A ball drop is a fundraising event where lots of numbered spherical objects, in this case 1000 of the kind used to play golf, are dropped from a height. In this case about 70 feet. Onto a target area, in this case a golf green. Below the dropped balls are several targets. Once the balls are motionless on the ground, the invigilators move in. Closest ball to each target wins the prize for that target.
It is a lot to organize. Cranes. Ticket sales. Marketing. Lottery licensing. Verification. Oh, so much paperwork. Buying 1000 golf balls and writing numbers on them. It’s also a lot of fun. Well. A few seconds of fun.
The Setup
A perimeter was set up, surrounded by marshalls from the Port Colborne Optimist club. Their aim was to ensure no shenigans occurred (spectators, for example, throwing errant balls back into the target area for fun). Only one person was inside the perimeter. Yours truly.
My aim was to be underneath the balls as they fell. Not directly below. Far enough away to not interfere with the path of any ball, but close enough to watch them cascade. After two test drops where the balls were released without warning I requested a countdown for the actual drop. It would add to the fun for the crowd, but mainly it was to ensure I was ready when it hit zero. An event like this is a one-time deal, over in a second. I laid on the grass. Waiting. 10, 9, (I started the 360 video camera on a tripod beside me), 8, 7, (I did a last quick check of the camera settings), 5,4,3, (I tweaked focus on the spot the balls would pass through as they fell), 2, (took a breath and held it) 1. A cheer from the crowd. The balls fell. Chaos. And then, stillness. And I could breathe again.
The Shots
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These are just the shots of the balls actually dropping. Spectators smiling, judges measuring. I of course got those too. Standard event photography fare.
Consistently good shots don’t just happen. It takes planning and sometimes quick thinking to be in the right place at the right time. Sometimes there are no do-overs. You only get one shot in the moment. Like the first kiss after a wedding. You can’t ask them to do it again. You have to nail it. First time.
This is why people hire photographers. For professional commercial photography with consistently good results you can rely on, Get in touch.