In late November I received a phone call on my cell while at work. Since I was unable to answer at the time it went to voice mail. Once I was able I checked the message and heard the following broken message "Hi this is Jen -------Sports Illustrated ----------Compton Football -------- email" Yeah it was pretty much broken up like that, but I was able to hear that an email was sent to me as well. So with that I checked my email to find the following.
"My name is Jen and I work in the Sports Illustrated photo department. I wanted to see if you have any photographs of Compton HS football player Kitam Hamm (2) from this year or last where he is running with the ball?"
I usually take my laptop to work with me and still had all of this years football pictures on it, so I took a look at the Lakewood vs Compton game and found quite a few shots of the player she was looking for. Now it was time to return the call. The call went pretty much how the email was. Jen was looking for a shot of Kitam Hamm running with the ball. She indicated he didn't see much game time this year and that I would more than likely have to check last years game. She was surprised when I told her I had several shots oh Hamm running with the ball from this years game. With that said Jen said she needed a shot of him for an artical they were putting together and gave me the details on possible layout and pay. I'm not going to discus pay as it suited both myself and Sports Illustrated. I then sent them several possible shots. After about a week I was informed that they would be using one of my shots for their December 5th issue, which is pictured below.
I just have to say getting a call from the assistant sports editor of Sports Illustrated is rather exciting for a simple sports shooter as myself. Now there is more to this story, but for me personally, getting published and credit in the biggest sports magazine in the nation is - well its freaking sweet.
My shot is the top right action shot of Hamm being pursued by Lakewood's defensive end #53 Jared Utupo.
And of course my credit, I think they used the smallest type possible for this one (LOL).
Now for the second part of the story. While this was going on I was asked by a local Long Beach paper (Gruion Gazette), which I contribute pictures to on a regular basis, to cover the Cal State Long Beach Men's Basketball game againsts BYU Hawaii. This would be my first college basketball game. It was while I was at the game when I found out the following.
As it turned out, Sports Illustrated contacted the Gazette asking about pictures of Compton Football player Hamm, for which they gave them my information. So that is how it all came back to me and getting a shot published in Sports Illustrated.
Now I cover Lakewood High Football and have been providing the Gazette with shots throughout the season, but this was my first front page shot in the Gazette, with a shot taken from my first college level basketball game.
