Boston Whitecaps vs. San Francisco Dogfish -- MLU 2013 Champions Teddy Browar-Jarus zeroes in on the disc just before getting the end zone D that led to the Whitecaps first break of the game.

 

When shooting any event, you have to be prepared for the unexpected.  And that moment came in the third quarter when Andrew Hagen of the Dogfish made an incredible catch between two Whitecaps flying in from opposite directions. The ensuing collision left a Whitecaps player on the ground with a serious-looking injury.

I was shaken by what I had seen through my lens.  When an injury such as this occurs, it can become difficult to bridge the gap between the personal relationships we have with the athletes on the field and our roles as photographers covering the event.

With a lump in my throat, I recognized the player on the ground as MLU and Whitecaps star Jeff Graham.  I have known Jeff since his mixed club team, the Ghosts, competed at the Chesapeake Invite; he is not only a phenomenal player, but is very friendly and approachable off the field. My thoughts leapt to his parents. I had just chatted with his father earlier that afternoon, joking that if the team bus was late, we’d have to suit up and start for the Whitecaps. I could only imagine what they were feeling in the stands.

I thought about the teammates who never left his side, and the rest who were visibly upset.  And I was thinking about the league.  The MLU, in its inaugural championship game, was facing what could be a league-defining moment from a freak collision on the field.  It seemed patently unfair that the worst-looking injury I had ever seen in 17 years of playing and watching Ultimate would occur during this historic moment.

But also racing through my mind was a classic photographer’s debate: “Should I lift my camera and take a picture?”  Out of respect for the injured player, I wanted to keep my camera lowered, but a photographer’s role is to document the event in its entirety.  Photojournalists might have a different filter on what’s acceptable than event photographers, but ultimately, we all face an ethical decision on what to post. I made the decision that I wasn’t going to post a photo of Jeff lying on the ground in those circumstances.

But the photographer in me wanted to capture the larger story in as tasteful a way as possible. I didn’t want to regret missing an image that could be the silver lining in a situation like this. And I really hoped for Jeff’s sake that there would be such an opportunity.  Thankfully, the chance came as the medical staff raised the stretcher and Jeff raised a thumb in the air to indicate that he was okay. I took a photo of the moment and breathed a sigh of relief.      Only later did I notice that this image was a tale of two Jeffs.  On the left side of the frame is Jeff Snader, a respected coach before becoming the league commissioner.  He was at Jeff Graham’s side the entire time.  In the image you can’t see his eyes, because for just the briefest of moments, he has let his guard down, holding his head in his hand as a mixture of relief and lingering concern washes over him when the other Jeff raises a thumb in the air.

Boston Whitecaps vs. San Francisco Dogfish -- MLU 2013 Champions Jeff Graham gives the thumbs up to the crowd.

 

This story has a happy conclusion. We were glad to hear at the post-game party that Jeff was itching to get out of the hospital to join the celebrations.  And when he did arrive, he walked in as the captain of MLU’s first championship team.

Boston Whitecaps vs. San Francisco Dogfish -- MLU 2013 Champions Timing is not just for game action – this is my favorite image from the post-game celebration.