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Michael Lopez Photography
View my portfolio at M329.com
View my portfolio at M329.com
Here are some of my favorite photos that I took of the All-Area Players for the Bakersfield Californian. These did not make the paper.
Cameron Miller - Boys Cross Country
Here are some of my favorite photos that I took of the All-Area Players for the Bakersfield Californian. These did not make the paper.
Chelby Cooke - Tennis
Here are some of my favorite photos that I took of the All-Area Players for the Bakersfield Californian. These did not make the paper.
Chris Hannible - Football
Here are some of my favorite photos that I took of the All-Area Players for the Bakersfield Californian. These did not make the paper.
Meghan Strain - Golf
Here are some of my favorite photos that I took of the All-Area Players for the Bakersfield Californian. These did not make the paper.
Sydney Roman - Girls Cross Country
Jumpin’ Out the Window…
Kanye West has a song called “Power” that I like. Towards the end of the song the lyrics go as such:
Now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go
I wondered what was he thinking when he wrote this song. Was he talking about really killing himself? or was it something else. The conclusion that I came too was letting go of FEAR!
FEAR has a way of keeping us in a place that we don’t want to be in life. It can make the best of us stop and never get going again. FEAR will cause us to have regret and second guessing every decision we make.
What I love about sports is that athlete’s have to face their FEAR at each competition. The other team or player walks on the field and immediately the athlete has to decide mentally if they can beat them or not. The FEAR of losing, even before they play the game, is made up in their minds as soon as they see that other athlete. They say things like, “their huge!”, “they jump higher than us!”, or “look at their uniforms!” FEAR has set in before the game has even started.
But great athlete’s do something different when they see the other team. They decide to “Jump out the window!”, and meet the challenge head on. And you know what happens when they do that? They compete and they fight to the finish. Even when they lose, they win! They win because they choose to meet that fear head on and not let it control them. They compete, fight, run, dive, hold, grab, or do whatever it takes to beat it.
I even have my own fear’s in life. I never thought that I was going to be a photographer. I remember thinking, was I ever going to be good enough to get someone to pay me to photograph their project. Or, would anyone like my style of photography.
Instead, I chose to “Jump out the window!” What did I have to lose? Nothing. It was time for me to let it all go. I had to let the inner athlete come out and compete. If I got knocked down, I would get back up. But I was not going to let FEAR control my life. I am a winner no matter what anyone else thinks. FEAR is a word that is now on the bottom of my foot. I just step on it.
So please, “Jump out the window!” Do not be afraid! Be everything that you want to be and more. Be compassionate, loving, caring, giving, and have passion for everything that you do. Put it out on the line and have faith that you can overcome all of your fears. I know you can. Believe it. Know it. Don’t let FEAR stop you. Don’t let it stop you!!!
Each of these athlete’s that I photographed are The Bakersfield Californian’s All-Area Players. Each of these athletes have have overcome their fears and continue to push themselves to new heights. I hope and pray that you do the same.
Peace…
A Champion Never Quits…
A champion never quits. I mean never quits. A champion looks at every situation and finds a way to defeat the obstacle. A champion works harder than everyone else. A champion also makes others around him or her better. A champion challenges themselves to be the best that they can be.
I have been asked a few times to speak to young photographers about my life and the challenges that I faced growing up. I always tell them about a story that happened to me in high school when I played on the basketball team.
My senior year in high school was a tough one for me. Financially my mother was struggling and because I chose to play basketball I did not have a job. So that meant I had one pair of black K-Swiss that lasted me the entire year. But that was not the hardest part about my senior year. The hardest part was being on the basketball team.
During a Christmas tournament in Las Vegas, me and two other players missed our ride to a game because we over slept. All three of us were told that because we missed the game that when the season started in a couple of weeks that we would miss the first two games.
That did not happen. Instead the coach decided to play the other two players in the first game. I understood his decision as both of the players were better than I and since our opponent was a team that was competing against us for the league title. All I could do was cheer and encourage everyone. The real challenge came the next night when we played a team that our JV team could beat. We had at least 20 guys on the team and I was far better than most of them.
Our coach decided that everyone could play in this game even though we had a 25 point lead at half time. The only problem was I was the only one that did not play in that game. I mean the end of the bench guys got to play. I thought me and my two teammates were suppose to sit out. The only person who was punished was me.
That night I went home and cried to my mother that I was quitting the team. I had enough of the politics. My mother told me something that sticks to me this day., “If you quit now, you will quit at everything else in life.” So I took her advice and did not quit. I became the most foul mouth cheerleader on the team. I played hard in practice and pushed everyone on the team. We won the Valley Championship. I got my ring and that is what I wanted. Although I did not play that much the rest of the year, I was very happy that I did not quit.
At the end of the year, when it was our awards banquet, our coach passed out all of the awards and then out of nowhere he said he had a special award to give. He talked about how this player inspired all of the guys on the team and how he lead by example. That player was me and I was given the “Most Inspirational Player” award.
See quitting is easy. Working hard is the tough part. I photographed a young man the other day. Mike Dallas Jr. is going to be the next champion. You can tell he has a no quit attitude and he has great people around him. I can also bet that if he gets knocked down, he will also get back up because he is a champion.
A champion never quits and I hope that you never quit. I was not suppose to be a photographer. But I never quit. I keep working hard. I want you to work hard and if you fall get back up. You are a champion. You are a champion. You are a champion.
Peace.
