AGSTAR Photojournalism

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Football, Soccer, Futbol!

The real thing! Some sports comentators in Nicaragua say that baseball is king, but football is a close second. This past Sunday was the championship game for Nicaraguan football. The two power houses, Real Esteli and Caciques del Diriangen met at the National Stadium Cacique Diriangen to settle who would be this year's champion. Diriangen won with an aggregate socre of 2 to 1. Real Esteli went home with its hands empty. In other countries football is a fanatical religion and going to the stadium is always frought with risk. Here in Nicaragua the game is still a freindly match in which both player and spectators come for the love of the game. It is passionate and fun to watch. The stadiums are small and there is a certain intimicacy between fans and players. This small league of clubs that is growing slowly each year is posed to surpass baseball as the national sport in the near future, and thus welcoming Nicaragua into the mainstream of Latin American sports once and for all.

How do you cover a football match?

Piece of cake. You can take your choice on long lenses. A 300 f/2.8 is a standard piece of equipment ,although if you know what you are doing a 70-200 f/2.8 is just as good. Others take a 400 f/2.8. Whatever your are confortable with, to get the job done is good enough. A fast camera is essential. At least 5 fps, anything slower will not do. At LA PRENSA we use Nikon gear. I have not been very happy with the performance of Nikon's D1H's. Supposedly built as sports cameras but thier performance in general left much to be desired. The D1's had a very bad shutter release lag that threw out your timing when covering sports. And in sports photography, timing is everything. The new D2's and D200 have much better performance and I am much happier with them. I am still sore at Nikon for building such lemmons but that's aonther whole blog for the future.

As a single shooter covering a game with a 300 f/2.8 or 400 f/2.8 you should position yourself as close as you can to the corner flag on the end line. FIFA regulations usually only allow photographers on the end line anyway From that position you will be able to get the players when they are running down the wings towards your position with the ball, usually with some defender in hot persuit. When the forward centers the ball to area in front of the goal you can follow the action with your long lense and you sould be able to get any action that happens there. That action will vary, from the goaly catching the ball, to defender and attackers heading the ball it into or away from the goal, defenders fouling an atacker or a goal score itself, also collisions. Once a goal is scored you should follow the scoring players reaction. Scoring players will either run celebrating and screaming in jubilation towards his bench, the corner flag or towards the team's fans. If he runs towards your corner flag be ready to wip out that second camera body with a wide angle lense. If he runs towards the fans then follow him with your long lens. After shooting the celebration make sure to take quick photo of the scoreboard to get the score, time and name of scorer.

Always try to time your shot to the moment when a player strikes the ball with any part of his body. That should be your starting shot. Then follow through untill the end of the play. No football in the frame, no picture. All play action shots need a football. I know of some Central American newspapers that keep a digital file of footballs to paste to play action shots with no footballs. Ingenious solution to that problem but highly unethical. We do not tolerate that, here in LA PRENSA.

During corner kicks it's best to concentrate on the goaly or the players in the area in front of the goal for action shots. Keep both eyes open to see when the football is kicked into play and when the action starts.

During free kicks its best co concentrate on the goaly. Most players will attempt to score from a free kick so the goaly will be directly on the recieving end of that shot. In most cases the goaly will lead you to the action in front of the goal, since he will be attempting to catch the ball himself or punch it out of the way.

Its also good to get a good shot of the coaches. Most soccer coaches will be on the sidelines within their dugout box yelling and gesticulating instructions to the players. Thats a good ocassion to get images of the coaches.

If you choose a 70-200 f/2.8 then your position is on and the end line about half way to the goal. This is a very confortable spot to shoot from. Very good to get action in front of the goal.

Always keep an eye out for the fans in the stands. You will get unusual situations and reaction, or even a fight between rival fans.

If you have a camera with a remote controll you can position it behind the a goal net with a super wide angle lense and wait for any action in the goal, then fire away. You should get some good results from this. It works great for penalty shots.

During penalty shots concentrate on the goaly trying to catch or block the ball. If the penalty shot goes in then switch quickly to the scoring player celebrating. If the goaly deflects the ball then follow the ball untill a player either kicks it in or clears it away. If you get involved in a penalty shootout follow this same routine. During the last penalty shot wich will difine who wins, get ready to capture the dejection of the goaly and the celebrating of the scoring player with his mates. Or the other way around, the goaly celebrating his game winning save and the dejection of the player who missed the shot.

