Packers player Aaron Rodgers snaps Kelby’s monopod in half.
As we’ve learned from past interviews with sideline photographers, sports photography is all about being as close to the action as possible. That means if you want to get the incredible shots, you have to be willing to go right to the edge. For photographer Scott Kelby, however, a recent run-in with NFL QB Aaron Rodgers may have him keeping a closer eye on the game.
As he tells the story, Kelby was crouched in the end zone for the NFC championship game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, snapping photos of the players and chatting with his fellow photogs.
Then, on the Packers first drive of the game, the team found themselves driving into Bears’ territory. At just the 2 yard line, Rodgers dropped back for a pass, scrambled to his right and ran towards the end zone. He dove for the goal line … and slammed right into Kelby.
Fortunately, Kelby’s Nikon D3 and 400mm lens were unharmed, but the photographer’s monopod wasn’t so lucky — the $350 support pole snapped in half beneath the weight of Rodgers’ 6’2”, 220 lb frame. Anyone who’s played football can tell you — a great player always knows to “keep their head on a swivel.” Turns out this advice is useful in sports photography as well.
Kelby, however, took the whole accidental tackle debacle in stride and was able to keep shooting for the remainder of the game. And who knows, maybe he’ll get another chance to photograph Aaron Rodgers — the QB’s Green Bay Packers face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV on Sunday.
To read more about Kelby’s sideline adventure, and to see close-up images from the NFL’s front-lines, check out his blog.