The Return Of The Lafayette Aviators

Two years ago our family had a great time hanging out with the Aviators. It was part of a very special summer where we felt like part of the team in a way. We were looking forward to getting to hang out with the team again at Alexander Field last year, but we all know how that turned out. This year the team is playing in the new Loeb Stadium, and without seeing the other stadiums in the Prospect League I would still guess that this is at the top of the list. What a great place to play summer ball.

Pregame Fun

Before the game I always like to make candid photos the players getting ready for the game. I love the process that they go through to get themselves in the right frame of mind.

Jumping Right In

The old Loeb Stadium closed with the game ball being brought in by parachute. The new stadium opens for the Aviators the exact same way. It is pretty cool to watch this group jump from directly above the stadium and execute their plan to enter it to perfection. With obstacles in the way it really is an amazing feat.

Special Intros

The smoke for the jump team made for an interesting introduction portion of the game. I knew that it was a one time thing so I tried to get in a position to make the most of it. I just loved how it made everything look. The new stadium as a backdrop is not too shabby either.

Traveling Light

I didn’t take any big lenses to the game. I had my 12-24mm and my 70-200mm lens for the day. I was not really there for game action. I spent a couple of innings on it, but then just roamed the stadium. It felt kind of nice not to have to get every moment and to just have some light gear on me.

Going It Alone

In 2019 my family was at nearly every game with me. I had a good deal with the club to give them some photos in exchange for some family tickets. This year management has changed and my emails have gone unanswered. That is too bad.

The Sky Lights Up

I don’t know that we had a sunset that good in the previous years of the Aviators existence. The sky just kept filling with more and more color. The white clouds at the top of my frame here eventually turned golden. Those look great, but I always like the blues up against the golden light. This frame from just before the sky lit up was by far my favorite.

More Photos From The Game

Here is a link to my full gallery from the game. This was the last in a fun little run of photographing baseball. With summer here the baseball schedule is not as full now so the blog will go back to normal posts for a while. It was cool being back at an Aviators game though so I am sure that they will pop up on here from time to time.