Casual Contest

Plage Sud Campsite, South West France. We went up to the campsite bar for an early evening beer and to watch the relaxed Petanque games going on nearby. I had a new toy this trip- my dad's telephoto lens. Not being so experienced with taking pictures of people, this allowed me to observe from a noticable distance, but without being too intrusive. Nobody seemed to mind me taking pictures while drinking my beer in the sunshine. There were games all around- families, couples... young and old, but the one photographed seemed to have the most riding on it. The man pictured clearly had a competitive spirit and an expressive game. A small group gathered to watch as he often made attacking play- opting for the aggressive lob over the positional throws. I'm unsure of the overall outcome of the overall game as they probably continued long after we left, but I was rooting for the guy above. The person to the right of the frame was his opponent, and helped to frame the shot. I also like the expression of the man watching, clearly engaged in the small pride-filled battle.

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