Always get players beeing expelled from the game. They will be shown a red card by the referee. Thats the image you need. Players will discuss and try to intimidate the referee and sometimes even strike him. Stick through the whole scene all the way to the end when either the player leaves the field or the confrontation escalates.

Its very easy to be distracted during a football game so you have to make an extra effort to concentrate all the way to the end of the game. Thats makes the difference between average and great coverage. There is an old story of a veteran photojournalist in Costa Rica sent to cover a football championship game. When he came back to his editor without the the image of the winning goal he gave some lame technical excuse as to why he did not have the shot. His editor bought it. The next day on the competing newspaper, on the front page was the picture of the winning goal, and in the background you could see our photojournalist jumping in the air with exitement as his team scored. Needless to say he was in trouble. The point is that concentration is key. If you loose it you loose the picture.

In most Latin American countries fans will overun the field at the end of the game, especialy if it's the championship game. Be ready to move with your gear. Carry a a backpack so you can lug all of your gear in one confortable package. The winning team will be given the trophy at a short ceremony shoot it. Then they, along with the fans will run in a circuit around the field showing the trophy to the fans in the stands. These are difficult shots to get because of all of the extra people running along witht the players but they are worth it. You can run along with them with a wide angle lense or you can pick a spot and wait them out as the come around with your long lense.


Well that's it for now. Here are the pics. All of these where shot with a 70-200 f/2.8, at maximun aperture and focal distance to get a fast shutter speed and blown out backgorund.










Saturday, May 27, 2006

Friday May 26 was a tough day. We where all tired from the previous confrontations during the week. We sincerely believed that as usual the students would take Friday off. But we where wrong. Trouble started brewing right after lunch. The university students along with street toughs that joined them in the protest had a point to make. This time the police would not be so tolerant. As soon as the students went out on a mission to provoke them, riot police responded in force. Never had I seen such a display of firepower from Nicaraguan riot police. They lined up the shotguns and let loose with volley after volley of bird shot, teargass and rubber bullets. The students where kept at bay. I decided that it was going to be safer on the police side of the street. Then several black gun powder mortar bombs exploded next to EFE photojournalist Mario Lopez and myself. I turned around and saw another bomb sailing directly a me. I ducked and it was time to move. Eventually the students ran out of bombs and things calmed down a bit. It was still safer on the police side of the line. It got dark and the confrontation was still going strong. Covering riots at night is not my kind of thing, too dangerous. The students decided the same and we all went home for the weekend.

Usually these protests play through like a game. Both sides fire at each other from a distance from about one hundred meters. Police abstains form firing lethal ammunition. Both sides know this.

The police in Nicaragua have revolutionary roots. Its commanders where once underground revolutionaries and student leaders themselves during the Somoza dictatorship and I believe their hearts are still out there with the underdogs. They also know that firing lethal ammunition and the indiscriminate killing of students will not be tolerated by Nicaraguan society. It just brings back too many bad memories.

Understanding the root of these protests also helps understand the restraint that police have with students. It originates as a protest by university students against the rise in bus ticket prices. The city government of Managua does not want to authorize the price hike. The transport impresarios demand a price hike due to the rise in fuel prices. They all look to the national government to solve their problems. The government does not want to subsidize anybody because they all belong to the Sandinista Party. So why subsidize its political enemies, who just use the situation to destabilize the country prior to the national elections this coming November. The police is of Sandinsta origin to begin with and they do not want to become too involved in a fight they recognize as political. They will do what they need to do, to keep public order but nothing more. For what I have seen these last couple of weeks they should be commended for the professionalism, courage and restraint they have displayed during the protests.

Here are the pics.



Students light tire barricades. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Waiting for the police to show up. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Discovering their biblical roots the use of slings has become more widespread during these year's protests. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Street toughs destroy a Sandinista electoral display with the photo of Daniel Ortega, their presidential candidate. They tried to attack us for taking these sets of photos but eventually they had more important things to worry about. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Here they come! Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Firing at students with plastic darts from and AK 47 and rubber bullets from a shotgun. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Nicaraguan riot police fire several volleys towards a swarm of students charging their position. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Spent shells are testimony to the intensity of the fight. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter

Thursday, May 25, 2006



Here is my first "bang bang."

