Carolyn Todd-Larson, PPSA, AFIAP
January 2026 - Betts vs Merkle
About the Image(s)
In this photo, 6'7" UCLA basketball player Lauren Betts, considered to be one of the best players in the country, is positioning for a field goal, defended by 6'6" Penn State player Gracie Merkle. Lauren got the best of Gracie that day. Lauren scored 25 points, Gracie 15 points. Penn State lost the battle 97-61.
I like this shot because I can see the expression on Lauren's face and a bit of Gracie's face too. Most of the time when Gracie was battling Lauren all we saw was her back.
Camera: SONY ILCE-7M3
Lens: FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
Focal Length: 70mm
Exposure: ISO 4000, f/2.8, 1/1600 sec
Basic lightroom adjustments; Photoshop Denoise; Topaz AI Sharpening, cropping.
1 comment posted
Good shot of the UCLA player just about to take the shot. Technically this is a strong image. To be a contest winner we need to see the basket and all of Gracie's face and her expression. Posted: 01/18/2026 16:13:35