JMU traveled from Harrisonburg to take on their in-state rival ODU in Norfolk for a 4pm kickoff. It was another beautiful day for football and the stadium was packed.
I brought my Nikon Z9 body with my Nikkor 400mm f/2.8G lens and my Nikon Z8 body with the Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens. But just before ODU took the field, I realized the 400mm wasn’t going to stay on the monopod. The screw holes in the footer collar were stripped. This was the same issue I had at the Norfolk State game a couple weeks earlier, but I thought I had fixed it.
So I didn’t want to not shoot with the lens, so I parked myself in the end zone by the student body and used my knees as a brace for the lens with my back up against the brick wall. On this end zone, the wall isn’t too far back from the back of the end zone. This did cause me to miss a few shots, because I couldn’t keep the lens level as I would have on the monopod. But I still was able to make a lot of good images.
And the game was fantastic. ODU led at the half but JMU was able to pass them in the second half and hold on for a 35-32 victory.
You can view my full gallery from this game here.