External Studio #3: Paintball

For our third external studio, our assignment was to attend one of Mercyhurst's sporting events this past weekend, take photographs and interview a player. However, the majority of the events occurred on Saturday, and I was unable to attend because I was at a bridal shower. Luckily, I did go with Colleen to a paintball tournament this weekend in Perry, OH. Her boyfriend, Dany, plays paintball nearly every weekend, so I jumped at the chance to use this as my substitute sporting event.

I knew very little about paintball, and I will say that even after watching the tournament, I'm still rather in the dark as to what its appeal is. Contrary to the weather, we've been having in Erie, it was a warm, sunny day, which made me glad to be sitting outside. The boys participating in the game suited up in their hardcore-looking ensembles and entered the field. The field's perimeter was entirely fenced in, so Colleen and I sat outside and observed. The players stalked around the bunkers, trying to avoid being shot at, while still managing to take down their opponents. It's not the thought of being covered in paint that I find unappealing, but I've heard that despite all the protective gear that is worn, it really hurts to be hit with those tiny balls of paint. Regardless, the guys all seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves.

Here are a few pictures of the guys in action...