All I have for the past two days are burning buses and what TV guys call "bang bangs." Lots of work, running all around town on Wednesday and finding nothing. Me and Esteban Felix of the AP where lucky enough to find the students re igniting a bus they had torched earlier. Sometimes the photo gods are nice to us. It worked for a couple of decent pictures. The students then tried to flip over the bus. They tried but they couldn't.

Thursday was a little better. Lots of "bang bangs" and one poor police officer was hit in the face by a rock thrown by students. Once we got tear gassed by the police and once we got attacked by the students. One crazed guy attacked a TV crew and we all came to the rescue. No rain, and the wind was in our favor. No tear gas clouds to contend with.

Here are the pics.



Police fire at students. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter




This police officer was hit in the face by a rock thrown by students. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter




Shut your eyes and shoot. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter




More mortars shot at the police. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter




Students try to flip over a bus after they torched it. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter




Using gasoline, a student re ignites the bus. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter




Another student, in a gas mask defiantly fires at police. His gas mask maded him impervious to teargas and he was able to walk up and down the street with total disrespect for police efforts to stop him. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter




Another student fires aways. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

UPDATE ON SPANISH FREELANCE PHOTOJOURNALIST ANTONIO ARAGON

In one of my previous blogs you saw our friend Antonio Aragon with his pinky finger injured by a rubber bullet. Well he graced us with a visit at LA PRENSA and was nice enough to pose for us with his arm in a splint. After all the jokes about him not being able to drink tea properly any more, and how he cried like a baby in front of the camera, were over he told us that his pinky was broken in two places and he lost some skin around it. He might need a skin graft. His other finger needed three extra stitches. He has a bad bruise on the palm of his hand from a second plastic bullet that hit him at the same time. Apart form that he is in good spirits and will be returning to Spain in a couple of weeks.

Sometimes in this job when you "take" pictures, the pictures"take" something back. Luckily it was nothing major and we all could laugh about it.




Antonio with his arm in a splint. Foto LA PRENSA/Moises Matute - Copyright LA PRENSA/Moises Matute

Once again the students took to the streets of Managua. This time police tried not to take the bait but instead only came in when it as absolutely necessary. This time high school students joined in force. In fact the most of the trouble today was by highschoolers.

Photowise my work was not very good but still managed to get some interesting images. Had problems with exposure, focus, timing, etc. It seems though that we all had trouble today. Must have been the rain.

Rain is the best riot control system. The black gunpowder mortars the students fire at the police will not light up. Its not a fair fight so the students eventually pack up and go home. They wanted to fight today but luck was not with them. The police took advantage of this and arrested some of them as they went home. Easy pickings. Rain is not good for cameras. Only those who think ahead prevail. I brought along my rain proof hood for my camera. I had a tailor make them for us about three years ago when I came to work for LA PRENSA. Its an easy and cheap way to protect that expensive digital camera.


Her are the pics.





After the rain extinguished the protest police picked up stragglers as the left the area. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas stargardter



Even The Da Vinci Code got into the action today. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas stargardter



Police try out a new riot control weapon. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas stargardter



Another arrested student is dragged out of the woods. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas stargardter



A protesting student running in a field of tear gas. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas stargardter



Student bofore the confrontations with police. The sign in the background reads "Hear Us!" Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyright LA PRENSA/Tomas stargardter

Sunday, May 21, 2006

This weekend was off. Just taking it easy with the family. This Sunday my eldest daughter and myself went to see the members of the Land Rover 4x4 club. My Cousin (thrice removed) Javier took his monster Rover and put it through its paces. Fun and mud for all.



