Most people first learn the backhand throw. This is how I look as I'm about to unleash a forehand throw, typically the next one people learn.
I've been playing Ultimate Frisbee since college, but joined my first team in my first year of grad school in 1991.
I founded my current team, the Fighting Pacifists, in September 2004.
Ultimate is played on a field about as big as a soccer field, with an end zone at each end. You can't run with the disc; it's all about passing. When you pass it to someone standing, running, diving, etc. in the end zone, you score a point. First team to 15 wins, but you have to win by 2.
It's a non-contact sport, and you call your own fouls, out-of bounds, etc. "Spirit of the game" dominates, meaning you should call things honestly, focus on spirited play over rulebook legal maneuvers, and generally be pleasant. Team names are often punny or offbeat, like ours.
Lit by sunlight, in the shade of a large tree.
What I learned while taking this shot and processing it:
1) Pay a lot of attention to the the background. I looked around and tried many angles and many zoom levels to get rid of a brightly lit tree trunk and a shed. As it was, I still needed to darken the bricks over my picture-left shoulder.
2) How to use adjustment layers in Photoshop for curves.
3) How to use a mask to keep the frisbee at the original brightness while I brightened me up.
4) How to use the healing brush, at least at the simplest level, to clean up minor skin problems.
5) That it's important, when cloning bricks, to nail the alignment of your source and target. Otherwise, you break the lines.
Please let me know what you think of the composition, processing, etc.
Oh! THOSE crates! I literally didn't see them until just now, despite all the time I spent trying to find a good background and cloning all the stuff at the top. Heh. :)
Maybe I'll try it cloning the trees and bushes to cover everything behind me.
And another lesson is: don't assume I can get a good background in my back yard!
I would have cloned out the crates or move to another position for a more uniform background. Other than that I'd say you learned a ton on your first portrait.
The skin tones are better in the unedited - you did got a bit light, I think. I do like the post processing as far as the cloning and such goes - that looks pretty good. Had you not told me, nor posted the original, I'd not have seen it. And thanks for the detailed explanation of what you did and why - really helps to understand what you're going for and offer any constructive advice (if I can think of any.)
Honest feeback: Check out your background (creates and wall) The tree and bushes are good, but move your self forward 2-3 feet to clean up the background.
For a stronger image, open up the crop on the right side since that's the side that you are throwing to. It'll project action in front of you.