My birthday gift from the Arizona Cardinals…a win!
Ever since the Superbowl last year I couldn’t wait for the NFL season to begin. After a preseason game a few weeks ago it was finally time for the Arizona Cardinals home opener against the horrible Miami Dolphins.
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1250iso, f2.8, 1/1250th.
There is really nothing exciting about the game to talk about so here are some of the images from the game.
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1250iso, f2.8, 1/1250th
Former American Idol star Chris Daughtry was on hand to perform prior to the game.
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1250iso, f2.8, 1/1600th
For player introductions I went inside the blow up Helmet to shoot something different from the normal player running on the field with cluttered backgrounds.
Nikon D3, 24-70mm, 6400iso, f2.8, 1/250th
Nikon D3, 24-70mm, 6400iso, f2.8, 1/200th
Nikon D3, 24-70mm, 6400iso, f2.8, 1/5000th
Game time!
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1250iso, f2.8, 1/1250th
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1250iso, f2.8, 1/1250th
Nikon D3, 80-200mm with 1.4 convertor, 2500iso, f4, 1/1250th
Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington had a terrible day and spent more time on his back than a…..well you know!
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1250iso, f2.8, 1/1250th
There was plenty of chances to shoot Pennington on the bench feeling dejected.
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1250iso, f2.8, 1/1250th
On the below play the Cardinals were very close to the end zone so I laid flat on the ground to get a low vantage point. I was hoping for a more exciting play for my effort but even a boring running play takes on a much better look from ground level.
Nikon D3, 80-200mm, 2500iso, f4, 1/1250th
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1250iso, f2.8, 1/1250th
My pal Rick Scuteri gave me a tip that actor Johnny Depp and his daughter were in a owners suite watching the game so I spent a few minutes trying to get a clean shot of him. I could give a crap about Johnny Depp but Holly loves him for some reason so this picture was for her.
Nikon D3, 400mm with 1.4 convertor, 2500iso, f4, 1/250th
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1600iso, f2.8, 1/1250th
Nikon D3, 80-200mm, 1600iso, f2.8, 1/1250th
Game ended with a 31-10 beatdown by the Cardinals. The win also put them at 2-0, their best start since the 1991 season.
Nikon D3, 24-70mm, 800iso, f2.8, 1/500th
Nikon D3, 24-70mm, 800iso, f2.8, 1/500th
And that ended my 29th birthday on a high note.
Next stop is Dover, Delaware this weekend for NASCAR. Its usually a pretty exciting weekend so stand by!
-Mark J. Rebilas is a freelance sports photographer based in Arizona. His work is seen regularly in Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, USA Today and many others around the country. Visit www.markjrebilas.com to learn more about his work.
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