Camera: NIKON D3S

Shutter: 1/1600 s

Aperture: f/3.5

Exposure Setting: Manual (Pattern Metering)

ISO: 640

Strobe Flash: Did Not Fire

Lens Focal Length: 14 mm

White Balance: Auto

Shooter's Comments:

I love finding nice light. This caught my eye driving into the newsroom Thursday morning. Initially, I began shooting this like I would any basketball game, under the net, waiting for the face and the moment with the sun to my back.

The light was nice on him, but it wasn't that kind of photograph, and I broke out of that pretty quick. I put on my 50mm lens and walked out onto the "court" and started shooting into the sun, which is when the photo started coming together.

I wasn't digging the flare from the sun and there was no clean background to silhouette Abdi. I loved the splash of light and the shadow of Abdi as he ran through it. I moved in closer and switched to my 14mm lens. This made Abdi and his shadow larger in the frame. I sat on the pavement and positioned myself so the sun was behind the backboard to get rid of the flare. Then I just waited.

In my short time with Abdi, I could tell that he works really hard. I really hope he makes the team!

- Swikar Patel, Photojournalist