We just returned from the Santa Cruz meet for the Level 3 Girls Team which was our second competitive meet for this year.  I was very impressed with how well all of the girls did at this meet and how they keep on improving with each competition.  That clearly shows in the photos I was able to capture in Santa Cruz.  The Kaiser Permanente Arena was large and well lit especially compared to some of the other venues the girls have competed in so far and that also shows in the photos. 

   I'm learning that getting good shots of the gymnasts can be especially challenging with so much going on at the same time in the same place.  There were shots that I missed and shots that had extra people in the frame as I tried to dodge and shoot around and through the audience, coaches from other teams and of course, other gymnasts practicing in front of our competitors.  I will  do my best to "work around" the activity and try to get the best shots possible from the sidelines.

   The grace and elegance exhibited by the girls is really awesome and drives me to keep trying to capture those "perfect moves" in their routines.  As I have explained to many of the parents, the gymnastics galleries on this website are open and accessible only to parents, relatives, coaches and others who have the password code.  If you have trouble accessing the gymnastics galleries please email me or ask me when you see me at the gym and I will provide you with the code.  I hope you enjoy the photos and I'll see you at the next meet in Monterey.