Photos and Reflections: BNP Paribas Open – Day 12.
I’m here in the terminal in the Palm Springs airport, in the middle of a long delay that was just announced when I got here at 4:30 this morning. I can already feel my tan fading, and it seems like I’ll be welcomed back to Boston later tonight with a fresh dusting of snow.
Since I have some downtime now, I wanted to take this opportunity to post my photos from all the championship action yesterday, and to reflect a bit on my experience over the past two weeks working as a photographer and videographer for the 2013 BNP Paribas Open.
Yesterday was a crazy day, but a thrill to be on hand to shoot those final points and player portraits with the trophies. I’m particularly happy with the images I got of Rafa as he won championship point. I definitely chose the right spot to be in.
Overall, I worked harder, longer hours at this tournament than at any other one I’ve done in the past. One guy covering an entire Indian Wells Tennis Garden’s worth of courts was a grind, particularly during the early rounds when there were so many matches going on. You’ll never hear me complain about warm weather, but it gets hot out here in the desert when you’re lugging all the photo gear up and down stadium steps all day.
I was brought here to work hard, though, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. I loved every second of it, even the crazy moments where it felt like I had to be in four places at once. After all, it’s a privilege to shoot for one of the biggest and most important tennis tournaments in the world, and to meet and work alongside some of the world’s most talented photojournalists that I’ve admired for a long time.
As I’ve recently said quite a bit, I’m making a big push this year to improve my video skills, and this tournament was a fantastic experience in conceiving a concept, shooting it, then editing it sensibly and concisely under tight deadlines. Just from the past two weeks, I feel a lot more confident in my abilities as a video journalist, and I’m proud of most of the pieces I produced. My videos and photos also landed me some nice bylines, included in both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.
Finally, and most importantly, it was wonderful to re-connect with old friends and colleagues, and to meet so many new ones. Over my whole career, I’ve been extremely lucky to work for and learn from the best in the business, and the BNP Paribas Open was no exception. I owe a huge thanks to Matt Van Tuinen and Jeff Watson, the MVTPR stars and masterminds behind the BNPPO media operations, for giving me this opportunity and for breaking me into unfamiliar territory. Also, thanks to the rest of our team – Nick McCarvel, Pete Holtermann, Fred Sidhu, and Craig Gabriel – for their creativity, tennis expertise, and help throughout the tournament.
Last but not least, thanks to you all for reading! Sorry I cluttered your news feeds with posts over the past two weeks. I’m off to find some breakfast.
Photos: BNP Paribas Open – Day 11.
We’ve arrived at the final days of the tournament, so here are the best photos from yesterday’s men’s semifinal matches and men’s and women’s doubles championships.
There was so much drama on court, which made for great emotion and energy. Today, we’ve got the men’s and women’s singles final, so be sure to check back for the winning photos!
Photos and Video: BNP Paribas Open – Day 10.








Here is a selection of photos from quarterfinal and semifinal action on the men’s and women’s side of the 2013 BNP Paribas Open. We’re deep into the tournament now, so at this point, the photos become more about emotion and reaction rather than straight about straight tennis action.
Additionally, I’ve posted a video from an incredibly unique opportunity I had to follow Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as they were escorted from the locker room to the court before their quarterfinal match two days ago.
What I love best about the work that I do is the experiences it allows for. These intimate moments before a sporting event of international interest are rarely seen, and it was incredible to witness that first hand. The entire journey took about three minutes, but it seemed to all happen so quickly. A memorable assignment for sure.
This video I shot and edited follows their journey.
More to come from all of today’s action!
Photos: BNP Paribas Open – Day 9.
A bit of a slower day yesterday, as Samantha Stosur and Victoria Azarenka, two of the hot tickets in the women’s draw, pulled out of the tournament due to injuries. Those developments left us with a bit of downtime, which was a nice change of pace from the constant grind this tournament has been so far.
It also gave me a chance to recuperate before the much anticipated match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Although the match didn’t turn out to be one of the classics like they’ve had so many times before, the energy in the stadium was still high and it was a lot of fun to shoot. More to come soon from that match.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy the photos!
Photos: BNP Paribas Open – Day 8.
Yesterday was one of those whirlwind days. One minute you’re running around the grounds shooting what seems like every match at the same time, and then the next you’re camped in the photo pits to shoot Nadal celebrating after an epic three-set match.
It’s that kind of up and down that make this job so great.
I don’t have much time to post, so the photos will have to do the talking here. Another huge day of tennis today!
Photos: BNP Paribas Open – Day 7.
Yesterday was another hectic, long, crazy day out here in California, but a great day nonetheless.
I had the pleasure of meeting NBA Hall of Famer, David Robinson, who, with his two sons, got to meet Jo-Wilfried Tsonga following his match. Also got to take in some good tennis throughout the day.
Enjoy the photos! Another big day today!
Photos: BNP Paribas Open – Day 6.
Yesterday was another packed day at the BNP Paribas Open. The draws are starting to thin out, so because I’ve got a bit more time with each match, I’m starting to mix things up and get some different angles and looks around court.
I also had the opportunity to shoot a private meet and greet with Roger Federer and Gladys Knight, the “Empress of Soul,” which was a little side adventure.
Another big day today. Enjoy the tennis!
Photos: BNP Paribas Open – Day 5.
I don’t have much time today, so I’m going to keep this post short. I shot lots of good tennis yesterday at the BNP Paribas Open, so here are some selects from the day.
Thanks for looking!
Photos and Video: BNP Paribas Open – Day 4.











I think this is the first time in my life that I’m actually sore from carrying photo gear and climbing stadium steps, and I’ve done a lot of that. Yesterday made for a crazy day, which included editing the video above and shooting photos at 13 different matches throughout the day.
It was a grind, but I had a blast doing it. If anything, it was a good leg and shoulder workout.
The video is similar to the WTA All-Access video I produced several days ago, but from the men’s side of the draw. It’s kind of a fun watch, if only to see the top five players in the world talk about each other.
As for the photos, I’ve posted a variety of action and features. It’s always a good challenge to mix things up while shooting tennis, particularly during the early rounds when you have so many matches to cover. For the first few days when you’re bouncing from court to court so quickly, it’s more about speed and efficiency rather than creativity. The above is a selection from the day.
Today is another big day! Enjoy!
Photos and Video: BNP Paribas Open – Day 3.





Day three was a crazy day for me, but I was able to shoot some pretty unique things. After editing video from the Player Party in the morning, I shot a Q&A with former World No. 1 and eight time Grand Slam champion, Jimmy Connors, which you’ll see up top.
The questions come from fans of the tournament on Facebook and Twitter, and Jimmy was great for the camera. I shot this quick hit on a Canon 7D DSLR and recorded with wireless lavaliers.
I then rushed over to the outskirts of the Indian Wells Tennis Center, where I shot stills at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new stadium that will be built and ready for play by next year’s tournament. Present at the ceremony were Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, and Victoria Azarenka. It’s difficult to screw up the photos when you have all those people in one place.
After that, I shot a Djokovic presser, and in the evening, a ceremony on the main stadium court honoring the military. I’m wiped, but I’m proud of all this content. We’re set for an exciting weekend of tennis.