The Guy In The Green Vest
Not long after I posted some of my favorite images from Super Bowl week on this blog, I received an email from Paul Gessler from Fox 45. He was interested in doing a segment with me about my story as one of the team photographers for the Ravens and our journey to the Super Bowl.
I was pretty shocked that there was even that much interest in what I do and at first I was a little hesitant to sit down on the opposite side of the camera and spill my guts.
However, I agreed and Paul and his cameraman Jed came to my studio to do a sit down interview. We talked for quite a while and I went through some of my favorite images from the post season including the Super Bowl and provided the stories behind how I made them.
The segment aired last night and I thought they did a great job. Im always still amazed at how much content gets edited out to make a 2 minute video segment. It is definitely a little weird to see myself talking on TV, but at least I didn’t embarrass myself…I think.
The end is pretty hilarious, its the clip of the “Harbaugh handshake” from the Super Bowl. You can see me getting mugged by all the photographers around me. I am still amazed that I made even one usable frame during that moment.
Anyway, I also wanted to mention that in addition to myself, the Ravens do have another team photographer who has actually been around a lot longer than me. Phil Hoffmann has been the Ravens team photographer since 1996 and has shown me the ropes since I’ve been with the team. Phil is a big reason that I am able to take risks and be more creative on gamedays since I know he is going to be there to get the shot that I may miss.
Secondly, in the beginning of this video you’ll see a still photo of me shooting in my (fashionable) green vest. That photo was taken by super talented local photographer Patrick Smith, definitely check out his work too. Its inspiring.
Lastly thanks to Paul and Jed for being super cool and making this happen…enjoy!
U2
U2 performed at M&T Bank Stadium on June 22nd to a near sellout crowd. One of the many benefits of working with the Ravens is that I also get to cover big events that happen at their stadium even if they aren’t related to the team directly. Although I am not a fan of U2 myself, the stage production they put on for the show was a spectacle to say the least.
The only bummer was that all of the photographers got stuck on this little platform on the corner of the stage and we couldn’t move around at all. Even though it wasn’t an ideal spot and my 70-200 didn’t really get me as close as I wanted, I tried to make the best of things and stay creative. I did get some special access after the first three songs were over. I was able to shoot some images from the upper level of the stadium and a few of those turned out really nice. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy…
Jill & Pete in St. Michaels
I started the wedding season off with a great couple on the Maryland eastern shore. Although the night before we got slammed with torrential rains, the wedding day could not have been more beautiful…even if the ground was juuusst a bit soggy. Jill & Pete are a really fun and mellow couple and they made the first wedding of the year a breeze.
The Royal Oaks is a location that most photographers wish for. The area was surrounded by rustic barns, abandoned houses and the ceremony was even on a covered pier. I didn’t have to think too hard about where I wanted Jill & Pete for each picture, and they fit seamlessly into every scene. This wedding definitely set the bar high for the rest of the year.
Flashes of Hope
After waiting over a year, I had the unbelievable opportunity to shoot for an organization called “Flashes of Hope.” They are a non-profit group who work with photographers to provide photographs to children suffering from cancer and other debilitating diseases.
I had about twenty minutes to photograph each child and some family members at the Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore. Not many of the kids could get around on their own power and all but one was attached to some sort of machine. One little girl was actually receiving chemo during her shoot.
Needless to say, during those twenty minutes, I forgot about all of my so-called “problems” and focused all my energy towards making these inspirational children smile and provide some happy memories for them and their families. Enjoy…
