What the heck is Airsoft?

So, from time to time I go out and get completely unladylike and play Airsoft with my guy friends. "What is airsoft?! "you say? Well, Airsoft is basically just military style gunfight games using souped up BB guns. I know what you're thinking, "how did she get involved in this? It's so opposite of what I'm seeing on this blog!" This is very true, but seeing as video game development was once my primary career, these kind of things just tend to fall into place. For me, this is second nature. Really the only reason I'm putting it on here is because I happened to take some great photographs of our recent game. So for me, its relevant I think.

This most recent event was a blast considering that I really wanted to get some in game action shots. Normally, I just take before and afters, then go to play and forget all about my camera. This time was different. This time I wanted to get the best vantage point I could; right in the middle of the action.  I flagged myself with tons of orange tape, donned my 200mm prime, and went out into the battlefield.

Here are some of my fav's from the day. These shots may look intense, but I can assure you these guys are some of the nicest and most polite you'll ever meet. This kind of thing falls in the realm of grown ups playing with toys. Really, really fun toys.

 The hardest part about shooting in game shots is that you have a few things you gotta look out for. I mean, it IS a gun battle and you rarely want to get in between a pellet flying 300-500 FPS (feet per second) and its target. For the most part, I think I figured out the best way to eliminate my chances of getting shot as well as get a good angle without informing the other team where the opposing force is. The key is, being as aware as you possibly can of  the key players locations. You have to know where every one is for the most part, by walkin' the ground at the beginning of the game and waiting for the ambush to start. As soon as the firing has begun it's a lot easier to not worry about giving away anybodys location, because chances are, they had a pretty good idea where the shooting just came from. Then at this point, really the only difficulty is trying to go around them, while taking cover and trying to get the best vantage point. You also have to make sure your lens is covered and held tightly while trekking through the bush.

 

 Be veeeewy quiet. 

In the end, sometimes accidents do happen, but they usually yield a good story to go with the battle scar. Airsoft games are fun, intense, and great! They make a weekend feel like a weekend. I'm always happy to play and of course, always happy to hang with good people. Thanks for keeping me on the list guys. :)