USQ

A Year in Photos

by Logan Anbinder | January 8, 2013

With an impressive resume, player-photographer Mic...
With an impressive resume, player-photographer Michael E. Mason of the New York Badassilisks (New York, NY) has established himself as one of the premier documentarians of the sport. Below are Michael's top six photos from 2012, with his story behind each. "Benny Jumps"- New York City End of the World Tournament "Benny is a big part of the Emerson team and watching him play is exciting. His skill for finding the hoop is right here in front of you. He does not need to run around you when he can just jump!"     "Everything You Wanted to Know About Quidditch"- Northeast Regional Championship "Everyone always ask about what it is like to play quidditch... Well here it is. Chasers, beaters, quaffle, bludger, and yes even flying from Matt Lowe."     "The Future of Snitching is Now"- Kidditch in Central Park "A big part of the NY Badassilisks and many teams in the IQA is kidditch, teaching kids to play the game we love. This is Oliver. He is planning on being a professional snitch. You can tell because he already has the taunting down."     "A Surprise Catch"- Vassar Butterbeer Classic "UMass came to this tournament with seven players. They played their hearts out the entire time. The UMass Seeker had been going at the snitch for a long time and was so tired and hurt she finally asked if anyone wanted to seek for her; Nate from Vassar stepped in. This is what Quidditch is all about. It is about community."     "Worth It"- Northeast Regional Championship "I was asked by the NYU captain to shoot a game of theirs, if I had the time. Well I made sure that I was available, and not playing, and was able to shoot their World Cup qualifying match. This is very close to my favorite shot of the year, mostly because I have a deep love for these two people, Amanda Dallas and Bryan Hall, but also because it shows that all the hard work and preparation is worth it. This is the moment when their team caught the Snitch and they realized they had fully qualified. I am most proud to know that I was there and now this photo is hanging on their parents' wall. I am a photographer whose goal it is to capture the happiness, beauty, and love in the world. There are many sadnesses out there so i try to fill it with as much happiness as I can. That is why I love this photo."
   
"You Got Beat!"- Briarcliff HS House Cup Tournament "Danny Mendelson, who is a high school quidditch Star, put together this amazing tournament, and asked some of us older kids, cough, cough, to join in and teach some of the younger ones too. It was a great time to show them how to play within the rules; for many of them this was their first tournament. Well of course I brought my camera with me. I happened to be on the field, basically, when Jeff Blair came running at me! I was backing off the field and was lucky enough to capture a perfect Quidditch moment. This is my "most popular" photograph that I took last year, reaching almost 3000 people on the Internet. It was published in Quidditch Quarterly and I am most proud of it. 2013 is shaping up to be an incredible year, and I look forward to shooting even more amazing Quidditch Photos! "