Sports, Documentary & Portrait Photographer in Sacramento and San Francisco | Starghill

3 On 3 For All The Marbles: Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:41:00 +0000

Since last years tournament for 'all the marbles', I've kept in touch with the car club that organizes the day of festivities. Usually at the beginning of the summer, they host the tournament, with no entry fee, and dole out a $600 cash prize to the last team standing. This day was no different.

A grueling afternoon of intense 3-on-3 action was both the fuel and the fatigue of each team. Competition was fierce and the players were clawing for not only respect, but also $600 for winning basketball games. It's ALMOST like being in the NBA, right?

Just like last year, the champion hailed from "The Heights" and they were very vocal about it (you probably even recognize some familiar faces). The defenders of the crown made it to the final game but lost to a younger version of themselves from the same neighborhood. Shout out to everyone who kept it civil in a game where at times it can be hard. Especially when you throw some greenbacks into the mix.

Tale of Two Diamonds

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:30:00 +0000

This spring, I put in practice time a couple of days a week shooting sports that I can't say I've spent a whole lot of hours shooting. The diamond sports. I'm not particularly inclined to enjoying either (watching, or playing) but always look forward to the opportunity to get a good shot. The only thing is, you've really got to pay attention. If you blink, you might miss one of the few chances for action. Shout out to the Houston Astros, the 2013 AL West Champs. Count on it.

DSTAR in Houston

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

I was so very fortunate to spend a good chunk of time in the greatest state of Texas last month. Initially for my brother-in-law's wedding in Austin (congrats Nate and Martha!) and then down to Houston to spend some time with the family. During that time, I photographed a kid who I've known for about 25+ years. An enterprising young hip hop artist by the name of DSTAR who also happens to be my cousin. We roamed the streets of Downtown Houston, mainly around the theater district, to make some promo images.

And if you're so inclined...have a listen to some of his heat. I am biased, but it is HEAT!

Shout out to H-Town.

Baseball Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Hung out with the Mustangs at baseball practice earlier in the week and took a few pictures. It's definitely a different experience than photographing games because the games are totally unpredictable. And if you're not careful, you just might miss the few spurts of action that occur. But at practice, you can count on a few good frames. Shout out to repetition.

After The Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Usually when I'm driving, I always notice the sky after a brief rainstorm has passed. The sun is coming through the clouds behind me and the dark clouds are ahead of me...retreating. It makes a cool canvas of light shining on a dark background. Am I the only one?

Anyway, that happened to me yesterday but this time, I was shooting baseball. It was still a little bit cloudy so the light was pretty even. The sun was shining just enough to get some light on the faces and you can see the dark clouds in the background. Pretty cool right? Or am I still the only one who thinks so? My adopted school, Monterey Trail, was 2 hit and lost 11-0. The sun'll come out...tomorrow.

Georgetown, Syracuse and Big East Basketball

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000

My earliest memory of Big East basketball was the 1996 conference championship game between the Georgetown Hoyas and the Connecticut Huskies where a couple of guys named Allen Iverson and Ray Allen went at it in Madison Square Garden. After that, I didn't pay much attention to that conference unless I saw their teams advance deep into the NCAA Tournament. Then there was the 2007-2008 college basketball season.

Thanks to my man Ron Bailey from i95ballerz.com, I got the opportunity to cover the world famous Hoyas. For three years, I was all about Big East hoops. I went to most games, and trust me, they weren't all barn burning, full capacity, television worthy contests. There were some duds against South Florida and games against the likes of Seton Hall where aside from the student section, most of the arena was empty. But there were a few dates on the Georgetown schedule that put butts in almost every seat, but none more so than the annual home game against Syracuse.

The Syracuse / Georgetown hoops rivalry was classic in that either team could be having shitty seasons (which didn't happen very often) but whomever won that Hoya / Orange game could feel great about themselves for about a week and a half. Fans packed the Verizon Center to the tip top, wearing heather gray, blue and yes, even blotches of orange. We photographers were shoulder to shoulder in our positions with an extra row of photographers behind us. Against St. John's, I could stretch out and take a nap on the baseline...but not against 'Cuse. Against 'Cuse, the atmosphere before the tip already made the experience incredible and there were still 40 minutes to play. These games were usually competitive but if it didn't show in the score, it damn sure showed in intensity.

