Shooting a football game is not unlike playing the game itself: You drink a lot of water, use tons of equipment, run down the sideline and hope you’re lucky enough to be in the right place for the “big play.” In my time as a photojournalist for the CU Independent, I’ve been fortunate enough to cover 12 CU games.

This is the abbreviated version of what a typical “day at the office” is like for me as a photojournalist covering a football game:

• 9:00 AM — Wake up, eat breakfast.
• 10:00 AM — Organize all my gear (cameras, knee pads, press credential, etc.).
• 10:30 AM — Leave for the stadium.
• 11:00 AM — Arrive and go up to the press box, eat lunch.
• 11:30 AM — Talk to the other photographers, get my vest and armband.
• 12:00 PM — Take pictures of Ralphie running and kickoff.
• End of 1st and 3rd quarter — Run memory cards to the press box.
• Halftime — Get pictures of the band and spirit teams, run to the press box, talk to the writers.
• End of game — Shots of the players and coaches shaking hands, run to press box.
• 4:00 PM — Start editing and captioning photos, eat dinner.
• 6:00 PM — Finish the bulk of editing, upload photos, talk to editors.
• 6:30 PM — Leave the stadium, start getting excited for next week.

No two games are identical, and that is what keeps it exciting. One game the Buffs are beating CSU, and another they’re getting crushed by Oregon on a homecoming weekend. Sometimes I’m out of position, and other times I’m in the perfect position only to find that the photo is a little out of focus. The best photos are a matter of skill meeting luck and patience coupled with quick thinking. When those stars align, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.

I love shooting football games more than anything else I do as a photojournalist. I get to marry two of my biggest interests (football and photography) while interacting with the players, coaches, fans and everyone else that makes college football great. The best part about my job, though? Free season tickets on the field — it doesn’t get much better than that.

Here you’ll find five of my favorite images from this year’s Rocky Mountain Showdown:

Ralphie V storms the field before the 85th Rocky Mountain Showdown at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sept. 1, 2013. Colorado beat in-state rival CSU 41-27 . (James Bradbury/CU Independent)

Ralphie is a big deal. A charging buffalo is one of the most unique (and frankly the coolest) traditions in college football, so getting a good shot of Ralphie is a must for any photographer at a CU game. The key for an image like this is shutter speed. Anything too slow and everything in motion will be blurry—and that’s bad. This picture was taken with a shutter speed fast enough to make sure to “freeze” the action in time while still letting enough light into the camera. When editing something like this, I make sure that the horizon is level and that all of the relevant subject matter (in this case, Ralphie and her handlers) is in frame and nothing is cut-off. For example, the rope on the left-hand side of the frame doesn’t trail-off into space and keeps the viewer’s eye focused on what’s important.

Colorado quarterback Connor Wood stands in the pocket as CSU defensive lineman Terry Jackson brings pressure during the 85th Rocky Mountain Showdown on Sept. 1, 2013. (James Bradbury/CU Independent)

Get the ball. Close your eyes and think of a “football” photo. Now open them. Was there a ball in that picture? Chances are good that there was. If 22 sweaty men are fighting each other for a piece of leather, the photographer should care about it too. Aside from the action, I like this photo because I can see the eyes of the quarterback. Ball and eyes, eyes and ball, you need both for a successful football photo. Getting the eyes in a photo happens when you as a photographer get close to the ground (on a knee usually) and look up towards the player. Since the quarterback, Webb, is the main subject, I cropped around him so that there is about equal space from the top of the frame to his helmet, and from the bottom of the frame to his cleats.

University of Colorado sophomore Hayley Dardick performs with the CU Express Dance Team during halftime of the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Sept. 1, 2013. The Buffs beat the Colorado State Rams 41-27. (James Bradbury/CU Independent)

Remember the dance team (and the band, and the cheerleaders, etc.). As much as game days are for the football players, they are also chances for other students to showcase their talent. Before I took this picture I noticed there were a lot of “layers” to keep track of: dancers, band, and crowd. In order to make the intended subject stand-out, I used the largest aperture available to me, f2.8. This allowed my subject to be razor-sharp, but the background to slowly melt-away behind her. When it came time to crop, all the different shapes made it very difficult. I made sure to put the main subject in the middle, and not to sever the limbs of the two dancers on either side of her. Another piece of advice is: get to know members of the band and spirit teams. Photos need captions, and it’s a lot more convenient to know the people rather than ask the cheerleader in the middle of a routine what her name and major is.

Colorado fans celebrate the first touchdown of the 2013 football season during the 85th Rocky Mountain Showdown. The Buffs defeated in-state rival CSU 41-27. (James Bradbury/CU Independent)

Shooting football is not predictable. I try to always be in position to see some “action” (a pass, a tackle, a touchdown, etc.), but that doesn’t always happen. Unfortunately for me, the first touchdown of the season was an 82-yard bomb and I was near the line of scrimmage. In a situation like this, don’t put the camera down—hope is not lost. Sports are more than just what is on the field, and even though I didn’t get Paul Richardson striding into the end zone, I got the next best thing. The truly great photos are those that resonate with people on an emotional level, and hundreds of elated underclassmen strike a chord with everybody. A note here: whenever you have lots of either bright or dark colors, check your exposure. Nothing ruins an image faster than if the whites are overblown or there’s no detail in the shadows.

Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre leaves the field following his first game, a 41-27 victory over in-state rival Colorado State. (James Bradbury/CU Independent)

Understand the significance of the game. With any event, a photojournalist has to consider what stories they can tell with their pictures. This year’s Rocky Mountain Showdown happened to be Head Coach Mike MacIntyre’s first regular season game with the Buffs. Every person and their mother can take a photo of a coach standing on a sideline; the trick is to get them in context. Like the photo of the dancer, this shot has a lot of layers to keep in mind. This lens didn’t have an aperture as large as the other one, so I had to be more strategic about framing.