No Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx For Me
September 03, 2008 by David Bergman
I got a pleasant surprise today when I received a congratulatory email from my friend, photographer Tim Zielenbach. The news was confirmed when I opened my mailbox and saw my photo on the cover of the new Sports Illustrated.
It’s an action photo from the Clemson – Alabama game that I shot on Saturday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Often the editors let the photographer know that they have the cover when the magazine closes on Monday night. But I didn’t hear from anyone this week and I actually felt like I had a lousy shoot. Shows what I know.
The cover story is about Alabama and college football’s Southeastern Conference. Coincidentally, two years ago I also had an action shot on the cover for another SEC story.
This is my seventh SI cover (not counting special issues), but it’s still pretty exciting news. My first one was five years ago this week. Four of the seven were college football photos.
I shot the Alabama game with the Nikon D3 and a 600 mm lens. My exposure settings were 1/800 of a second at F/4.0 (wide open on the 600) and a jaw-dropping ISO of 3200. The Georgia Dome is pretty dark and, since the game was at night, there was no extra light coming in through the translucent roof.
Unless I’m specifically shooting for a cover (which I wasn’t on Saturday), I generally leave my camera in the horizontal position. This photo was cropped into a vertical to fit the cover and held up incredibly well. The low-light ability of the D3 makes this photo possible. Images shot with cameras that were available even just a year ago would not have looked this good at 3200.
It’ll be interesting to see if the “SI jinx” affects Alabama. I don’t keep track, but I think it came into play with some of my other covers. If anyone wants to do the research, I’d love to know which of these “cursed” the team or player.
8/11/03 – Craig Krenzel / Ohio State
1/31/05 – Jeremiah Trotter / Philadelphia Eagles / NFC Championship
5/9/05 – Ben Wallace / Detroit Pistons / NBA Playoffs
11/28/05 – Joe Paterno / Penn State
10/16/06 – Tennessee football / SEC
1/22/07 – Drew Brees / New Orleans Saints
9/8/08 – Alabama football / SEC
If your favorite team was jinxed by my photo, remember that I don’t pick ‘em, I just shoot ‘em.
David,
Congrats again.. It was a pleasure meeting you. I have long admired your work. Hope to see you again this football season. Doug
Yeah, but I wanna see your UF cover next week when the Gators demolish the ‘Canes. Wish I was there, too. I hate you.
-DH
Congrats! The player sure looks like he’s jumping right out of the photo!
awesome! yay you! ps – i had a chance to go to the miami game this weekend – are you really going to be there? crap!
I saw it in the barbershop first thing this morning. I had no idea that it was shot at 3200 and cropped from a horizontal. It looks awesome!
Hi, what an amazing pic, it really pops of the cover, astonishing contrast and accuity for iso3200. I have a d300 and am trying to unjustify buying the d700 as I spent too much this year already, $10,000 give or take, pics like these are not helping. LOL. Brek
David: Yes, great photo. The SI jinx happens automatically and isn’t mysterious! Why is any team or athlete selected for the cover? Because they are the greatest at the time. Can any team or athlete STAY greatest forever? No, of course not. So inevitably they start to look not-as-good a bit later. Think of it as a perfect fruit or flower picked at the moment of most perfect ripeness or perfection — very soon after it loses its bloom. So it is with sports stars.
And you are living proof that the jinx doesn’t really apply! At least it doesn’t apply to you as a photographer! Keep those photos coming!
David Jenrette (Floridareview.org)
I pointed this cover out to my kids at the dinner table and said, “Wow, I bet that’s the new look of Nikon. What a great shot.” We discussed what made the image so impressive and postulated how rare it must be to get an unobstructed, head on view of a running back breaking through tacklers. Wonderful capture. So glad to find your blog!
Great pic.
Congrats man!
Kicking ass Berg!!! Now if I could only get my life in focus as sharp as your photography I would be in great shape.
right on man!!!
great work!
Congrats and props, Bud!!!! Good stuff, C/MON!!!!!!!!
Great photo, and congrats. Considering more recent events, I’d say emphatically that there is not SI cover jinx (re: Bama over UGA last weekend).
Also, Shana Tova!
Nice work DB!! Haven’t checked the site in a bit, but good to see you’re rocking this season!
I loved this cover so much, I had to research it online and found my way to this blog. And now I am compelled to leave a comment as well. Great, great shot and congrats on the cover.
Hi Dave,
I just wanted to say congrats. That is an awesome shot and achievement.
Joe
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