Waiting at the starting line

_DSC6330, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Riders wait for the start of the downhill event during the Santa Ynez Classic. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX AT-X Pro lens.

Surf Casting in Malibu

_DSC6165, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Surf casting on the beach along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens.

The Hike Up the Hill

_DSC6328, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Competitors in the Santa Ynez Classic downhill run head to starting gate at the top of the course. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX AT-X Pro lens.

Pit Row at Night

DSC_7626, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Crews push their cars off of pit row at the conclusion of a night-time practice session for the 2009 Petit Lemans at Road Atlanta. Shot with a tripod-mounted Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens. This photo is a good example of the high ISO capability of the Nikon D90. This was shot at ISO 2500.

Golden Knights

_DSC2615, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A member of the Army Golden Knights Parachute Team makes his landing during the 2009 Army Navy Game in Philadelphia

Traffic Backup

DSC_1578, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Traffic Backup. Crews wait their turn to come into the dock at the conclusion of a race during the 2009 Head of The South Regatta in Augusta, GA. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens.

Turn 6 At Road Atlanta

DSC_1179, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A BMW 3 Series at the apex of Turn 6 on the Road Atlanta course during qualifying for the 2009 SCCA American Road Race of Champions. Shot with a Nikon D90, a Nikon 80-200 f2.8D ED lens and a Kenko Teleplus Pro 1.4x teleconverter.

Turn 10B

DSC_8838, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

One of the Lola B09 86's from the BP/Mazda Team loses control as a Corvette C6 leads the pack out of Turn 10B at Road Atlanta during the 2009 Petit LeMans. Shot with a Nikon D90, a Nikon 80-200 f2.8D ED lens and a Kenko Pro 1.4x teleconverter.

GT3 Porsche

DSC_7275, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A Porsche GT3 Class racer from the GruppeOrange Team in the first turn at Road Atlanta during a qualifier round for the 2009 Petit Lemans. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8D ED lens.

Whitewater Rafting

DSC_4312, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Onlookers watch from shore as a raft navigates the rapids at the Ocoee National Whitewater Park in the Cherokee National Forest near Ducktown, TN. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens.

Tandem Vertical

Tandem Vertical, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Two stunt planes go vertical during the Angels Over Atlanta air show, held at Naval Air Station Atlanta each year. I shot this photo during the 2006 show and it remains one of my favorites. Shot with a Nikon D50 and a Quantaray 70-300 f5.6 telephoto lens.

Bloodied Competitor

DSC_3404, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A high school wrestler's nose is packed and taped to control bleeding during a tournament match. Shot with a Nikon D50, a Nikon Sb-600 Speedlight and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8D ED lens.

Rounding the turn

The top-seeded women head for the finish line during the 2008 Peachtree Road Race, held in Atlanta every July 4th. The Peachree is the largest 10K race in the world, with over 50,000 participants. In recent years, there have been divisions for competitors in Iraq and Afghanistan as well. Shot with a Nikon D50 and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 telephoto zoom lens. This photo was recently selected for use in a promotional video for the Epilepsy Foundation.

Raiders Approach The Finish Line

027-DSC_0244, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

My youngest son participates on his high school junior ROTC Raiders Team. Jon opted for the Raiders in his senior year rather than continue with the wrestling program. The shear physicality and teamwork of the Raiders competitions strongly appeals to him. This photo depicts the Raiders squad moving as a team to transport a couple hundred pounds of weight over a 1.5 mile cross-country course. They started as a team and reached the finish line as a team. It's a great story. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 AFD lens. (029-DCS_0256)

On the Confidence Course

20-11050021, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

I shot this photo during a Junior ROTC Raiders competition held at my son's high school in October. The Raiders Competition focuses on squad-level skills and teamwork. It's surprisingly athletic and requires a keen sense of teamwork in order to succeed. The photo was shot with a Nikon N80 and a Nikon 18-35 f.5 lens on Fuji Supera 400 film. (20-11050021)

Rounding the Mark

DSC_2570e, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A set of sailboats head for the mark on the downwind leg during a Wednesday night race. This is a long-standing recreational racing league that convenes every Wednesday evening, drawing boats from New London, Groton and Mystic, CT. Shot with a Nikon D50, a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 AFD lens and a Kenko Pro 1.4 teleconverter.

Wheel Chair Racing

DSC_0898, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A shot of one of the wheel chair competitors during the 2007 Peachtree Road Race. This is one of my favorite sports photos. I love the intensity of the racer's expression as she drives for the finish line. Shot with a Nikon D50 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 AF-D lens.

Powering Out of Turn 1

DSC_4287, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

The XM Radio Team's Acura-powered American Le Mans car in Turn 1 on the Road Atlanta Course during the 2007 Petit Le Mans. Shot with a Nikon D50 and a NIkon 80-200 f2.8 AFD lens

Heading Out To Sea

Heading Out To Sea, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A lone parasail pilot heads out towards the horizon. Shot just after sunset at the Torrey Pines Glideport near La Jolla, California. Shot with a Nkon N80, a Nikon 50mm f1.8D lens and Fuji Superia Reala 100 film. (74880024)

Turn 5 at Road Atlanta

DSC_5073cr, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A pair of Porsches from the Flying Lizards Race Team mix it up with two American Le Mans cars in Turn 5 of the Road Atlanta course during the 2007 Petit Le Mans. Shot with a Nikon D50 and a Nikon 500mm f4 telephoto lens.