Mike
I am a freelance sports and travel photographer based in Louisville, KY USA. While I have participated in a number of photo genres, my principal focuses are sports and travel.
My sports photos range from juniors to Division I college. Most of my travel photos currently are from the US midwest and northwest. I also feature a number of photos from my travels in Europe.
Although I dabbled in photography a bit in high school, I really didn't get significantly involved until about nine years ago. Since that time, however, I have formed a real love of making photos.
My transition to sports photography was helped after the pandemic forced the sports administration department of the university where I taught to lay off several photographers. I was happy to step in to help where I could and gain valuable experience along the way.
Before moving to Louisville, Kentucky, I lived for many years in the Boise, Idaho area. Therefore, my collections include photos from that area as well.
I am now retired, which has helped free up my time for photography.
My Photo Gear
My primary camera is a Nikon Z8. I have been a Nikon shooter from the start of my photo journey and I continue to be happy with the brand.
For sports, my primary lens is a Nikon Z 70-200 mm f/2.8. I also use a Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 on occasion for sports.
For everyday walk-around use and for travel, I have a Nikon Z 24-200mm. While not quite as sharp as the previous two lenses, it allows me to capture a wide range with just one lens.
My Photo Editing Equipment
A significant part of any photographic vocation is photo editing. While it’s a great idea to be able to use photos straight out of the camera, in real life, that’s not always practical.
It’s the difference between ‘taking pictures’ - also called snapshots - and ‘making pictures.’ The latter usually requires some editing such as cropping, straightening, and exposure correction.
The photo shows my current editing setup. From left to right, I use:
MSI 4K secondary monitor
Apple 5K Studio Display primary monitor
Apple Mac mini with QwiizLab Entender on top
Apple iPad in Universal Control mode
On the desktop are a Wacom editing tablet and a standard Apple keyboard and mouse.
And yes, that’s a small hotplate on the right to keep my coffee cup warm.
My Photo Studio
Most of my photo work is on location, either at a travel venue or at a sports event. However, I am fortunate to have enough room in my house to maintain a small studio.
I’ve used this studio for a few portraits of friends and I also get photos of my grandson in his various sports uniforms each year.
I’ve also used the studio for macro photography and for some stock photo shoots.
The current setup consists of:
Two Godox 34 inch soft boxes mounted on Neewer wall mounts. I find these are better for a small studio - mine is 13’ wide - than having several stands on the floor. They can be adjusted from ceiling height to nearly touching the floor, and at various angles. They also fold against the wall for storage.
Two Godoz MS20-V studio flashes, one in each soft box. For a long time, I used speed lights in the soft boxes but I got a great deal on these two units and they perform a little better. They are more powerful than speed lights and operate on 120v power.
An additional Godox 34 inch soft box mounted on an Impact air-cushioned light stand in the left rear of the photo. This box contains a Neewer MS150B video light. I use this for stock videos and I’m starting to make more informational videos, although I haven’t released any yet.
The tripod is a Vanguard VEO 265ab with a Platyball Ergo ball head mounted for holding the camera during studio shots.
The background is a nine-foot roll of white seamless paper. I can also pull over a blue velvet background for portraits or a green background for video cutouts.
Finally, the closet at the right rear holds several accessories.
