Chavez Ravine (1984-1985)
I couldn't wipe the smile off my face if I had wanted to as I walked onto the sun splashed field, media credential in hand, to photograph batting practice at Dodger Stadium. Baseball had always been one of my favorite spectator sports, and I was excited to be photographing my first professional game. Within minutes of my feet touching down on the infield grass I was shooting, and then chatting with pitching phenom Fernando Valenzuela. With a grin on his face, Fernando put his arm over my shoulder and I shot a self portrait of the both of us together. I was on Cloud 9!
The Los Angeles Dodgers were a classy and welcoming organization, and shooting at Chavez Ravine’s Dodger Stadium was always a special treat. Over the loud speakers I would hear the soothing, ever-present voice of hall of fame announcer, Vin Scully, and it was great being around the Dodgers friendly and outgoing manager, Tommy Lasorda, who's locker room office I often ended up in after games, photographing him as he held court for the rapt media. Shooting the Dodgers was my education into how to photograph the game of baseball; which lens to use in certain situations, where best to position myself on the field, and how to circumvent the pitfalls of dealing with the players and management.
Three years after taking that self-portrait with Fernando Valenzuela, I moved from shooting in the sun-lit splashed, carefree environment of Dodger Stadium, to the rough and tumble New England world of photographing baseball at Boston's Fenway Park.
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