Nikon D100, Nikon 24-120mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 400, ƒ/6.7, 1/180

Georgia Tech’s #2 Isma’il Muhammad slams one early over NC State’s #14 Engin Atsur during play at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia, February 13, 2005. The final score was NC State 53 and Georgia Tech 51.

Isma’il is one of those photos most players either love or hate. I love that Isma’l flew over the NC State player Atsur for a slam. It made the ESPN highlights play over and over during that week. When Isma’l graduated, the coach had a large print made and gave it to him.

I just thought I would share some of my favorite sports images that I now have in my most recent “Sports Portfolio.”

This first photo shows Kerri Walsh spiking the volleyball against Jenny Krop and teammate Nancy Mason in the third round of the Women’s $100,000 AVP Crocs Tour at Atlantic Station in Atlanta.

Georgia Bulldog’s #2 Defensive Back Maurice Smith breaks up the pass to North Carolina Tarheel’s #3 Ryan Switzer in their win over UNC 33 to 24 during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at the Georgia Dome.

I love the photo because it shows the anticipation of the big play. We see both the offense and defense in a very competitive and athletic moment. Both players appear to be giving it their all at the moment.

I love the effort made by both the teams during the competition. Games are about getting a touchdown and defending, all wrapped up in a split second.

Bull Riding is the wildest and most dangerous event in rodeo. In the American tradition, the rider must stay atop the bucking bull for eight seconds to count as a qualified ride. Then, the rider tightly fastens one hand to the bull with a long braided rope. It is a risky sport and has been called “the most dangerous eight seconds in sports.”

The bulls are rated and even more famous in many ways than the cowboys who ride them. For example, this bull had 27 consecutive buck-offs; now, that is 28. A cowboy must stay on the bull 8 seconds for the ride to count. Then they get a score that considers the bull they are riding.

When a bull is determined unrideable, every once in a while, the Professional Bull Riders Association has a million-dollar ride. At $125,000 per second, this bonus ride offers one of the largest payouts any athlete has ever received for the time required to compete. In comparison, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo received roughly $12 million to play in 15 NFL games in 2013. At 54,000 seconds per season, it took Romo 4,500 seconds to make $1 million.

I love basketball, and this is my favorite place to photograph teams that take it to the net. You can see the effort in their facial expressions and how close they are to either making the basket or defending it.

I love the steal in baseball. If I am in the correct position, I can capture the effort of both offense and defense as they try to advance a base or stop it.

Sometimes, my favorite moments were when I made the team photo to help sell season tickets. Seeing this photo on the side of buses around town to promote Calvin Johnson and the rest of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2006 season was a pleasure.

I hope you enjoyed some of the moments in sports and mine through the years.