(JRN504) Life of a Sports Photographer in the COVID-19 Era

When COVID-19 began to spread across the United States, I knew things would change.

Talks of quarantine and a complete nationwide shutdown took over the news and I watched businesses in my town slowly close one by one.

On March 12, my dad dropped the newspaper on my lap and suddenly it all felt real.

"The day the sports world stopped" in big white letters were spread across the back page of the New York Post.

Let me be clear that I never attempted to brush off the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic. I only really saw the magnitude of it when the industry that has been my life for so long had to be put on hold.

I was preparing to graduate college and spend another summer shooting the minor-league baseball team I've been with for the past two years. Unfortunately, their season was canceled and the next thing I know the "sports" part of my photography title was going to be put on hold for the foreseeable future.

Fast forward to the quarantine. Cabin Fever started to creep in and I knew I had to pick up a hobby to keep myself occupied. I kept glancing at my camera that was collecting dust on my shelf and decided to expand my skill set. I focused so much on sports that I never learned any other aspect of photography.

Though I missed the cheers from fans after a walk-off home run and the sound of a puck ringing off the crossbar, It was nice to pick up my camera again and get creative.

I bet you've been on the edge of your seat waiting to see some of my favorites, so I won't delay any longer.

Let's unpack what we have here.

First, I stepped out to my backyard on day 45 without sports and got a lovely shot of the blooming tree my mother is so proud of. It's not much, but it's something, right?

Next, I took a hilarious photo of my dad sitting in a lavender field. Not quite as exciting as a sports celebration, but we'll take it.

Lastly, it was my nephew's birthday and my sister insisted that the photographer in the family does the photoshoot. This isn't that great of a photo, but I just wanted an excuse to show you all how cute he is. Look at that smile!

I definitely enjoyed being able to shoot a few things during quarantine, but the day I can get back to the rush of a sporting event will be a good one.

For now, trees are the best I can do.