How do you capture the true excitement that everyone feels at competitions?
I would go for candid shots, perhaps close-ups of faces. I think too often at high school events you see posed pictures, and that takes the life out of the picture.
How do you translate the fast paced action during a match into a still image?
Another option here is to use a slow shutter speed and pan the camera with the action. Try to match the speed of the camera to the speed of action you are trying to capture. This will keep your object in focus but blur the background, giving the appearance of speed.
What types of photos do you like to take during the build season?
I try to get pictures of people interacting--a mentor and a student having a discussion, someone handing someone else a tool, the robot chasing a student across the parking lot.
I also like shots of the mechanical components of the robot, but that is for discussion and learning purposes for later and not about trying to capture the essence of FIRST.
What equipment do you use?
I primarily use a Nikon FM and an FM2 manual SLRs. I like the control I have over the picture that way. I sometimes think an autofocus would be more useful, and most of the digitals make the majority of the decisions for you, which I think is good for most of the consumer "snapshot" market, but not for "photography." My ideal setup would be the Nikon D80, which would give me the immediate feedback of digital with the advantage that I could use all of my existing lenses during the transition.