Alas, all good things come to an end. The Big East as we know it, is crumbling. Syracuse is off to the ACC and 7 teams from the Big East's current incarnation are forming their own conference. Now, I don't want to sound like I'm longing for the days of the old rivalry too much because I only witnessed three seasons and I don't think anyone is allowed to be nostalgic about the 2000s. But I sure will miss it. Farewell ye olde Big East as we knew it. Shout out to JT III, Jim Boeheim, Roy Hibbert, Donte Greene, Jessie Sapp, DaJuan Summers, Jonathan Wallace, Scoop Jardine, Jonny Flynn, Austin Freeman, Arinze Onuaku, Paul Harris, Rick Jackson, Greg Monroe, Jason Clark, Eric Devendorf, Kristof Ongenaet, Chris Wright (whew, all pictured) and all the other Hoyas and Orange I've photographed. Conference re-alignment sucks.

Full Contact, No Pads: Part V

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Seems like this is becoming somewhat of a series, eh? March 9th, (RIP B.I.G., anniversary of Washington's football team trading for RGIII) I re-visited the scene at Natomas High School to photograph these wild and crazy guys who play tackle football with no armor. The game was a blowout with a score of 7-2 (49-14 in real football scores) but everyone enjoyed themselves and most importantly, no one got hurt. Here are a few of the highlights. Oh, and shout out to this little project of mine...I've no idea of its next steps. Any suggestions?

Softballin'

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Sorry #20...you win some, you lose some.

Blacktop Basketball

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:05:00 +0000

You've heard the term "blacktop" before. It generally refers to any outdoor basketball court in an urban environment and it includes this one. Roosevelt Park located at 10th and P St. is my home court here in Sacramento. But this "blacktop" has an actual blacktop surface that absorbs and retains a lot of heat during the summer days. It will also destroy the palms of your hands if you put them down catch yourself or break a fall. My advice? Maintain your balance.

I shot these back in July of some guys that I regularly play with, but they probably got lost in the shuffle of summer weddings and honeymoon travels. I could go on and on about how much I looooooooove this game, but I'll keep it short and just post some pictures. Shout out to outdoor basketball...there's nothing like it.

A Wrestler, Yes Sir.

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Monterey Trail Girls Basketball

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Admittedly, girls hoops is sort of neglected on this little blog of mine. But this bunch of Mustangs are pretty damn good. I spoke about league play in the previous post and the girls have the same amount of those contests this season (10). So far, they are 7-2 and close out the regular season tonight with a game against Laguna Creek. Here are a few images from their games against Elk Grove and Davis. Shout out to the press and trap...this creates turnovers and turnovers create victories!

Purchase prints HERE and HERE!

Two Games of Mustangs

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 00:05:00 +0000

January moved along at its own leisurely pace this year. So much so that it seems like it's been a couple of months since I last shot the Mustangs. But in fact, I shot these two games on the 16th and 18th of the month. The only things that matter in high school hoops if you want a chance at the playoffs are league games and the varsity boys Mustangs have 10 of them. Elk Grove and Davis were games 3 and 4 of the 10 game stretch and unfortunately, the Mustangs lost both. The latter was in a 96-91 overtime shootout where Davis' plan of action was to press and get shots up as soon as possible. At the time of publishing, Monterey Trail is currently 0-7 in league play. Hopefully they can get a W before the season ends. In the meantime, check out this photographic recap of two of those games. Shout out to fast paced hoops. Coaches like to run, run, run in pre-season for a reason!

Grandma's 90th

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

I'm pretty fortunate to have at least one grandparent at this ripe old age of almost 30. And even more fortunate to have a 90-year-old grandmother who still gets around and tells stories from years ago as if they had happened yesterday. In the middle of December 2012, I flew to my hometown of Houston, TX to celebrate the birthday festivities of Lena Mae Starghill at the Kashmere Multi-Service Center. This place, nicknamed "the Center", is a place where she regularly goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays to "play checkers and tell lies." But on December 15th, it was a place filled with family and friends she'd come to know after 50+ years in the neighborhood. Happy Birthday G-Ma!

New Year, More Basketball

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

I rang in the new year (the 3rd and 4th of the month technically) with back to back days of basketball. I don't think it gets any better than that. I was in on a practice session with the Monterey Trail Mustangs of Elk Grove, CA full of drills, drills and more drills. Just when I thought the drills were over and practice was winding down, the basketballs went on the rack and out came the sprints. I guess it all paid off because the Mustangs walked away with a 14 point victory over rival Florin High School the very next day.

Sickboy says "NO" then stares you down.

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:59:00 +0000

Otis Griffin - Road Back to the Title: Slide Show Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 20:04:00 +0000

A couple of months ago, I posted about a project I was working on with a boxer from Sacramento. His name is Otis Griffin and I photographed him training for his first fight in a series of five to get him back into title contention. You can see that original post here. I decided to re-visit and experiment with ProShow Gold, channeling my inner Ken Burns and here is the result.

