Sunday night I photographed my seventh AFC Championship game, which wraps up my 42nd NFL season. I started with the Buffalo Bills, working for a newspaper in upstate New York, and since 2000 have been covering the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s been a lot of fun, but not surprisingly, a lot of work too.
For most of my career, covering a local team in the NFL, my photography has been what would be called “editorial.” In other words, the news of the day, be that training camp, a press conference or that day’s game action. These last three years, though, covering the Chiefs home games for AP Images, that job is a bit different. Each week I’d get a list of a dozen to thirty players to concentrate on, from ball-handlers to linemen. The priority with those would be “vertical, isolated action” of each player, which could then be used commercially, from cards to advertising. I also needed to photograph officials in action, NFL sideline reporters, any unique signage or clothing (such as “My Cause, My Cleats” or “Salute to Service”), social media asks from players as well as any other special requests. The NFL itself is one of AP Images’ biggest clients for these photos.
The routine is to leave home about four hours before gametime, get set up in the photo room and be ready for the players to come out for warm-ups about two hours before the game. I’d shoot that for a bit, go back in and download, edit, caption, keyword and transmit eight to ten photos, then head back out for the full-uniform warm-ups. That ends about thirty-minutes before kickoff, at which point I’d need to go back in, send another half-dozen photos, then head back out for introductions and the game itself.
During the game, I’m just one of dozens of photographers on the sidelines, and one of at least three working for the Associated Press. During the regular season there are two photographers shooting game action for AP in addition to me, then in the playoffs three, and for the championship game, four. They also have an editor in the photo room who’s taking care of editing and sending their photos. I’m a one-man band. Since all of our photos end up in the same place (AP’s website), I try to pick positions away from those other AP photographers, and spend a lot of time in the end zones, shooting either the defense facing me or the offense coming at me. I know the other photographers are concentrating on the key action, so my job is to try to make those other photos.
After the game, and any celebration or dejection on the field, I head back into the photo room to download, edit, caption, keyword and send about 40 more pictures. I’ll be finished with that about ninety minutes after the game, at which point I pack up and head home. Over the next 24-hrs, I’ll submit another 150-200 images.
While most of the season I’m asked to shoot and submit a lot of vertical images, by the playoffs that changes, and I’m allowed to offer more horizontal. Also, by the playoffs the NFL is looking for photos to be used in Super Bowl signage, so there’s a heavier emphasis on groups of players celebrating. Of course, since only two teams make it to that final game, you’re very lucky if your team does (thank you, Chiefs!).
My camera gear is all Nikon. Since the introduction of the 45-megapixel Z 9 camera, that’s all I use for sports now, and am lucky enough to have two. While my Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 lens has been my workhorse lens for many, many years, now that there’s an emphasis on individual player photos, I’ve shifted to using a 500mm lens more often. That’s been the Nikkor 500mm f/4 or the Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 (for day games, where there’s more light).
For the championship game last weekend, I was fortunate that my new Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 lens arrived in time. It has a built in 1.4X teleconverter, so with the flip of a switch I can go from 400mm f/2.8 to 560mm f/4. It’s simply amazing. The second camera has a Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 lens with 1.4X teleconverter, giving me a 105-280mm f/4 lens for when they get closer. For action I generally set the shutter speed around 1/1600, keeping the aperture wide open to give me nicely out of focus backgrounds. I shoot at 12 frames-per-second, using a custom white balance, RAW (NEF for Nikon) files only and have a recent-generation MacBook Pro to process them with. Photo Mechanic is the heart of my workflow, and then I edit in Adobe Camera Raw, uploading large, high-resolution files to the AP.
Here I am, all geared up to cover Sunday’s AFC Championship game. My wife, Sharon, joined me, working for the Associated Press running cards from their four photographers on the field to the editor inside, something she’s done many times over the years. We’re all bulked up for the near-zero wind chill, and in our official vests. And as much as she enjoyed seeing the Chiefs win, the highlight of her day was riding the elevator with actor Paul Rudd as we left that night. He grew up in Kansas City, and is a big Chiefs fan himself.
