Lately when I go through the dozens of images I take at sporting events on a given night I have noticed one specific issue with my work.

Every photographer has their way of looking at the world and their idea of the best way to take a great photo. Photographers also develop habits and styles. Some use only a wide angle lens, others use a long telephoto. While some will cover every event from the same spot in the gym, others will move around always in search of a new perspective.

The failing in my work has nothing to do with the equipment I use or the style I have in covering the game. My weakness, suttle as it is, shows itself everytime I edit.

What is this dark secret I speak of? More and more often my photos are tilted. They are slightly askew. I am begining to lose the straightness of my horizons. 

It might be due to my age, or my rushing from one game to the next, or laziness for that matter. It could be because I often rest my left elbow on my left knee when I am sitting. But I have noticed the issue occurs when I work standing up too. 

Somehow, someway, many of the images are just a bit off kilter. The sitelines in the background angle up or down to the right or the left. And believe me it has nothing to do with my political leanings, one way or the other. 

You the reader don’t see it in the final product because I take that extra minute to use Photoshop software to crop the image just enough that I can correct that leaning issue. Otherwise you would notice it too and develop a crook in your neck each time you tried to view a gallery. Occasionally the slant is so bad I worry the players in the photo might fall over.

In the past I could blame it on packing a 35 pound bag of gear while I worked, but I gave that up years ago. My excuse when I was younger was having to hoist a toddler on my hip or my shoulders on my days off, but my daughters are now adults so that can’t be my excuse. And unfortunately I don’t get to see my grandkids often enough to make them the excuse.

It isn’t an issue that demands the world’s attention or requires me to hang up my camera. In fact it probably has never been something others have noticed. My guess is since I have lived with it this long it will just have to continue to be my cross to bear.

Too bad I just can’t give it up for Lent.