Last week, I had the opportunity to photograph two basketball games at Cumberland University, which is just east of here in Lebanon.

I spent the evening at the gym, sitting on the cold floor and documenting the women, then the men take on another Tennessee college. And I couldn’t have been happier.

I fell in love with sports as a child, playing anything and everything when I was growing up in Memphis. I didn’t fall into photography until college, though, and it was through the student newspaper that I discovered my passion for sports photography. The ever-changing nature of the game attracted me, reminding me of my childhood, and I love the challenges of shooting all the different situations presented in sporting events.

And this passion grew each and every time I photographed a game, a match, a meet, etc.

But, since I’m new in this city, I had not had the chance to document any competitions since I arrived. And last Thursday night was a much-needed treat.

Here are some of my favorite images:

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What are you passionate about in your line of work?

Lucy and I have been adjusting to our new home in Nashville, and I took the time one afternoon to snap some photos of her, just hanging out.

It’s funny how a year and a half can change so much. When I took her home from the pound in July 2008, she wanted nothing to do with nature when it was raining. She would refuse to walk out the door, or, if we made it down the stairs, she would look up at me with sad eyes, turn around, then drag me back up to our apartment.

(She doesn’t like having her photo made. True story.)

It snowed this past weekend, and Lucy surprised us all by playing and WANTING to go out in the cold! No, seriously. I wasn’t sure how she would take the precipitation until we walked out the door. She took a few steps, slid, steadied herself, then kept walking like a trooper. When we made it to the little grassy area at our condo, she immediately started digging in the snow, sticking her nose to the ground the entire time, then tossing her nose (and all the snow on top of it) into the air, spinning in a circle.

The only thing I wish is that I had taken some photos of her out in the elements and that we had a backyard so we could have played more while the snow lasted.