Sacred Heart v St. Ignatius Baseball at AT&T Park
Received a cold call from a parent looking for coverage from the Sacred Heart Cathedral vs St. Ignatius baseball game at AT&T. Normally I get called through agencies or someone I've worked with at a different organization, or another kind of referral, but this case, interestingly enough, the parent had found me by searching "San Francisco sports photographer". I don't invest in advertising or have any extreme measures to increase my SEO, but I suppose whatever I'm doing, is working :)
Getting excited for baseball starting back up, it was fun to go to AT&T Park and re-familiarize myself as well as check out some of the changes. With the new net rule, the photo wells were actually made ever so slightly bigger and we no longer have a net over our heads so we could at least stand up during the National Anthem. But more exciting than my own discoveries of what will be different from last year, was walking in with the players and seeing how excited they were just to be on the field at AT&T Park.
Sometimes you work towards your dream job, be it a photographer, baseball player, anything, and when you settled into your role, you start to lose sight that it once seemed like an barely attainable dream. Now obviously, we have to function and can't spend our whole day distracted in awe, but sometimes, seeing the excitement through another persons eyes, what you come to know as normal, reminds you of how excited you first were. Be it at your first game, your first interview at the job you now go to daily, your first car you now hop into without thinking, your first night in your own apartment/home you now return to every night, or anything that becomes a part of daily life that once gave you the feeling of "wow, I am really here in this moment in this place and this is real life?!?!"
Anyways, a pretty exciting game, in the beautiful afternoon light you get only a few minutes of with a typical noon or 7pm MLB start time but was able to get a little more of with a 2:30pm start. There are few scenarios I love more than back lit in front of shade.
And thankfully, the player I was assigned to cover, got a few hits, made a few plays and gave a few smiles, so the parent was pleased with the photos.
Anecdotally, when I walked in and introduced myself to the coaches, who were notified ahead of time I would be covering their team, and one remarked "you're the photographer GUY that J's dad hired?!?!" Sometimes I wish I could do my job without people knowing/noticing my gender, but there is also some gratification in surprising someone who expected me to be a man. Lookie me, I can stretch it out with the big boys!
Comments
This post really captures the bittersweet feeling of reconnecting with a dream you once thought was almost out of reach. The narrative of returning to a familiar venue like AT&T Park, and the small yet significant changes—like the new net rule that allows you to actually stand up during the National Anthem—gives the piece a reflective, almost nostalgic tone. I appreciate how it highlights the excitement of the players and even the photographer’s own journey in the industry. It’s a reminder of those early, electrifying moments when everything feels fresh and full of possibility.
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