Al Tielemans' Favorite Shots

SI Staff | May 9, 2007

Al Tielemans' Favorite Shots /

Al Tielemans' Favorite Shots

Tielemans's take: ''This was Miami at Florida State in 2003. The day started out misty and deteriorated into a downpour, but the pictures that day were incredible. Every play was awash in water spray and players flying through the air. This particular play featured one of those hits that made the entire crowd gasp.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1D EF 300 f 2.8

Tielemans's take: ''Every once in a while the big story takes place in your hometown, which was the case in 2004, when Jameer Nelson and the St. Joe's Hawks were the talk of college basketball. We had a hard time getting our remote cameras to work at this game, and I finally ended up shooting with my two hand-held cameras. This play happened within 10 minutes of the opening tip.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1DS EF 28-70mm f. 2.8

Tielemans's take: ''Sam Hornish, Jr., was working on a house he was building in Ohio and the place was still empty. I pressed him for a better location to shoot and all he came up with was his old garage, which he felt was too messy. I convinced him to at least let me see it, and when I walked in I couldn't believe my eyes! One man's mess is another man's perfectly styled set.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1DS EF 28-70mm f 2.8

Tielemans's take: ''''Work to Ride'' is a program in Philly that gives inner-city kids a chance to play polo. It's far from a simple after-school program; the kids work their tails off all week for the chance to play on the weekends. Being away from the lights of the pro fields was a refreshing experience, and I carried moments like this home daily.'' Shot with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II EF14mm f 2.8

Tielemans's take: ''Because of the excessive demand for pictures of Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens together, the Eagles set up a photo day just for them. I was second to last of about a dozen sets, and even after all that time, the players still naturally hammed it up. Of course, after the Eagles' trip to the Super Bowl that season, you could say things sort of soured between these two.'' Shot with a Canon EOS DS EF 70-200mm f 2.8

Tielemans's take: ''When Tiger lined up his final putt of the 2005 Masters, his back was to me. The chances of him celebrating his victory in my direction were slim. Just moments before, after putting towards me, he missed what would have been the clinching shot at the same hole. It was a humbling reminder of the role that luck plays in this business. Anyway, on this putt, when the ball rolled into the cup, an amazing thing happened: Tiger turned right towards me and celebrated as only he can. The fickleness of luck cuts both ways.'' Shot with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II EF 400mm f 2.8L IS

Tielemans's take: ''Troy Polamalu was scheduled to be a cover, so I traveled to Pittsburgh to shoot this photo. Having seen him play, I expected a rowdy, loud personality. I was stunned to meet a very humble, soft-spoken gentleman. It took about 50 minutes, but much to the delight of the Steelers' PR staff, Troy really got into game character, yelling out loud to make this picture work.'' Shot with a Canon EOS 1DS EF 70-200 f 4.0

Tielemans's take: ''This was right after Super Bowl XL had ended -- it's Steelers lineman Marvel Smith kissing the Lombardi trophy. There are countless scenes like this on the field after every championship final, and it is always refreshing to photograph. It is a very personal moment when an athlete holds a concrete symbol of his achievements.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1D Mark II N EF 16-35mm f 2.8L

Tielemans's take: ''The challenge of the halfpipe is that you don't know where the jumps will be. I'd seen Shaun White practice and make two runs, so I picked a spot where I thought I could shoot two jumps coming at me, then one behind me with a wide lens showing the crowd below. As he approached the third jump, it was clear he was way too close to me. He soared right over me and I blindly framed my camera to get what I could. This wound up on the cover of SI.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1D Mark II N EF 16-35mm f 2.8L

Tielemans's take: ''LSU center Glen Davis supposedly had taken a dance class in his past, so my editors wanted him photographed dancing. In the days leading up to this shoot, I contacted the Baton Rouge ballet to find a location, and by chance I ended up on the phone with LSU's dance team instructor. She offered me her studio and her dance team. Turns out Davis had taken only one dance class -- and only to meet a girl -- but he was a natural.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1DS Mark II EF 24-70mm f 2.8L

