Print this page

Perspectives - Getting the Shot

Monty Rand's Tourney Photos

For high school basketall teams and their support crews, February vacation week is far from relaxed. But it sure is exciting. From all corners of the metro, buses, vans, and private cars make their way to the Bangor Auditorium to duke it out for Class B, C, and D basketball glory. (Don’t know the way there? Just follow the telephone poles and trees tagged with players’ names and predictions of triumph.) For many towns and families, “tourney week” is the highlight of the winter, and the memories of certain games and players have become an indelible part of our regional culture.

Photographer Monty Rand plays a central role in recording the sport and spirit of the week. He clearly understands that success is not only in the win or loss, but in the moment captured. His gear includes high-end digital cameras synced with ceiling strobe lights that surely add to his quality product, but experience and a keen eye are his main tools. Anticipation is the game; getting the shot, the goal he reaches time and time again.

Few people, on or off the court, spend more time and energy at the games. In the last few years, Rand’s wife and business partner, videographer Janice Rand, has joined forces with him to complement the body of work with greater range and coverage. Together, the pictures they capture are, and will continue to become, a permanent part of the action-packed tradition we call The Tournament.