Sports photography in Austin
Juan Castillo, left, and Cody Lofgren celebrate after Lofgren scored a goal during the Panthers 3-2 loss to Frisco Wakeland in a shoot out during the 4A state championship soccer game in Georgetown
These past two months have felt like a whirlwind as I’ve been rushing around taking pictures as a freelance photographer in Austin, Texas. I’ve managed to shoot every high school state championship event, along with the women’s NCAA championships at the Erwin Center, a small ad campaign, portraits, general assignments and somehow squeezed in time to move to a new house in downtown Austin and put in some time on the bicycle.
I shot 6 high school state basketball games for various news outlets across Texas and had the chance to meet some great kids and take some photographs that I enjoy….even though these are all from one game… -
Adrian Tepker hoists the state championship trophy for the Fort Bend Bush fans to see following their 65-58 state championship win over Lakeview Centennial in Austin
Texas Governer Rick Perry presents the Fort Bend Bush basketball team with the state trophy.
The Fort Bend Bush basketball team celebrates following their 65-58 state championship win over Lakeview Centennial in Austin
I also got to spend three days shooting the state soccer tournament, which is always a blast. I started photographing soccer in Austin last year when I covered my first Austin Aztex game for a local newspaper and I’ve been hooked since.
Ryan Nolan, right, wins a header over Frisco Wakeland's Len Smith during their 4A state championship loss to Wakeland.
The backgrounds are so ugly at the Georgetown stadium that I spent a lot of time up in the stands shooting down on the action with a long lens. Even with the terrible backgrounds, the staff at the stadium were awesome. It was the most well staffed state championship I have ever been to. Not only was everyone helpful, they constantly had the fridge packed with food and even had breakfast tacos for those 8am games. I wish the UIL could take note of the accomplishments that Rhonda Farney and the rest of the staff pulled off in making the event bearable for the media. Thanks GISD!
Kyle Trimm, left, and El Paso's Jose Moreno fight for the ball during Kingwood Park's 5-2 semifinal win over El Paso on Friday.
Kingwood coach Ryan Smith talks with his team before the start of their 4A state championship match against Frisco Wakeland.
Kylie Cook, left, and Meghan Gibbons celebrate after Cook scored on a penalty kick in the final minutes of the Highlanders 3-2 state championship win over McKinney Boyd.
And in a total different direction, I’m still editing down my take of photos from my Arizona road trip. I took a few hundred photos while riding shotgun and in the backseat with the
View from the car seat in Arizona.
View from the car seat in Arizona.
View from the car seat in Arizona.
I’ve also shot a few games of Texas baseball. There is something great about being on the 40 acres shooting baseball on a brisk, sunny day.
Austin Dicharry delivers a pitch.
I also spent some time at the 2010 Texas Relays at the University of Texas. The Texas Relays are always a blast to shoot and are one of my favorite events to cover. I shot a number of high school, university and international athletes for a few clients and somehow managed to not get sunburnt over the course of three days.
Yesterday was another fun day for me as well, as I got the call to shoot the 26th Annual MS 150 Bike Ride. The MS 150 takes cyclists from Houston to Austin, via a 180 mile back country route, in order to raise money for multiple sclerosis. I’ve wanted to do the ride for the last couple of years, but I can’t seem to find the time.
Riders participating in the 26th Annual BP MS 150 Bike Ride celebrate as they cross the finish line Sunday morning near the Texas State Capitol.
A cyclist participating in the 26th Annual BP MS 150 Bike Ride celebrates with fans while riding through a bubble machine near the finish line Sunday morning.
It was a blast seeing everyone in such high spirits, including the riders on the tail end of their near 200 mile ride. I managed to capture a few moments here and there and even nabbed another 1A lead art photo for a local paper.
Houston Chronicle
Our local professional soccer team in Austin, the Austin Aztex, also kicked off their second season with a 2-0 win over last years USL-1 defending champions and took down another opponent to stay unbeaten on the season so far. Like a lot of my other jobs, shooting for the Austin Aztex is always fun.
Austin Aztex
And you can’t forget the loyal fans who have made the move to House Park with the team. These guys and gals rock. The billboard agrees.
http://www.chanticosarmy.com/cajoomla/
The Aztex are kicking up some waves online using social networking tools and have made a few funny videos to help promote their upcoming season. My favorite so far…Heads Up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO8bpql9aRU
And last but not least, I’ll leave you with one of my more light hearted assignments from a few weeks ago. There are a few people in Austin that love their pets so much that they will go to extremes to help them live better lives. Jake happens to be one of those dogs. His owners spent a lot of money buying up a small parcel of property behind their condo, installing a doggie door with a ramp, and having the stairs built at an angle that suits the older dogs aging body…Talk about awesome!
A dog door with a ramp helps Jake, along with two other elderly beagels, get in and out of the condo.
I’ve got a lot more photos that I want to share with everyone, but they are going to have to wait until next time. Thanks for stopping by.
Photographs by Austin photographer Patrick Meredith www.patrickmeredith.com
Veterans Day in Austin
Ron Dorsey, who served in Vietnam in the late 1960's, pauses for a moment outside of the Texas State Capitol Building following a Veterans Day parade in downtown Austin on Wednesday.
I spent a few minutes in downtown Austin photographing the Veterans Day parade this morning. I met a lot of interesting people and heard some even more interesting stories. Don’t forget to thank a veteran…not only today, but any day.
Charley Randall, who has served in the military from 1962 through 2002, stands outside of the Texas State Capitol Building during a playing of the taps following a Veterns Day parade in downtown Austin.