Working with Paul George of the LA Clippers
Last November, I had the opportunity to shoot Paul George of the LA Clippers at Baldwin Hills. Amazing that after all this time, I never spoke about this on any of my public accounts until now. I mean, shooting Paul George is a pretty damn cool gig. So why haven’t I spoken about it? I usually keep a tight lip about the commercial jobs that I’m working on. Obviously you need approval to get these images published, but commercial shoots are also not really about me, It’s about the clients. The shoots that I enjoy the most are the ones that I have creative control over, the ones that I create for myself, and my portfolio. However, I DO have a chance to talk about how these commercial shoots work and what the goal of the shoot is for the client. Also, how the hell did I end up on Baldwin Hills shooting Paul George?
No matter where you're from, you can be made here. pic.twitter.com/bJVcSP1QZ5
— ENDEMIC (@endemicesports) December 12, 2019
Endemic is a professional E-Sports organization involved in PubG, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and more. They have some of the best E-Sports players in the world on their teams. They also happen to sell some awesome merch, and Paul George, a gamer himself, is one of their owners. The release of their first clothing line, “The Endemic Collection,” was a collaboration between Endemic, ULT Sports (one of my clients), and myself.
Paul George // Endemic E-Sports
Shooting the advertising material for this campaign probably took about 30 minutes in total. ULT’s team put together the video and handled the audio recording. Shooting the photography part probably took about 5 minutes. It’s important to remember that someone like Paul’s time is extremely valuable. As a photographer, I need to get my images without a hitch, preferably in about 5 minutes or less. This requires scouting the location beforehand and getting the idea of the lighting. I don’t have time to decide that I don’t like the light, the first shot needs to work. Does it sound like a ton of pressure? Bet that it is, but I love it.
Paul George // Endemic E-Sports
The Endemic “Made in LA” hoodie is available here for $84.