Olympic venue shooting positions have become increasingly more restrictive. Moving around to find unique pictures is often impossible as photographers are corralled into a few common positions. The one frequent exception is new sports that olympic officials don't have a grasp on yet. This was the case at the Loashan Bicycle Moto Cross venue in Beijing. While wandering around I caught USA's Donny Robinson kissing his girlfriend Tiffany before a preliminary event.
Olympic venue shooting positions have become increasingly more restrictive. Moving around to find unique pictures is often impossible as photographers are corralled into a few common positions. The one frequent exception is new sports that olympic officials don't have a grasp on yet. This was the case at the Loashan Bicycle Moto Cross venue in Beijing. While wandering around I caught USA's Donny Robinson kissing his girlfriend Tiffany before a preliminary event.
After a trying season that included the April Boston Marathon bombing on Patriot's Day, the Red Sox brought home an improbable World Series Title in October. David Ortiz hit an unfathomable .688 during the six game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, and was the epicenter of the clubhouse champagne celebration.
As the clock ticked down on Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks were literally on the doorstep of a second straight championship. A miraculous Patriot's interception gave New England the ball back down by my end zone. Tom Brady knelt down, and I glanced at the network and NFL Films cameramen for their break. I was right on their toes and beat them out. This moment is what sports is all about for me. You give your all, and then you shake the winner's hand. Then the ref came barging in yelling,"the game's not over yet." Uh-oh. Unfortunately for me, the guards and Glendale Police only saw me run out and escorted me out of the stadium.
A Super Bowl halftime show setup is a nearly miraculous process. In about ten minutes a football field is transformed into a concert hall. Most acts are sequestered and magically appear on stage, But Springsteen and the East Street Band walked across the field to and from the stage.
The sideline-prowling college basketball coach is almost an accepted caricature now. Sometimes it comes across as intensity, and others times more like lack of self-control. Tom Izzo, head coach at Michigan State is not a screamer as much as an eye-roller. He so desperately wants to help his team, but knows they really are on their own on the floor. When it comes to March, however, his teams, no matter where they are seeded, are in the hunt. To see the affection players have of their coach after a tough win, is always touching.
There is nothing pleasant watching someone's dream evaporate right in front of your eyes. Phil Mickelson's collapse on 18 at Winged Foot was gruesome in its unraveling. I recall waiting for the final group to make it to the green and it seemed to take forever. After it was almost over, for just a split second, Phil buried his head in his hands. Golf truly is the cruelest sport.
Born to Belgian parents and a frequent visitor to see my family I must confess to choking up when Belgium marches into the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Through the 13 Olympic games I've covered, opportunities to photograph Belgian medalists have been slim; but as Tia began her High Jump victory lap she received a massive flag and when she waved it in the cool Beijing breeze I got misty again.
Twenty eight years earlier I sat in the upper deck above first base at Veterans Stadium and watched Tug McGraw strike out Willie Wilson to clinch the 1980 Series. Now, as Lidge finished off Tampa, my wife and two sons got to be there as well, looking down, ironically, from the upper deck above first base. As a lifelong Phillies fan, this moment -photographing it and sharing it with my family- is a great memory.
Working on a Steve Kerr story during the heyday of Michael Jordan's Bulls, I had virtually unlimited access to the team. While Kerr was the quiet, unnoticed sharp shooter, madness swirled around us at all times. The chaos of Jordan interviews after the game, and the quirkiness of so many talented players really made it seem like a rock band environment. While none have proven to be stranger than Dennis Rodman, his play on the court, essentially what he was there for in the first place, was stellar. This is a quiet pregame moment before a Nets game.
I often return to this field where I played organized football to photograph the games and practices. The field is elevated and though I did not appreciate the clean backgrounds as a child, sunsets caught everyone's attention. I was a member of the North Penn Squires 1974 inaugural season, and remember how cool it was to play on that upper field.