Tielemans's take: ''Villanova's Kyle Lowry played suffocating defense -- all the time. During the first two rounds of the 2006 NCAA tournament, I literally spent both Villanova games keying on him because I felt he had a great picture in him. SI usually runs only unique shots from those rounds because there are so many games during opening weekend. I knew I had some leeway, and Lowry did not disappoint.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1DS Mark II EF 70-200 f 2.8 L IS

Tielemans's take: ''As part of the ''Where Are They Now'' issue, SI did a ''Where Will They Be'' section. I photographed then-high school sophomore Tyreke Evans dunking at his gym, but I quickly grew bored with the plain blue wall. So I asked Evans's friend to strike a defensive pose between the wall and the strobe to create this shadow.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1DS Mark II EF 70-400 f 4.0 L

Tielemans's take: ''Father's Day 2006. Phil Mickelson had the U.S. Open sewn up going to the last hole, but it fell apart in a hurry. He was all over the 18th, and when the reality of his collapse began to sink in, he brought his hands to his head. It was devastating to watch, but it really drove home exactly how difficult it is to win one of golf's majors.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1D Mark II N EF 70-200 f 2.8 L IS

Tielemans's take: ''I love my job, but I do get jaded watching all the events I attend. It takes something really special to get me emotionally involved. I do, however, maintain a soft spot in my heart for the Phillies. Photographing Ryan Howard last year made me feel like a kid again. Home runs make few pictures, so photographers prefer base runners and defensive plays. But the majesty and apparent purity of this was just way too much fun!'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1D Mark II N EF 70-200 f 2.8 L IS

Tielemans's take: ''On a cold October night last fall, Magglio Ordonez sent Detroit to baseball heaven with this walk-off, pennant-winning blast. There always is temptation to shoot tight in this situation, but the whole story was right there on the Comerica Stadium scoreboard. Playoff baseball is sports drama at its best, and photographing the victorious underdog is ultimately why I do this job.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1D Mark II N EF 16-35 f 2.8 L

Tielemans's take: ''Colts versus Chiefs. Trent Green got the worst of this sandwich as the Colts began their march to the Super Bowl. This is one of those frames you realize will be published while you are shooting it!'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1D Mark II N EF 400mm f 2.8 L IS

Webster.16x20-65.8.jpg — Al Tielemans/SI

Tielemans's take: ''This was Giants versus Phillies. I was staking out a high outfield angle over the top of Barry Bonds for a photo essay on outfielders crashing into the wall. But the game ran long and the shadows began to creep. Photographers always fantasize about pictures happening in great light. It is so rare when it happens like this.'' Shot with a Canon FD F1 camera and FD 400mm 2.8L

Tielemans's take: ''One night I went for a walk with my wife in our neighborhood. I saw one of the neighbor's kids shooting from this angle, but there was a car parked in the way. I asked if he could get it moved, but he said his mom wasn't home to move it. I let it go, not wanting to ruin the walk. When we got back he was waiting on my porch, panting. ''I got the car moved!'' he said. I got my camera.'' Shot with a Canon FD F1 camera and FD 85mm f 1.2 L

Tielemans's take: ''Photographing an adventure race between three of the Philippine Islands, I found myself with a day off (the team we were following was lost!). I hired a driver to take us into the hills to photograph the basketball frenzy that was supposedly taking place in the villages. Every village seemed built around a basketball court, and every home had a rim. It was the most fanatical devotion to one sport of any place I'd visited.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1N EF 80-200mm f 2.8 L

Tielemans's take: ''On my trip through the hills of Leyte, looking for pickup basketball games, I came across these kids playing a game of batak-batak. The kids line up their sandals and take turns trying to knock the sandals off the line. The people in the villages of the Philippine Islands of Leyte, Samar and Biliran had little in the way of material possessions. But they were the happiest people I've ever met.'' Shot with a Canon EOS-1N EF 80-200 f 2.8 L

Tielemans's take: ''There is nothing quite like photographing the truly great athletes. They elevate the play of the entire league by their presence. Michael Jordan was the perfect example. He set the standard for everyone while he played. The Sixers were a bad team at the time, but they always played the Bulls tough. Capturing pictures of Jordan was easy; he simply did not make bad pictures.'' Shot with an FD Canon T90 FD 28mm f 2.0

Published May 9, 2007

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