Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Photos of the Year: 2006-07

People always tell me I have the best seat in the house to watch Grizzlies games. I admit sitting under the basket is a great place to see the action, but in order to capture great images, there's a lot of preparation before the game, and anticipation during the game.

I arrive at the arena four hours before tip-off to begin my preparation. My usual game setup includes six cameras: four are used as remotes which I trigger from where I sit, and two are hand-held cameras. The remote cameras are positioned at the opposite end of the floor from where I sit aimed at the basket from different areas (i.e. behind the backboard glass, overhead in the catwalk, on the basketball stanchion, and on the floor with an assistant). They are all “synched” into the photo strobes (set up in the catwalk) and will trigger at the same time, so as to catch the action from one of the different angles.

Sometimes you can nail the same shot from all different sides. My hand-held cameras enable me to cover the action right in front of me, and also at the other end of the court. With this preparation I'm well suited to cover any and all action wherever it happens on the floor.

During the game I try to anticipate what the players will do in order to get positioned properly, but sometimes you need to just follow the action through your lens and trigger when the action is at its' peak! Here are some of my favorite shots from this season, including what I like about each one and why. I may have the best seat in the house, but it is still a job… although it's a job I love and look forward to each day.

View Photos of the Year


(article from grizzlies.com) http://www.nba.com/grizzlies

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Joe Murphy Photography Bio

I am freelance photographer specializing in sports action, portraiture, events, and currently the team photographer for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). I photograph all Memphis home games, off-court team functions and events, player, staff and dance team portraits and sponsorship photo shoots. I often travels to other NBA cities to shoot regular season games and NBA events including All-Star Weekend and the NBA Finals. My job also takes me to different parts of the world such as Brazil, Mexico and Europe covering the NBA’s presence around the globe. My images for the NBA can be found in such magazines as Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine as well as on posters, trading cards, and advertisements. I'm is also the official photographer for the FedexForum where I cover all concerts and events held at the venue.

I graduated from Widener University (Chester, PA) in 1992 with a B.A. in Media Studies (concentration in public relations and advertising). Initially, photography was a hobby, but after landing a job with NBA Entertainment, my hobby soon became a passion.

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