I love sports. I would love to have the opportunity to photograph the Chicago White Sox, Cubs, Bulls or Bears in action. Or even take their portraits. But in reality…I rarely put on the sports photographer cap. But a friend of mine, Bob Davis, let me know about an amateur boxing fight night happening at The Standard Club in Chicago. It was tough to imagine a boxing ring inside such a luxurious place as the Standard Club…but it has been a tradition of theirs for years. So I happily jumped at a chance to try my hand at being a sports photographer for a night-
And boxing was a tough assignment! Though I had full access…the speed of the punches and the low light conditions made for a challenging environment. I kept imagining what it must have been like to be a sports photographer back in the day…ringside as Muhammad Ali tore up opponents.
And to think…THEY DID THIS ON FILM! So to all you sports photographers who have shot on film…I tip my cap to you. I can’t imagine what it must have been like.
Amateur boxing night at The Standard Club turned out to be a great event. Chicago boxer Lee Roy Murphy, a former Light Heavyweight National Gold Glove winner, was the guest of honor-
I love the look in his eyes-
Favorite photo of the night-
Yes…this very room at the Standard Club hosts wedding ceremonies, receptions, and…once a year, amateur boxing night.
I hope you enjoyed something a little different than weddings and engagement photos- it was definitely refreshing to shoot something different…and to grow a greater appreciation for those sports photographers who have gone before me-
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