As a side note, the song sound tracking the slide show is a boxing-themed record that I recorded with my friends Jordan and Roger in college in 2004. So if you've never heard me rap...here is your chance!

Monterey Trail Hoops

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:00:00 +0000

The NBA kicked off late last month and college hoops tips this Friday. As soon as the football post season wraps this month, the high school season will begin. Thank goodness! I shot a few portraits for the Monterey Trail Mustangs hoop squad. Lights, Camera, Simulated Action!

Full Contact, No Pads: Part IV

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:00:00 +0000

I made another visit up to Natomas High School where the Gridiron Gang calls home. This time, with a light. While a few of the weekend warriors were taking a break from the action, I got to work and shot some portraits. Didn't get a chance to get everybody, but I'll be back. Of course, I had to get some shots of the armor-less action. I still think they're crazy for playing tackle with no cushion, but even the experts say the game could be safer without helmets.

Monterey Trail Mustangs vs. Grant Pacers Football

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000

As we creep towards the end of the year, the days get shorter and shorter. The weekly Friday football events that I often attend and which once gave me at least of quarter of dusk, has truly become a night time activity. Even when photons are at a premium, I refuse to flash with on camera devices...a la Terry Richardson. The Mustangs were once again in action at the Mark Macres Memorial Stadium, deep in the heart of bustling Elk Grove, California. They played the Pacers of Grant High School and suffered a 14-7 loss. I was there.

Inderkum @ Laguna Creek Jr. Football

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:09:00 +0000

12 hours. 6 football games. It was a pretty long day to say the least. Bottles of water and Gatorade kept me sane and Tony Kornheiser kept me company. Tiny Mites, Mighty Mites, Junior Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Junior Midget, and Midget are the names of the 6 divisions with kids ranging in age from 6-13 years old. As the day went on, the players got bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled. It was like watching a sped up version of the evolution of football.

Tuesday Bruise Day

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Tuesday is just early enough in the week to get in a good hard day of practice before having to go all out on Friday night. The Mustangs run through a rigorous series of drills, honing the simple principles of football: blocking and tackling. You throw in some agility work outs and a little bit of game instruction, and Tuesday night might bring a really early bedtime. Unless, of course, you have a bunch of homework to do. Ha...teenagers.

Monterey Trail @ Pioneer Football

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Just another Friday night. After a 17-14 loss to Antelope in the opening game of the season, the Monterey Trail Mustangs have been on fire. I was a little worried when the Pioneer Patriots came out wearing "all black everything" including the matte black helmets. As Neon Deion says, "You look good, you feel good. You feel good, you play good. You play good, they pay good." Let's just say the Patriots didn't get paid at all. Shout out to the Mustangs for the 28-3 victory and rolling to this 4-1 start.

CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS HERE

Monterey Trail @ Florin Football

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000

An away game at the home stadium. Weird, right? The Monterey Trail Mustangs walked out of the same locker room, touched the same rock and walked onto the same field that they do every home game on a Friday night. But this time, they were the away team. Donning the away white uniforms and banished to the visitor's sideline, the Mustangs played the Florin Panthers, with whom they share the Mark Macres Memorial Stadium. Florin hung their banners on the outside fences and wrapped their "Panther" cushions around the base of the field goal uprights but they never quite gained that home field advantage, losing to the Mustangs 55-14.

Grant @ Bella Vista Soccer

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000

My high school soccer practices consisted mostly of jogging and running and I hated it. Now and then we'd get to take a couple of shots. In 2012 when I show up to high school soccer games, I take a seat somewhere on the goal line in this super comfy chair and take a couple hundred shots. Two reasons I'm out shooting soccer: 1) the golden, early evening, directional sunlight 2) Gotta keep my action game sharp...I haven't done it in a while.

Shout out to Grant (blue and yellow), who like my team, consisted of an overwhelming majority of Spanish speakers. The technical soccer terms of "cruz a la", "medio", and "cabrón" sounded all too familiar.

Martha + Nate: Engaged!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Starghill Jr.) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Well, they were actually engaged in October when Nate got down on one knee in the middle of running a marathon. No big deal. He approached and proposed to a cheering Martha, adding precious seconds to his overall time and I was right there to witness it all. Nate is my brother-in-law and the two currently live in the great city I grew up in. We had a great shoot early, early in the morning in Hermann Park and their laughter and interaction with each other made everything so easy. As a side note, I had no idea how many people take photos in Hermann Park. As we were heading back to the car there was a crying baby on train tracks and at least three other couples all being photographed. I felt a little bad hogging all of the good light. Anyway, shout out to Martha and Nate. Congrats and see you in March!