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Posts Tagged ‘football’

Photography, Portrait, Sports | 0 comment

Mike Curtis

Mike Curtis ©TimeLine Media

Football Player / Ballroom Dancer

Last month, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Mike Curtis. Before I knew of his history on the football field, I knew him as a ballroom dance student! We were studio mates at the Arthur Murray in Tysons, Virginia. Not until I stumbled on a film recalling Superbowl III did I know of his previous profession.

Copyright TimeLine Media, LLC

Mike was a linebacker for the Baltimore Colts. During his successful career, he played in two Superbowls Championship games. However, he only won one of them. Undeniably, the loss to the Jets was a compelling story for NFL history. Because it was before my time, I only knew the story of the winners. Hearing Mike tell the side from the Colts was really interesting.

For this shoot, the managers of the Arthur Murray studios asked if I could make some photos of Mike. At that time, ‘Dancing with the Stars’ was a popular TV series with football players as regular contestants. Moreover, Mike was campaigning to be entered into the football hall of fame. So this shoot was a good collaboration for everyone. He was without a doubt, the most famous person I had photographed in my fledgling photography career.

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Mike’s instructors were very happy to join him in the photos. While it may be true he was a beast on the field, he was gentle around the dance floor. We would seem him week after week, and sometimes at the big events. It was quite the contrast to see a football player that enjoyed dancing so much. Thank you for the photos, Mike, and condolences to your family.

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Personal, Photography, Sports | 0 comment

Goals and Reaching the Top – Super Sunday

What is your goal?

Today is the last day for American football fans around the world to see teams compete on the field. It is clearly defined after a 7-month season which teams overcame the most obstacles to win. After today a best team will be crowned champion, and they will enjoy that feeling for the next 6 months before they start a new season. This clear black and white demarcation of sports defines the parameters, and gives the competitors the ultimate goal for which they strive to accomplish.

American professional football player

Benchmarks

What trophy, status, or accomplishment would define you at your best? Luckily as entrepreneurs, we define that for ourselves. It is one of the lessons I have learned as I continue to work as a photographer. There are those that make more money, or shoot cooler assignments. Are projecting what they want us to see? Maybe they have the same insecurities as you. Maybe they have set different goals for themselves at different rates or times. This is very personal and unique to each individual, so it would be impossible to know. 

Parade of colonial patriots

Parade of colonial patriots

Going Forward

Do i pretend to know that this is the case for everyone? Of course not. But in talking with other photographers and business owners, this is a hot topic of discussion. Watching any documentary on championship sports teams, you will see that it is not a straightforward, walk-in-the-park for them either even during a Championship run! You may think this discouraging that even the best team did not have an easy road. However, it is comforting knowing that I share the same feeling as I find my way. There are ups and downs, but having photos to review over time, i can see my progress, and I am more than proud of what i have done. Considering I have come from making my own assignments to now being more choosy on what jobs I take, i am satisfied with what I have done so far. Now, I just continue the hunt for more challenging assignments, more visionary collaborators, and happy clients!

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Family, Personal, Photography | 0 comment

Choices

©TimeLine Media - cake with icing

Happy rxbywhgrth birthday to my wife today! She has always been a supporter of my endeavors, and I have been much more successful because of her. We have make a good team, and looking back, we have accomplished much when we make a goal and work for it. Putting it in writing makes it seem more cold and thought out than how it actually happened. But our choices have gotten us to where we are today, and I am so lucky that she chose me to walk through life with her. The photos in the post are a few of her favorite things.

Professional Football

©TimeLine Media - Redskins players at practice
©TimeLine Media – Redskins players at practice

For my photography, she has helped me work out so much of my business practices. We teamed up to start photographing ballroom dance events, and we had to work out so much of back end of how to do this better than what we had experienced as guests. We tried things that worked, and attempted things that did not work. With every event I have done, she has been there to keep everything organized, and make sure I stayed refreshed over long weekends.

Baking

©TimeLine Media - cake with icing
©TimeLine Media – cake with icing

When we have done especially well, she has been quick to note how we have progressed. She remembers things in great detail to we can repeat, or make the good things even better the next time. It is constantly improving, and it has really kept me going. If I was doing this on my own, I probably would have burned out by now. But she has been a great sound board for my ideas, and she implements her ideas for helping customers get their images. Working with her in this way has made me appreciate her gifts much more than if we were both working jobs that were independent of each other. It is not the an easy task to photograph events the way that we do, but neither is anything worth doing.

Happy Birthday, baby! Can you download this card for me?

©TimeLine Media - Casey on film
©TimeLine Media – Casey on film

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

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