Saturday night we had our Player’s Party at the Old State Capitol. Often referred to as “the old gray castle”, it’s one of the most distinguished examples of Gothic architecture in the United States today. It sits on a high hill overlooking the great Mississippi. I found out the capitol of Louisiana was actually in New Orleans prior to being moved to this location when the city of Baton Rouge donated the land to the state in 1847!

I took this image at dusk while the warm glow of the setting sun illuminated the front facade. Placing the silhouette of a large tree in the foreground created the perfect frame around the empty sky, focusing the attention on the stately building.

Jeff Young is on our team. However, he was unable to play because he suffered a stroke many months ago. It was touch-and-go for a while, but he’s made INCREDIBLE strides towards recovery. His daughter, Kristen, is on one of the Charleston women’s teams that made it to the Championships. And his wife, Toni, is the head teaching pro at the Maybank Tennis Facility, which our team plays out of. It was GREAT to have him along on the trip for moral support and encouragement. Here he gets a double-zerbert from some of the costumed ladies that entertained everyone at the Player’s Party. That smile says it all!

Shawn played an INCREDIBLE match against Louisiana on Sunday. My previous doubles partner, Dan, got bumped up to the 4.5 league this year. He and I had a long and successful run together. So I’m sad to see him go. But Shawn and I are going to team up this year. I’m REALLY excited and looking forward to playing with him. He’s got EXCELLENT form on his volleys (as you can see), and very consistent ground strokes. I think this year’s going to be a lot of fun…

This trip to Baton Rouge was a TON of FUN! I played three of the matches, teaming up with my friend Steve – the nicest, kindest guy you could ever meet! We won two of our three matches together, beating Kentucky and Mississippi. We BARELY lost the match against Tennessee (6-4, 6-4). Unfortunately, our team didn’t make it to the finals. But sometimes that’s just the way the ball bounces. We’re all still proud of being State Champions, and the accomplishment of defeating several other states along the way. Besides, there’s always NEXT YEAR, right?!?

When we weren’t on the courts playing, I did a lot of walking around town to train my eye. It’s funny…a lot of folks think being a great photographer is a gift you either have or you don’t. However, just like any other gift you might poses, if you want to push it to the next level, you have to TRAIN IT! Lance Armstrong, who had a gift for cycling long distances, didn’t rest on his backside during the off-season. He TRAINED! During my walk-about one evening I happened upon this row of flagpoles along the River Walk. By turning the camera, I created the diagonal lines that lead your eye to the main subject, the flag. I also used a slow shutter speed so that the billowing flag would blur and create a sense of motion. And I used the Rule of Thirds to place the flag off-center, creating a more dynamic composition. I think I’ll call it “Half Mast”. What do you think?