Here is part of the club. AGSTAR PHOTO/ Tomas Stargardter - Copyright Tomas Stargardter



Here is Javier's Monster Rover going through the mud pit. AGSTAR PHOTO/ Tomas Stargardter - Copyright Tomas Stargardter



My daughter Eugenia helping out after a Rover got stuck in the mud. AGSTAR PHOTO/ Tomas Stargardter - Copyright Tomas Stargardter



Once again into the mud. AGSTAR PHOTO/ Tomas Stargardter - Copyright Tomas Stargardter



The big Rover is always a crowd pleaser. AGSTAR PHOTO/ Tomas Stargardter - Copyright Tomas Stargardter



Catching some air. AGSTAR PHOTO/ Tomas Stargardter - Copyright Tomas Stargardter


Mud, sun and dirt for everone. Not good for the camera but definitely good for the heart.

Untill the next one.

Thursday, May 18, 2006


A student is dragged away by police after beeing shot in the head by a rubber bullet and then beaten by police. Foto LA PRENSA/Moises Matute - Copyright LA PRENSA/Moises Matute


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Another day another protest. Tear gas aplenty. The violence went up a notch. journalist, students, police all got mixed up in the tear gas clouds and rubber bullets.

Spanish freelance photojournalist Antonio Aragon was shot in the hand with a rubber bullet. At leas he was happy it was not his camera.

Here are the pics




Spanish photojournalist Antonio Aragon walks back form the riot with his pinky finger shot by a rubber bullet. Foto LA PRENSA Moises Matute - Copyright LA PRENSA/Moises Matute



Antonio is atended by the red cross. Foto LA PRENSA Moises Matute - Copyright LA PRENSA/Moises Matute



After the adrenalin comes down, the pain finaly sets in. Foto LA PRENSA Moises Matute - Copyright LA PRENSA/Moises Matute



Nicaraguan riot police fire tear gas at students during protest in which students demanted a reduction in prices for public transport. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyrigh LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Riot police come in firing with a shotgun at students. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyrigh LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



A student engulfed in a cloud of tear gas throws a rock back at police. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyrigh LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Swallowed up by a tear gas cloud and with no gas mask protection Spanish freelance photojournalist Antonio Aragon and AP Peruvian photojournalist Esteban Felix get out of harms way. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyrigh LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter



Students run away form a particular strong new variety of tear gas used by police on Wednesday May 17. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter - Copyrigh LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter
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Thursday, May 11, 2006



Nicaraguan riot police charge university students to dislodge them from blocking traffic during riots that occured this thursday May 11. Students are protesting the rise in price in public transportation. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter / Copyright LA PRENSA - Tomas Stargardter


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Today was a good day at the office. I was not there! Instead I was participating one of Nicaragua's national sports. We have several sports seasons here, baseball, football and my favorite student protests.

This thursday May 11 was the second day of protest and confrontations between riot police and university students.

This is as close to beeing in a shooting war without any fear of getting shot or killed. Students fire homemade black powder mortar bombs at police and police fire back rubber bullets and tear gas. Both sides are free to throw stones and rocks at each other when ever they please.

Well on a more serious note the best way to cover these riots or most riots is to get the proper gear and follow simple rules.

The first and most important rule is that you always need to be ready to move fast. What you considered a safe location at one moment can become the frontline or no man's land, in a running battle between police and students.

It is important to bring several pieces of gear with you that will give you certian sense of safety and and advantage over other photojournalists covering the riot.

A good helmet always comes in handy. Any rock climbing or bicycle helmet will give you adeqaute protection. Rocks and stones are always flying about during these confrontations and its always a good idea to protect you head.

If you can, bring a gas mask. Apart from your helmet it will give you great advantages in the field. One is that you will be able to see! When one finds oneself engulfed in a cloud of tear gas with no gas mask protection the first to thing to go is your eyesight. This becomes a major drawback, especially if your job is to take pictures of the event. A gas mask will let you work unmolested while other unprotected photojournalists will have to stop working and leave the area or become helpless in the middle of the melee. I myslef was rescued by a kind old lady after beeing blinded by tear gas in the middle a a confrontation between Costa Rican police and banana workers. Everybody was kind enough to stop fighting untill I was led out by the hand and out of harms way.

The other advantage of wearing a gas mask is that you can get out of harms way on your own. If you see the rocks or mortar bombs and molotovs coming your way then you can move out of the way if you have too.

Apart from a helmet and a gas mask a large bottle of water will be of invaluable use. Before, during and after a confrontation that water will always come in handy.

