A rugby player carries the ball in Fountain Valley, California on April 10, 2010.

For the last day at Sports Shooter Academy, I photographed rugby and surfing, two sports I had never photographed before.

In the morning, I headed out to shoot surfing. While the waves were nice, the sun was nowhere to be found, making for incredibly flat light.

A surfer rides the waves at Huntington Beach on April 10, 2010.

A surfer rides the waves at Huntington Beach on April 10, 2010.

After four nearly sleepless days, it’s time to head back to Athens. It’s been great covering a few new sports and making new friends.