Baseball field repairs

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Sophomore right fielder Collin DeLome replaces a tire on a batting cage at Vincent-Beck Stadium at Lamar University in Beaumont on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006. The stadium's press box, outfield wall and lights were all destroyed by Hurricane Rita.


Lamar University baseball head coach Jim Gilligan (left) discusses reconstruction options with construction project manager Michael Hogan (right) at Vincent-Beck Stadium. The stadium's damaged features are expected to be replaced before the season begins.

Since today's post is about problem solving, I should explain luck has a lot to do with successful images. This assignment presented the problem to show hurricane damage to the baseball field (they call it a stadium for some unknown reason) as well as show college baseball practice had started.

I shot the players repairing equipment to show the missing press box and damage to the backstop net. Then, I shot players practicing with a missing fence and downed lights. None of those shots really worked.

During practice, a small group of people arrived and inspected the press box area. I shot the group with players in the foreground, but it didn't work either.

Then, I saw the coach going toward the stands. I asked to tag along, and he was cool. When he talked with the group, he explained some design changes he wanted. I didn't know to whom he was talking until they were done and I collected names. In other words, I was very lucky.

The pair of images shows field damage as requested as well as the primary people involved in the repairs. Luck and observations are often better than any amount of planning. However, PJs must know enough about a story to tell the story visually. Had I not known about the repair angle to the story, I doubt I would have had the right shots for the story.

Enough for now,