This is Salt Lake Tribune Photographer Scott Sommerdorf. He taught me something pretty profound while I sat by him at the NCAA Elite 8. He was perched in the corner of the arena above the tunnel, quite a ways away from the contingent of photographers squatting down on the baseline under that basket. I made an offhand remark as I sat down, something like "What did you do to get banished clear up here?". I assumed there weren't enough places for him to be down with the privileged but that's odd since he's from the home-town newspaper. He answered that he had to beg them to be up there. I thought it was pretty odd that he'd WANT to be up away from the action when every other photographer was down close getting in the heat of the action.
(The mass of photographers down next to the basket.)
I hope I will remember his answer for a long time. He said, "All of those photographers will get basically the exact same shot. Some will time it better than others but for better or worse, mine will be different."
Amen, and thank you Scott.
He was also a really good guy. Check out some of his images from the tournament at the Salt Lake Tribune's site.
See more of my work at www.jonwoodbury.com
Posts
Scott Sommerdorf...that is about the closest I've ever heard to Sommerkorn...I had to do a double take (especially since I have a brother named Scott)
ReplyDeleteHe had a heck of a zoom!! Fun to see you live your dream. Jen and Torrey Harmon
ReplyDeleteYeah. Around here we call it lens envy.
ReplyDelete...and that is his SHORT zoom! He had a 400 2.8 as well for the far side of the court. That's some REAL lens envy!
ReplyDeleteJon, ... nice post. I'm glad you enjoyed our talk that day. Here are some of the best photos I made from that spot that day:
ReplyDeletehttp://utahphotojournalism.com/2010/03/butler-bulldogs-bracket-busting-brothas/
Cheers!
- Scott Sommerdorf