So that’s a bit of the background of what I do. Now let me show some of my photos from Sunday night’s game, and explain why I chose to shoot and send them. And if you really want to see all 300, they’re here.
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst visits with his mom, left, and sister during warmups. This is exactly the kind of photos they want for the players to have for their social media feeds. Nikon Z 9, ISO 560, 1/1600 at f/4 at 560mm. I turn on Auto ISO in the camera so it can float depending on the amount of light in the scene.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna comes onto the field during introductions before playing the Cincinnati Bengals. The offensive and defensive starters alternate who gets introduced at each home game. This time it was the defense. The week before, I did the same thing with the offensive starters. Photos like these always get a lot of use. Nikon Z 9, ISO 1400, 1/1600 at f/6, 560mm.
Fans hold up an American flag during the playing of the national anthem before the first half of the NFL AFC Championship playoff football game. I don’t do a lot of crowd photos, but anything with the flag in it is good. When shooting sports, I generally use Shutter Priority so I can easily drop the speed when I don’t need it. That lets the ISO go lower, for less noise (better quality). Nikon Z 9, ISO 2800, 1/1000 at f/2.8, 400mm.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals gather for the coin toss before the start of their NFL AFC Championship playoff game. Another not very exciting photo, but again, one that’s likely to get a fair bit of use by AP’s clients, and important historically. Nikon Z 9, ISO 1600, 1/1000 at f/2.8, 400mm.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark (55) celebrates a sack of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. One big request during the playoffs is for photos of groups of players celebrating, that could then be used in Super Bowl materials. Nikon Z 9, ISP 4000, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was injured and left the game with a possible concussion during the first half. The status of his recovery will be a big story over the next two weeks. Nikon Z 9, 4500 ISO, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay (50) and Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark, top. Of course I shoot the action too, and two of these three players were on my list to photograph. Nikon Z 9, ISO 2500, 1/1600 at f/2.8, 400mm.
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson, left, celebrates his interception against the Cincinnati Bengals with Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie. An important moment in the game, and another celebration photo. Nikon Z 9, ISO 2200, 1/1600 at f/2.8, 400mm.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson rushes against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the NFL AFC Championship playoff football game. This is exactly what they want from me, vertical, no other players in the photo, a clean (non-distracting) background. And he’s one of the eight Bengals players that were on my list. This is why I spend a lot of time in the end zones, often keyed in on a defensive player.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore runs after a catch during the second half of the NFL AFC Championship. And now I’m out in front of the action, looking to isolate quarterbacks, running backs and receivers, as well as offensive linemen. Nikon Z 9, ISO 3200, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is tackled during during the second half of the NFL AFC Championship. Mahomes’ injury from last week would be a big story, so I knew that any hit he took could be important. Nikon Z 9, ISO 1250, 1/1600 at f/2.8, 400mm.
And this is how the New York Times used it.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half of the NFL AFC Championship. You might notice that this photo is a bit wider than the others. Every game I’m tasked with making photos like this that can be cropped to 16X9, which is the native dimension of HD TV. That’s so these photos can be used during television broadcasts and fill the screen. Nikon Z 9, ISO 1600, 1/1600 at f/2.8, 400mm.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) falls into the end zone for a touchdown as Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore (24) celebrates and Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (29) reacts during the second half of the NFL AFC Championship. Here I’ve switched to my second camera and a zoom lens with a focal length of 105-280mm, to cover end zone action. Nikon Z 9, ISO 4500, 1/1600 at f/4, 160mm.
