceremony. With those events, the photographer is usually in command of the situation and gives direction to those you are attempting to photograph. Not so in sports. The action is non-stop with challenging light conditions no matter what the location. The photographer is the last person with any control of the situation as coaches, game officials and players all take precedent over the person with the camera. Like birthing a baby, my tenure with the News-Herald lasted nine months and has led me to a whole new world. 

The end of January closed out my stint as sports writer for the newspaper and prompted me to take stock of where I am, what I enjoy and what might be next as a focus for my creative talent and energies. While working for the newspaper, the surprising thing for me has been the number of people who complimented me on my writing. Overwhelming is an understatement. So, with encouragement from a number of sources and research that indicates a workable business plan could be developed, I set out to launch a blog with a goal to become the place to find comprehensive coverage of sports across Loudon County. With a launch date of January 31, I have now posted seven stories, with six including action photographs, like the one below.

Amberlee Zeller, No. 11, works to put up a shot while 
a pair of Lady Warriors defend. Waiting for a rebound is fellow 
Lady Panther LaShundra Bowman, No. 15. 
Action is from the Lenoir City Middle School 39-18 win over Newport on Wednesday.
 Photo by Ambler Brown © 2012

The great thing about blog technology is that I can track readership to the minute. I completed my latest post at 10:30 a.m. this morning and by 12:08 p.m. there had been 34 page views. By 2:45 p.m., the count had climbed to 65 page views. While typing this blog post, the 66th page view was recorded. Like ripples in a pond emanating outward from the initial splash of a pebble, the word has begun to spread. The most page views I had experienced previously was yesterday's count of 42.

I hope you will check out my latest entry and join me in congratulating the Lenoir City Middle School Lady Panthers on their win last night. Click this link to view my latest Loudon County Sports blog post about the Lenoir City Middle School Lady Panthers championship quest.

It's been fun! I look forward to posting more sports stories and photographs for a long time.