Things to keep in mind when in a riot.

Find out where the police and rioters are. In doing so you can pick a position either to get the pictures you want or get out. It is up to you when its time to get out, but if you see other photojournalist moving out its probably a good idea that you do too. Then again if you stay then you will get images nobody else has. Its up to you. Depends on how much expereince you have in these kind of situations.

As any good sports event a long lense is your main working lense. Zoom or telephoto, whatever fills your need. A good zoom lense 70-200 f/2.8 is preferable. A 300 f/4 is good also for a little extre reach. Anything bigger is a hindrance since its akward to carry and ads extra weight that will not help you if you have to get out of there in a hurry. An extra body with a wide lense is also a must since you do not want to be fooling around changing lenses when you need to be concrentated in the action.

Usually things will develope the following way. Sudents, rioters, will block roads or streets and will start vandalizing public and private property. Police will respond initially with a charge to dislodge the rioters and push them back to a safe area. And the tide will swing back and forth with student charges and police counter charges untill everybody tires out or mass arrests are made.

What you have to do as a photojournalist is simple. It is good to be in the area before the riots begins. Usally most everybody will know when and where trouble is brewing up. If you do not get ther before it happnes then your chances to get there will be hampered by the usual traffic snarls that occur when riots happen.

Once you are there, find out where both sides are. Most of the time students will be blocking street and in large groups and will be easy to identify. Police will arrive moments later in response to trouble. Once police come in, the shot of riot police charging in, to dislodge the students is always a winner. The phisycal effort, rocks, explosives, molotovs will be hurled at them. So get yourelf a good spot between the rioters and the expected police charge and wait it out. Be sure to cover your back with any structure, walls are prefereable but a sturdy telephone pole or tree trunk will do. You will hear it before you see it. Once you see it fire away. From then on you will be alternating between the counter charges by rioters and police. If you get a good spot where you are protected from rocks and other missiles then you good to go. Most of this stuff you will cover with your long lense, so why the wide angle on your other camera body?

You have to keep an eye for arrests and the injured beeing evacuated. Arrested rioters will be dragged out of harms way by police and you will be able to get in close with your wide angle lense to get more drama out of your shots. The same goes for injured people. First they will be on the ground, then they will be taken to safety for evacuation and there is where you can come in with you wide angle lense.

Before I forget, its a good idea always to go with a buddy. The buddy system has always helped me or my buddy when we got into trouble. When my good freind Kent Gilbert of the AP in Costa Rica got clobbered by a tear gas projectile in the forehead, I was the one who picked his bloody rear and got him to safety. My friend Oswaldo Rivas of Reuters in Nicaragua has always looked out for me and kept me out of beeing hit in the head by assorted missiles. The buddy system works.

So now I yakked fore ever on riots, Let me show you what I shot today. It sure was fun.



University students fire black gun powder mortar bombs at police during riots this Thursday May 11 in the streets of Managua. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter / Copyright LA PRENSA - Tomas Stargardter



Nicaraguan riot police fire back with rocks at student demonstrators during riots this Thursday May 11 in the streets of Managua. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Startgardter / Copyright LA PRENSA - Tomas Stargardter



Nicaraguan students fire back a riot police durings riots this Thursday May 11 on the streets of Managua. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter / Copyright LA PRENSA - Tomas Stargardter




Yep you guessed it. Riot police fire back. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter / Copyright LA PRENSA - Tomas Stargardter



Students use a trench at a construction sight to return fire at riot police. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter / Copyright LA PRENSA - Tomas Stargardter




Radio communicaions revolutionized warfare during World War I. Cheap Motorola two way radios has revolutionized riot organisation in Nicaragua. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter / Copyriht LA PRENSA - Tomas Stargardter




A student fires glass marbles at police during this Thursday's May 11 riots in Managua. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter / Copyright LA PRENSA - Tomas Stargardter




A medic tends to a student shot in the knee by a rubber bullet during this Thursday's May 11 riots in Managua. Foto LA PRENSA/Tomas Stargardter / Copyright LA PRENSA - Tomas Stargardter
(See you get to use your wide angle lense at the end)

That all for today.