My First Football Game
October 17, 2024
•Fresno
On Saturday, I photographed my first football game from the sidelines. You may know that I shoot for Bulldogs Vision, the media department for Fresno State Athletics. This past weekend, Washington State was in town for a preview at what will be a yearly matchup come 2026 when Fresno State joins the Pac 12. Kickoff was at 4 PM, but before that, I documented the activities in the tailgating area where you’ll always find a festive spirit.
The pregame activities included the band, of course, and also the Fresno State Dance Club all dressed in western style. It was, after all, the Boots and Buckles game. The parachutists concluded the activities before kickoff. Luckily, we had a sunny afternoon in which the two parachutists had great visibility of the stadium and landed right at midfield. The stands had not yet filled when the jumpers dropped in but soon, we were all ready to cheer on our Bulldogs.
After the coin toss, the teams took the field shortly after 4 PM. I was excited about getting my first shots of the game.
You know, I’ve followed football since the sixth grade. It started with a bet with a bully. He asked me if I was going for the Eagles or the Raiders in the Super Bowl. That was in January 1981, the 14th edition of the big game. I didn’t know what to respond to the bully because I knew nothing about the sport. Still, I responded, “The Raiders.” He came back with, “They suck!” I assumed that they were not as bad as he claimed given that the team made it to, apparently, the most important game of the season. He insisted on a bet. First it was ten dollars which was a lot of cash 43 years ago, especially for a sixth grader. Finally, I agreed to betting writing pens instead of money. Now, I was interested in my first football game and somehow figured out when the Super Bowl would be televised. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10, and the next day, I got a pen from that pushy bully in Mr. York’s sixth grade class.
Now, in 2024, I stood on the sideline of a football field, with a good understanding of the game and with my camera ready to shoot away. Wouldn’t you know it? I shot my first touchdown in the first quarter.
The Fresno State Bulldogs tied the score with this catch by Josiah Freeman over the Washington State defender. It was a marvelous way to start my first game ever on the sidelines. Up until 13 months ago, I would have not imagined my photographing football. I was not into shooting sports though I’ve always enjoyed being a spectator. Now, here I was, documenting a college game for the university.
One unexpected joy was the amount of walking I did around the field. One can shoot only from the 25 yard-line to the end zone on all sided of the field. The end zones are available too, for photography. As the teams advanced down the field, I had to move with the action though my maximum focal length was 400mm. Aside from the action on the field, capturing images of fans between plays was also part of my assignment. Fans add a great vibe to a series of football game photos.
Overall, I love my experience as an on-the-field photographer. It’s an exercise of technical photography skill and football knowledge. Anticipating what play may run is crucial for capturing good pictures. Still, I missed opportunities, but all photographers miss out on important plays because it’s impossible to be at the right spot at every moment of the game. Throw in there being a first-timer and one will miss a few more even when having good knowledge of the game and familiarity with one’s camera gear. Still, I am happy to have shot a quarterback sack when I noticed our defense showing blitz as I peeked over my viewfinder. I was in the right spot to capture it and fortunately, no referee or other player came between my camera and the developing play.
After the game, I was on a high for three days, going over plays, my positioning on the sideline, framing plays and anticipating the action better. I’m proud of my work for being the first time shooting this amazing sport. Now, I’m excited for the next game in town as it’ll be a triple shot: 1) homecoming, 2) blackout, 3) adding Ron Cox to the ring of honor. He’ll become the first defensive player to be honored in such a way. Indeed, it’ll be a special night on October 26th.
If you see me out there, say hello and I’ll be glad to snap a picture of you. In the meantime, I’ll continue to prepare in order to bring you more exciting images. For now, I’ll leave you with a few photos from the game. Go ‘Dogs!
Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave me a comment or ask a question below.
Marcos Dorado
Marcos is based in Fresno, CA, and his focus is portrait, fashion & sports. His photography and writing can be found in Fashion As Art Magazine, Blue Mountain Review and ArtScent Literary Journal, among other publications. Marcos is a member of Bulldogs Vision, the media department for Fresno State Athletics.
Feel free to message Marcos with your inquiries and follow on social media. Thank you.
Wonderful Photos my dear friend. During the time of our friendship. It’s been a privilege to see you developing your skills. Wishing you all the best in all your endeavors.