I wrapped up my 4th year working with the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame Village with 6 full days of directing a media team and shooting the largest Enshrinement Week ever.
Since Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week was canceled due to the pandemic in 2020, both the 2020 and 2021 classes were inducted this year. These two Hall of Fame classes consisted of Harold Carmichael, Cliff Harris, Edgerrin James, Steve Atwater, Paul Tagliabue, Steve Hutchinson, Donnie Shell, Isaac Bruce, Jimbo Covert, Troy Polamalu, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher, Drew Pearson, Tom Flores, Peyton Manning, John Lynch, Calvin Johnson, Alan Faneca, Charles Woodson, and elected posthumously Bobby Dillon, Winston Hill, Alex Karras, Steve Sabol, Duke Slater, Mac Speedie, Ed Sprinkle, George Young, and Bill Nunn.
That massive lineup meant extending Hall of Fame Week from 5 days to 6 days and doubling up on multiple events to accommodate everything. There were two Red Carpet Walks, two Enshrinements, two Enshrinement Class Autograph Sessions, and double the number of videos, photos, and editing on the backend. We also had the Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame Game, the Concert for Legends featuring Brad Paisley, and multiple corporate and sponsorship events to cover.
One thing I enjoyed about having double the number of events was that it allowed us to try some different angles and have things dialed in a bit more than usual. In some cases, like the Red Carpet Walks, we essentially got two attempts at getting all of our shots and bases covered because the same Hall of Famers walked the red carpet both days. Things like that are rare in event photography.
The biggest challenge, however, was powering through 6 full days of team directing, coverage, and editing. Most music festivals I work for are between 2-4 days, and a normal year of Hall of Fame Week is a beefy 5-day event, but 6 full days is a different beast entirely. Overall, I'm exhausted, but I'm incredibly proud of my team!
