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I could tell I wasn’t mentally prepared for this event. For the first time in a while I felt slightly nervous on my flight towards Raleigh. I had stupid thoughts in my head. I kept thinking about all the other people with their DSLR’s that come to event and do what I do. How do I differentiate myself from them? What can I do to not make this event look like every other event? What can I change in terms of capturing players in front of their screens and making it look fresh? As a photographer working in eSports, it’s really hard to stand out.

When I started at MLG, I was put in charge of photographing Madden. I know absolutely nothing about football. I would have to stand there on stage, constantly ready to go, and try and figure out when something would happen. Madden players are very animated, so at times there would be a random outburst from a player and it would catch me completely off guard. In other words, it wasn’t easy to shoot.

After photographing my first couple MLG events, I figured there would be a pattern or a flow to it.
I assumed that every event would be somewhat the same in terms of difficulty, hours, what needs to get done, etc. It has been the complete opposite. Every event is like starting over.

Typically the Friday of an event is like my test day. Before attendees are allowed in, I figure out the lighting settings I’ll need in the differently lit areas of the venue. Then I’d go to each of the booths, take a couple of shots of them while they are empty, and then move on to the stages. After the doors open, I repeat this sort of trail of booths and games and keep checking the schedule for signings. I’m on my own for knowing the important matches for SC2, Black Ops, and Halo. I need to know what teams are in need of capturing, if certain players are matched up against their rivals, and I also need to understand what is going on in the game so I know when I match might be ending.

Saturday is the longest day.. or at least it feels the longest. Saturday is the day I have to constantly be moving and searching for those crazy matches as well as any booth activities that need to be captured. Sometimes there are also player photoshoots that need to get done such as head shots and team shots and that takes away from venue time (being on the floor) which is stressful. Saturday is the day where many things need to get done and covered or it’s trouble if you don’t.

Sunday is my ‘stress day’. At this point I don’t get a lot of time for booths. I need to focus on what teams/players are making it to top 16 and top 8. When the day is coming to an end and finals are starting, it becomes a huge juggling act of being at the right place at the right time. Some games run longer than others which helps a lot but typically Halo: Reach and Call of Duty: Black Ops have their finals relatively close to each other. Josh, the other photographer, and I make sure we’re constantly on top of those but with an eye on Starcraft 2. So far Starcraft 2 has always been the last game to finish.

Photographing finals is the best and the hardest part of the event. You want to make sure you capture everything; The teams/players reactions, the handing of the trophy, and general celebration/group shots. I love this part because of how intense and fast paced it becomes. When everything is done and people start leaving the venue, I sit behind the curtain and go through the 1000+ photos from the day. Not my favourite part, but in the end when it’s all done and ready to go, it feels amazing and the weight of another event is off my shoulders.

There have been many changes since I started. Both good and difficult. Having the experience change from event to event has actually been welcoming in a way. I’m always learning something new, something different, and it never gets boring. The more events I do, the more comfortable I have become with the players and staff, making my job a lot easier. It’s definitely a unique job and I love doing it.