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08.22.18 Field Hockey: Heritage @ John Champe

08.22.18 Field Hockey: Heritage @ John Champe

Aldie, VA (August 22, 2018) – The last day of summer, literally, brought a slight touch of cooler weather to the first game of a field hockey double-header. And it was the John Champe Knights hosting the Heritage Pride. Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from…

Memorial Day Remembrance

Memorial Day Remembrance

A few days ago, I received a photograph of a single mother and her three beautiful daughters. I don't know any of them, but I am touched by the reason it came to me. Section 59, 4103 As many of you know, for the past three years I have participated in Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery. Originally,…

10 Things I Know About Sports Photography: Basketball

10 Things I Know About Sports Photography: Basketball

This is the third in a series of posts about things I've learned over the past five years of photographing high school sports. The availability and relatively lower cost of good quality gear has seen the number of sideline photographers increase. I often give people--especially yearbook and school paper photographers--tips to help them get the best…

Photography When You Least Expect It

Photography When You Least Expect It

Over the last few years, I've probably photographed close to 400 events, a thousand different teams and countless athletes. I've been fortunate to have access to some great games and to witness exciting and memorable performances. Many of the photos I take are ordinary, and I never even show or post most of them. Sometimes the…

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes

As mentioned in a previous post, for the past few years I have participated in Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), where my father is buried. The project honors our veterans buried in cemeteries throughout our country during the holiday season. On a December Saturday each year wreaths are placed on each headstone except…

Dracula in Ballet Shoes

Dracula in Ballet Shoes

For almost a year now, I have had the great honor to be associated with the Loudoun Ballet Company (LBC). No, I don't dance and never really could. But I have always liked the thought of being able to dance, and I've certainly always enjoyed watching dancing excellence. From Dracula In December of 2015 I saw…

Wreaths Across America and Me

On December 17, 2016, thousands of volunteers will fan out across Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), as well as locations in all fifty states and overseas, to position wreaths at the foot of headstones that mark the resting place of American veterans and their spouses. It's a vast tradition that began in a small way when the Worcester…

10 Things I Know About Sports Photography: Cross Country

10 Things I Know About Sports Photography: Cross Country

This is the second in a series of posts about things I've learned over the past five years of photographing high school sports. You can download a shareable album of my favorite cross country photos here. 1. Get there early Every cross country course has its unique and challenging sections. It can be a difficult hill late…

It’s All About Location… Or Not

I have in mind a series of posts on great locations for individual and group portraits. And I'm going to do that, really. But perhaps not for the original reasons I envisioned. Nico and Maria in the park At first, I thought that the location makes a great portrait, but I was wrong. The people…

10 Things I Know About Sports Photography: Football

10 Things I Know About Sports Photography: Football

This is the first in a series of posts about things I've learned over the past five years of photographing high school sports. The availability and relatively lower cost of good quality gear has seen the number of sideline photographers increase. I often give people--especially yearbook and school paper photographers--tips to help them get the…

A Banner Day

About a month ago, I had a photo session with the Rock Ridge High School volleyball team in Ashburn, VA. The plan was to create individual banners and a large team banner to be hung in their school gymnasium during their season. I was excited about the opportunity because it combined my interests in sports…

One Race at a Time

Two weeks ago, I photographed Lydia's Race, a cross country 5k to benefit a local young adult who had suffered a stroke at the end of her college running career. Lydia Cromwell ran for Woodgrove High School, here in Loudoun County, and for Christopher Newport University. Her stroke occurred after the final event of her college career,…

A Wedding Photographed – Introduction

My niece, Maddie, has honored me by asking me to photograph her wedding ceremony and marriage to Tony on July 1, 2017. My first reaction was reluctance, but my second one immediately followed and it was an absolute yes. Maddie and her wedding planner, Lynn, at Silverbrook Farm This is a girl that I held in my…

Never Stop Learning

I still remember the moment I successfully produced identifiable images using a pinhole camera made for my photography merit badge in Boy Scouts. While not understanding completely what I was doing, it was kind of incredible to actually make it work and the feeling was akin to how I felt when I spent some time in the darkroom…

Three Days I Will Never Forget

Three Days I Will Never Forget

Almost two months ago now, I attended Peter Hurley's Headshot Intensive two-day workshop in New York City. Game to learn even more, I stayed for the Intensified third day, too. As a photographer, the chance to work with a leader in any part of the industry is priceless especially as a part of a small group. What I…

A New Sport to Photograph

A New Sport to Photograph

An Ultimate player makes a fingertip catch Over the last several years, I have photographed hundreds of events across a wide variety of sports. Each time I encounter a new one, I have to try to understand the nuances that make that sport unique in order to photograph it well. Finding the right angles and positions…

Girl Power

When I was in high school myself, forty years ago, the number of sports available to girls was small and participation was low. As I remember it, there was field hockey, basketball, softball, track and tennis, but that's about it. All of these sports were underfunded and under-publicized, and their athletes, while talented in their…

Honoring the Highest Scouting Awards

If you have earned the highest ranks in Scouts BSA or Girls Scouts and you live in Loudoun County, VA, I would consider it my honor and privilege to commemorate your achievement with a free portrait in uniform. There is no cost for the session itself, and you will receive a $10 coupon that can…

Eyes on the Prize

Eyes on the Prize

I love sports, and I love photographing sports. But after you've done a few seasons worth of the same sports, coming up with creative and special images gets harder. Fortunately, most sports have playoffs and championships where the intensity ramps up with each passing game, and the opportunities to capture great images increases, too. At…

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