Allstate Sugar Bowl: Press ConferenceDecember 30, 2016; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Mercedes Benz Superdome. Photo: Kelley L Cox -KLC fotos for the Allstate Sugar Bowl

This week I could have been photographing the Sugar Bowl. I started covering the Sugar Bowl in 2016. I have so many great memories over the years. Most notably when I was able to have my yet-to-be spouse and their sibling as my assistants.

I took off the Jan 1, 2020 game, because I was due to give birth late-October. My OB suggested I not take an infant (with no immunity) on an airplane in winter. They said the baby would be fine if I left it at ~3months, but I likely (emotionally) would not. 2021 they didn’t even know if a game would be played and flights were mayhem.

The 2022 game I had another newborn. The 2023 game, I was ready to be back but the assignment fee was still 2016 rate, and the flight prices, were significantly higher.

When they called this year, I really wanted to cover it, just for my own sense of being back to my old self. I love (really only know) New Orleans at New Years. I bought terrible cheap connecting flights and was ready to basically break even just for my own sense of identity. But then it shifted…

The more I thought about it and talked it out with the Sugar Bowl team, we thought, why force this? I realized, I am not the same Kelley of 2017.

Ultimately, KLC fotos (aka me) hired three photographers 2 local, one traveling and coordinated a 4th volunteer. After demonstrating the day-of support and archive platform I could support, they increased the fee to have KLC ƒotos manage their 7 volunteer photographers they had independently coordinated.

So on New Year’s Eve, I will be working the Cal game 3 miles from my house (Go Bears!) then joining my kids and partner for a midnight countdown at 9pm, which is advertised for the benefit of being kid-friendly, though I think plenty of adults, sans kids, would appreciate a 9pm count down. Jan 1, I will be providing support to the great photographers that have been entrusted to cover the game.

This is shifting my approach to KLC fotos and I can’t wait to share what 2024 has in store!