I photographed Cobi Jones playing at the Rose Bowl when I was at Art Center College in 1997. Ten years later in my first season as LA Galaxy Team Photographer, I was there to capture the last time he walked off the field as a player. I'm incredibly grateful to have had the chance to photograph one of the most iconic players in LA Galaxy and MLS history which is why this image has its place as one of my all-time favorites.
After four challenging seasons, David Beckham finally lifted an MLS Cup Trophy in his fifth season with the LA Galaxy. Everyone knew the enormous amount of pressure he had felt to deliver a championship, I wanted to make sure I was right there when he first touched that trophy. As the confetti rained down, I knew this would be one of the most important historical photos I'd ever capture.
These two favorites of mine were taken seven years apart, Juninho in 2012 and Zlatan in 2019. In both instances of these games I was on the sideline as opposed to the end line where I prefer to shoot from, but it made for the perfect opportunity to use the opposing fans as the backdrop. All of the elements came together for both of these and I was able to tell the story of the emotion and brashness our players showed in these hostile situations. We wore black and gold in the first rivalry, they wore in it in the next.
There's no significant or historical context to this image being one of my favorites, it's just one of the most unique i've ever taken. On occasion i'll place a remote camera at press box level pointed down at the goal area to capture a different perspective but rarely do all of the right circumstances take place to get a really good usable image. Not only do I love that this image only has the dejected goalkeeper, the ball in the net, and the player walking away, I love that those three elements are in their own "box" or framed up by lines.
Having watched Steven Gerrard play for years, I loved watching him slide to the corner when he'd score a goal. When he came to the Galaxy I wanted to capture the perfect photo of him sliding into the corner with the stadium behind him so I started keeping a third camera with a wide lens, knowing the opportunity would present itself. Rather than sliding to the corner on this goal celebration, he ran directly to my corner and was eventually close enough to shout into the camera. I was pretty shocked when I saw his hand fly out towards my camera but I continued shooting and ended up capturing this memorable image.
As a sports photographer you always want to capture a record breaking moment. Landon Donovan was on the verge of setting the MLS goal scoring record and I remember that day being one of the most anxious and stressful i've experienced as a photographer. I wanted to capture the best image of that moment but I also found myself just as concerned about when he'd score the goal. I'll never forget how much joy I experienced capturing this image.
Remote cameras behind the goal are a great tool to capture an interesting point of view. These are four of my favorites that i've captured through out the years. These remote cameras are also some of the most frustrating tools we use to shoot with. Most times you end up with very little or nothing to show for the time and effort you put into it, but it makes it all worthwhile when everything comes together and you capture something you're proud of. This first photo from the 2014 Western Conference Final in Seattle is a perfect example. Although I tried, the camera didn't shoot any images for almost the entire game. However at the key moment of the game when Juninho's shot squeaked past Stefan Frei it fired off three shots, one of them was this exact moment that his shot hit the inside of the post and went in.
This image is one of my absolute favorites because I remember how much effort I put in to getting into the right position. The players always show the most emotion when the final whistle blows so I ran as fast as I could toward Robbie and Landon who were near each other at the end. It's best to use a wide angle lens to capture post game images which is how I was able to incorporate our fans and supporters into this photo. I love the contrast of emotion you see from Robbie and Landon to the dejected Houston players. I also love that you're able to read the "LA" flag, as if it's the flag we planted as the 2012 MLS Champions.
My dear friend and partner in taco eating, Cozmo always brings so much joy and laughter to so many of us, I wanted to capture an image that was just about him. Like many of the players, Cozmo has his own pregame routine he follows. Instead of focusing on the players during the national anthem, I chose to position myself where I could best incorporate the pregame atmosphere, which actually ended being behind him. I framed the shot to include a majority of the sky which I knew would be filled with fireworks when the national anthem ended. As the fireworks went off he turned around and gave me this opportunity, a classic for anyone's #WallpaperWednesday.
There are very few times where i'll look to capture images on the field immediately before kick-off. On this occasion my plan was to capture a photo inside the team huddle so I had already positioned myself on the field where I anticipated it taking place. I noticed Steven Gerrard walking out before the rest of the team so I used the opportunity to just capture his solo walk out. Using a fish-eye lens I was able to capture this unique perspective of him with the stadium in the background. I enjoy the isolation and mood the image invokes, one of the rare perspectives i've ever captured.
Over the course of 13 seasons with the LA Galaxy, these images are particular moments of emotion and celebration that i'm personally fond of.
I'm amazed at how much success these two friends have had together. They'll probably never get enough credit, but i'll always remember these two as being the backbone of the team's success from 2009 through 2014. I'm glad to have captured this image of them together, two champions who's partnership was one of the best the Galaxy's ever seen.
This image was one of my favorites from 2019 but as i've reflected more and more it's become an all-time favorite because of my appreciation for everything Romain gave the club. The first day I met Romain I was able to capture some marketing portraits of him alone under the stadium lights. I think that's one of the main reasons I always looked to capture him with the stadium lighting and atmosphere behind him, making him look as heroic as he did when we captured his first portraits.
Player warmups don't often lend themselves to the most creative or interesting images but I was fascinated by the architecture of the stadium as a backdrop. I positioned myself at a low angle and waited for the right moment when Alan turned so that I could capture part or all of his face. It's just a simple moment as he was warming up and preparing for the game but enjoy the setting and mood, especially as a black and white image.
The triumph and elation Landon expresses in this image makes it not only one of the most favorite i've ever captured, but also one of the most historic. After everything Landon had been through and at the time being the last game he was set to play, it was the moment I had to capture. Just as the day he scored his 135th goal, I wanted to capture the perfect image of his accomplishment. My whole life i've probably never ran faster than I did when that final whistle blew. I didn't want to miss the moment he raised his arms in victory, it was the exact shot I wanted. Everything came together perfectly for me, I made it to him quickly, there were no other players close to him, and there was a full stadium behind him. It was the perfect ending to the story of the 2014 season, one that I will always be humbled and grateful for.
One of the many reasons sports photography is so addicting is because of it's uncertainty. On any given day you never know what could happen, especially what incredible individual ability an athlete could demonstrate. March 31, 2018 will be a day most of us will never forget, the day Zlatan Ibrahimovic showed us why he is one of the greatest to ever play the game. The closest thing I had ever experienced to this game was the 2000 NBA Western Conference Finals when the Lakers defeated the Portland Trailblazers after an incredible comeback at STAPLES Center. I remember feeling the same shock and amazement as I did then, although this time it came down to one athlete's individual brilliance. It's incredibly hard not to get caught up watching, but staying engaged with the action is what allowed me to capture this memorable celebration. I love the elements that make up this photo; the fact that he's the only player in the shot, the word "Here" in the background, and all of the expressions and emotions of the fans behind him. I've taken hundreds of thousands of images from 2007 until now, but no matter how many more I ever take, this will always be one of my all-time favorites.
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