First UFL Game = First Commercial Gig

I was lucky to fall into my first commercial gig...or so I thought. I have never shot football before and being the first game of the UFL history, I was pretty nervous. Mark continued to reassure me to relax and that he would coach me through my first game. However the second I stepped foot into the media room, I was swept away to another room with a long list of things, I mean logos and corporate sponsors I needed to shoot.

I was given two different directions from different people and was very overwhelmed running around Sam Boyd Stadium. I wouldn't say a chicken with her head cut off, but more like a chicken trying to figure which direction the ball was moving...OK with my head cut off, in a huge yellow dress/vest.

Photo by Mark Rebilas

Direction # 1
LOGOS! LOGOS! LOGOS! All gear and uniforms.

I was also informed that on the home teams helmets, where it reads Riddell, it was going to be replaced by the featured sponsors name. Try shooting this in action with a 600mm.

Direction # 2
Shoot action with sponsors logos in the background...that were LED banners...and blinked...

These shots are also a great example of how empty the stand were.

Talk about being challenged and bored.

Informed that I wasn not to shoot regular football shots and to focus on the sponsors, I was sad to not get too much action. Although running the bleachers when I get a phone call that I needed to get a shot of the UFL Commissioner ASAP was tons of fun! If only I have an off camera flash handy.

And of course of some key people to make the UFL and the game happen.