Cincinnati Bengals place kicker Evan McPherson kicks off to the Kansas City Chiefs. Another of those photos that most people aren’t shooting, but will get used with stories about the kicker. Nikon Z 9, ISO 5600, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes comes onto the field to congratulate the PAT team. I noticed early in the season that Mahomes does this for every extra point, so make sure to look for him after the kick. Nikon Z 9, ISO 5000, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
And this is how the Washington Post used the photo.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco picks up yardage against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half. Not a vertical, and not a clean background (although the background is out of focus thanks to the long lens/wide aperture), but a good action photo that can be used anytime with a story about him, and doesn’t show the other team. Nikon Z 9, ISO 5600, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones during during the second half of the NFL AFC Championship. Clean background, eyes and face visible, good expression, a nice photo for anyone who needs a good photo of Jones. Nikon Z 9, ISO 3600, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton (32) talks to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Bolton is the “quarterback” of the defense, so showing these two together is another nice photo for AP to have in their archive. That green sticker on the back of his helmet indicates he has a speaker in it so he can get instructions from the coaches. Nikon Z 9, ISO 3200, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, left, talks to Chiefs quarterback Chad Henne, right, after throwing a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce on fourth-and-one during the first half. Having the extra reach of 560mm makes this kind of photo possible, and again works with any story that might be written about the relationship between the two. Nikon Z 9, ISO 4500, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai (58) shoves Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15), after he was already out of bounds, resulting in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with eight seconds remaining. Not very interesting, and not a photo I’m expected to produce, but a very important play in the game. Nikon Z 9, ISO 4500, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during a break in action late in the second half of the NFL AFC Championship playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. During this long official timeout, I noticed Burrow wandering around by himself, with the cloak on. I shot several different “looks” of this, expecting that if they lost, it would get used. Nikon Z 9, ISO 5600, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
This is one of the other frames from that se, that ran in the Washington Post today.
Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker, center, hits the winning field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals. As soon as I knew they were going to kick, I rushed to the far end and positioned myself to be directly behind the kicker. Hit or miss, it would be an important photo. Nikon Z 9, ISO 1400, 1/1600 at f/2.8, 400mm.
Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker is lifted into the air by punter Tommy Townsend as the Chiefs celebrate after he kicked the winning field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals. As soon as Butker kicked the ball, I flipped the switch on my lens to go from 400mm to 560mm, to have tighter framing for the reaction. Nikon Z 9, ISO 2800, 1/1600 at f/4, 560mm.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, center, celebrates with Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark, left, after they beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL AFC Championship. Reid is not very expressive, so it was great to see him so happy. I knew the other photographers would be on the key players, like Mahomes, so I looked for other photos. And this is why I also carried my Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 lens. Once the game was over I took the 400mm off and used it on one camera body. And since I didn’t expect to be shooting fast action at that point, I also dropped my shutter speed to get a lower ISO. Nikon Z 9, ISO 900, 1/500 at f/4, 24mm.
The NFL Network’s James Palmer, right, interviews Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) and Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill (22). This is also one of the requests I get, to photograph the NFL Network reporters doing their job. Nikon Z 9, ISO 1250, 1/500 at f/4, 24mm.
Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach, center, celebrates with Chiefs safety Justin Reid, right, as Chiefs President Mark Donovan, left, looks on after they beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL AFC Championship. The executives in the organization are also an important part of the team’s story. That’s an advantage to having covered the Chiefs for so long, I know who they are. Nikon Z 9, ISO 1100, 1/500 at f/4, 24mm.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, holding the Lamar Hunt Trophy, celebrates with teammate Travis Kelce, right, while being interviewed by Jim Nantz of CBS as Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, at left, looks on after they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL AFC Championship. Again, I need to be aware of the people behind the team, like Clark Hunt, and include them when possible. Nikon Z 9, ISO 1000, 1/400 at f/2.8, 400mm.
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You are a great teacher and friend as I can attest having taken many of your workshops. Your images with description of each is a great learning experience for any young would be sport’s photographer. My days shooting Santa Margarita Catholic high school (Carson Palmer’s alma mater) football games are long gone.
Wish I had this tutorial back then. Hope to see you soon.
Thanks Mel!
Thank you!
Thanks for writing these stories. It is nice to see the progression from getting ready for the action, shooting the image, telling how you got the image, and then showing how it was used in print. Your writing shows you are not only a great photographer but a great teacher also.
Thanks for your time and effort in sharing you skills.
Glad you enjoyed it, Bill.
Thanks for writing these stories. It is nice to see the progression from getting ready for the action, shooting the image, telling how you got the image, and then showing how it was used in print. Your writing shows you are not only a great photographer but a great teacher also.
Thanks for your time and effort in sharing you skills.