notnss
08-24-2010, 09:44 AM
Figured I'd share some pics from one of the really cool events I've been fortunate to photograph for the last 5 years. Every year the Senior PGA (now the Champions Tour) holds the 3M Championship at the TPC in Blaine. In addition to the 3 day tournament (Fri-Sun), there are also Pro-Am events held Monday-Thursday, a bass fishing tournament on the golf course (yes, there are fish in the water hazzards), a large party on Tuesday, and the most notable side event is the Greats of Golf charity tournament that is held on Saturday & Sunday within the 3M Championship tournament. It features 3 different teams of golfing legends such as Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, and Chi Chi Rodriguez.
My job is to capture all these events. During the Pro-Am days things are relaxed and I focus on getting candids, group shots, various photos of vendors & signage before the crowds come later in the week. Friday is player stock day, I'll camp out on a hole for a few hours and let the golfers come to me and get a photo of their tee shot, this way we have at least one photo handy in case some unknown breaks away and wins the tournament. Saturday and Sunday are the chaotic days. My primary responsibility on Saturday is to follow Arnold Palmer around, from his autograph session in the morning, to the driving range, and then all 18 holes around the golf course - no easy task considering he gets a golf cart and PGA rules dictate that photographers have to walk the course, plus it was 90 degrees that day.
Sunday I mainly follow Chi Chi Rodriguez and Lee Trevino, on some of the long par 4s & 5s I'm able to hang back and get some shots of Palmer's group behind, plus I'm constantly paying attention to the leaderboard and focusing on who I need to get shots of that day. After the 'Greats' are finished I head back out on the course and chase after the leaders to ensure we have plenty of pics of whoever ends up winning. Once we have a winner I focus on getting trophy shots (ie. the player posing with the trophy) along with group photos with the winner.
What are some of the perks of being the tournament photographer? One nice thing is with the media badge I have free range to anywhere on the golf course, I can go inside the ropes, into any skybox, tent, etc.... it makes getting the shots a lot easier. I get killer parking, fans have to go to the National Sports Center and take a bus to the course, I get to park by the media tent which is 100 feet from the 18th green. Free food & drink, the parties have a nice spread (they had lobster on Tuesday - though I hate lobster) and I can take whatever I want by just flashing my badge. Air conditioning. While the fans are roasting, and I am too for most of the day, I'm able to go inside the media tent and cool off. Though someone in the media tent did steal one of my lenses this year :pissed:
Enough of me boring everyone, on to the pics!
Main entry for fans, one of my pics was made into one of the winner's banners:
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0001.jpg
Women's Pro-Am:
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0055.jpg
Fuzzy Zoeller:
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0047.jpg
Fishing tournament:
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0172.jpg
Ron Schara from TV's Minnesota Bound (one hell of a nice guy!)
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0134.jpg
My job is to capture all these events. During the Pro-Am days things are relaxed and I focus on getting candids, group shots, various photos of vendors & signage before the crowds come later in the week. Friday is player stock day, I'll camp out on a hole for a few hours and let the golfers come to me and get a photo of their tee shot, this way we have at least one photo handy in case some unknown breaks away and wins the tournament. Saturday and Sunday are the chaotic days. My primary responsibility on Saturday is to follow Arnold Palmer around, from his autograph session in the morning, to the driving range, and then all 18 holes around the golf course - no easy task considering he gets a golf cart and PGA rules dictate that photographers have to walk the course, plus it was 90 degrees that day.
Sunday I mainly follow Chi Chi Rodriguez and Lee Trevino, on some of the long par 4s & 5s I'm able to hang back and get some shots of Palmer's group behind, plus I'm constantly paying attention to the leaderboard and focusing on who I need to get shots of that day. After the 'Greats' are finished I head back out on the course and chase after the leaders to ensure we have plenty of pics of whoever ends up winning. Once we have a winner I focus on getting trophy shots (ie. the player posing with the trophy) along with group photos with the winner.
What are some of the perks of being the tournament photographer? One nice thing is with the media badge I have free range to anywhere on the golf course, I can go inside the ropes, into any skybox, tent, etc.... it makes getting the shots a lot easier. I get killer parking, fans have to go to the National Sports Center and take a bus to the course, I get to park by the media tent which is 100 feet from the 18th green. Free food & drink, the parties have a nice spread (they had lobster on Tuesday - though I hate lobster) and I can take whatever I want by just flashing my badge. Air conditioning. While the fans are roasting, and I am too for most of the day, I'm able to go inside the media tent and cool off. Though someone in the media tent did steal one of my lenses this year :pissed:
Enough of me boring everyone, on to the pics!
Main entry for fans, one of my pics was made into one of the winner's banners:
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0001.jpg
Women's Pro-Am:
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0055.jpg
Fuzzy Zoeller:
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0047.jpg
Fishing tournament:
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0172.jpg
Ron Schara from TV's Minnesota Bound (one hell of a nice guy!)
http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac199/jsphotog/2010%203M%20Championship/IMG_0134.jpg