Week 1 - How do you tell a story without a happy ending?
When we think about the NFL we envision the hard hits, the gravity-defying catches, and the team celebrations. As a photographer it’s our job to capture those moments in a clean and precise manner. This leads us to be reactive, to only shoot the moments that happen in front of our lenses. So what do we do when the game doesn’t yield those spectacular moments.
The story of week 1 starts where every story does…taking photos in the 300 concourse wishing I wore a hoodie. I joked with my friends that Atlanta spoiled me, all of our sports venues were indoors and combined with southern humidity the temperature never drops below 70 degrees. I enjoy taking scene setters because they depict the quiet before the storm, no one in the stands, no one on the field. You can capture the beauty of the stadium before the chaos ensues.
This was my first NFL game so I wanted to approach it with a mindset of “firsts”. As pregame started I quickly realized that this would not be like anything I’ve photographed in the past. The speed, the intensity, the noise was unlike anything I’ve experienced and I was forced to quickly adapt.
All summer I developed my creative voice and I wanted to showcase that as soon as possible. It began with capturing Daniel Jones and Devin Singletary as they went through their warmup routines. I’ve coined the phrase “imposing my perspective” as I show non-traditional imagery to my audience. I want the viewer to question their pre-conceived notions of the sport. To see the game they know and love flipped on its head, to create art that makes you think beyond the play itself.
As a team photographer I have access to areas of the stadium that most do not and I wanted to take advantage of that as our players came out for pre-game warmups. Featured on the left is our specialist group with WR/Returner Wandale Robinson photographed in the middle of the huddle. On the right is our Lineman/LB group as they come out of the tunnel for the first time this season. I used a Canon RF 16-35mm lens to achieve both shots. I love the ability to acheive an ultra-wide look without compromising quality or focus.
For player introductions we highlighted our defense including (from left to right) Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, Brian Burns, and Dexter Lawerence. I was tasked with shooting wide to include the players running out as well as the fans behind them. My favorite is the photo of Brian Burns as he’s introduced for the first time in a Giants uniform, turning around to greet the fans as they welcome him as well!
Every photo has a story behind it, mine are just more comical than most. I used two bodies for today’s game, a Canon R3 and R5. However the ethernet connection didn’t work on my R5 leading me to only transmit from one camera. Following the pregame activities I found myself in the end zone transmitting my photos to our social team. In front of me Dru Phillips forced a fumble that was recovered by Bobby Okereke. I was following the action on my 70-200 initially and had the awareness to switch to my 16-35 as they celebrated around the broadcast camera.
Malik Nabers’ first career NFL catch was a 25 yard reception from Daniel Jones on 3rd and 10. I was situated on the 20 yard line as the offense was marching down the field and managed to get the catch, run, and celebration following!
Our special teams unit decided to play a game of hot-potato as we were able to pin the Vikings on their 1-yard line!!!
The game was carried by our defensive efforts, including key stops on 3rd down. I love this photo because it shows the intensity of NFL Football as well as the teamwork of our defenders to take Aaron Jones down.
The Giants were founded in 1925 and with it being our 100th season, the halftime activities included celebrating our Top 100 players in franchise history. Being around so many impactful figures this weekend was a blessing and it was great hearing their stories about their playing days and capturing the moments as they reunite with teammates. I got to create powerful photographs such as Eli Manning with his head coach Tom Coughlin, the legendary Lawernce Taylor, and Bill Parcells smiling at the Super Bowl trophy.
As we entered the second half, the game began to become out of reach for us. With the possibility of a comeback fading I decided to shift my focus to isolating our star players to build our gallery. I want to showcase the power of cropping with before/after images. Cortney Lesovoy(@cortneylesovoy) a photographer/photo editor with FC Cincinnati posts her thought process behind her edits and I would recommend her page to any aspiring photographer.
My gear loadout for a majority of my action shots were the Canon R3 combined with the Canon EF 300mm. At 24 megapixels my file sizes retain enough quality to crop create creative crops as I see fit. For the first shot of Daniel Jones in the pocket I wanted to create a clean photo of lineman blocking while Daniel surveyed the field.
For the second photo I was able to isolate Dexter Lawrence as he pressured Sam Darnold in the backfield. I like to set my focus to the middle of the frame, shoot wide, and crop later. Football is an odd sport as you can’t see your players’ faces most of the time so when I’m able to show that it makes an image 10x better.
For the last photo, we have Malik celebrating as Wandale Robinson makes a run after the catch in Vikings territory. I love how you can read this photo from left to right as you see the celebration, the ball, and the defender in that order to create a clean photograph.
When the clock hit 0:00 and the players cross the field to meet each other, It’s important to predict the moments before they occur. In my experience players of the same college greet each other so I looked for Malik to find Justin Jefferson as they are both star wideouts from LSU. With Jefferson being the best wide receiver in the league currently a photograph that shows a transition from the present to the future can be a historical moment and I’m glad I put myself in the right place at the right time.
