capturing the moment

memory is definitely the best camera, because with a real one it is so hard to capture the moments that matter. the moments where the tension and concentration is finally broken and all emotion is released. i wished that my camera was continuously on like my eyes and ears were, and that i had captured every such moment at west point this weekend.

when aziz beat sean to secure mit's victory against albany, he made it look easy. he came off the ring barely breathing hard. but after bowing out and shaking the coach's hand, he let out a thunderous victory cheer that reflected all the tension. that cheer answered all of our questions, whether he could adjust to wtf style, whether he could help out our men's team as a newbie in the club. my mind's camera will remember that time.

each time tara walks off of the mat, she has this intense glare and walk like she's about to destroy someone, whether she did well in the previous round or not. i wanted to capture that look because it was intense, yet there's always a sense of serenity. she never walks quickly to the chair or to her water, but she's always at a pace as if she controls not only her match but the rate at which time is ticking and how much time she has left to rest.

there was one match where sophia won with incredible poise as she always does. when she came off the mat everyone ran to hug her and congratulate her. i managed to take a few pictures of people smiling because they were genuinely happy and full of admiration. for this one, even the pictures in my memory are fuzzy, and i wish that i had captured a few real photos. we'll just have to try to remember the good moments and make new ones.