Lessons from a photographer’s first Ravens game

22 Photos

As a relatively new photographer, I was pumped to hear I’d be shooting a couple of Ravens home games this season. For my first one, I found out I’d be covering the Dolphins-Ravens game on Thursday Night Football (October 26th). Back when I was working at The Capital in Annapolis I did a few Navy Football shoots, but I’d never shot any sports at a pro level. The stakes were a lot higher, and honestly, I was pretty nervous the whole day leading up to it.

Luckily I wouldn’t be on my own; I was going with two veteran Sun photographers, Kenneth K. Lam and Lloyd Fox, who’ve been shooting sports together for decades. Most of the ride to M&T Bank Stadium was spent strategizing and game planning. I asked questions about everything I could think of: things like ‘what camera settings do you recommend,’ ‘which side of the field should I be standing on’ and maybe most importantly, ‘where’s the closest bathroom once we’re down there?’ Their confidence and expertise must’ve been contagious because by the time we got to the stadium, the nervousness was gone and I was ready to shoot.