An acclaimed master of action sports, Ron Vesely’s iconic images of pro baseball and football define the moments we remember.
A Chicago-based photographer who’s specialized in sports action and portrait photography for more than three decades, Ron Vesely is the official photographer of his home team, the Chicago White Sox, an association that goes back to 1985. His roster of household name clients includes Major League Baseball Photos, Wilson Sporting Goods, Proven4, and Sports Illustrated, and his images have appeared in such prestigious publications as ESPN Magazine, Time, Life, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Inside Sports, Sport Magazine, TV Guide, and American Iron. Over the course of his illustrious career, he’s covered 24 World Series and 11 Super Bowls. We had the privilege of interviewing Ron about how he came to be one of America’s top sports photographers, what motivates him, what equipment and working methods he uses, and how he sees his mission and achievements. Here’s his amazing story.
Q: How would you describe your photography? What is your mission or what are you trying to achieve in general terms with your sports photography?
A: I like to consider myself a “visual historian” when it comes to how I approach covering baseball (or any sport, actually). This mindset was never more apparent or valuable to me than when the White Sox won the World Series. I was quite aware that my work would be the visual link to that historic year, then and 100 years from now. I also keep in mind that many of the photos I shoot as keepsakes for guests at White Sox games are exactly that—keepsakes. That’s why I always try to make each frame special.
Q: Were you a serious enthusiast before becoming a pro? What made you decide to go pro?
A: Perfectly worded. That’s exactly how I got started. I decided to go pro when I realized that to compete with the pros, you needed equipment like “a pro”. And the only way to deduct that expense of purchasing the pro gear was to make it a business and attempt to make a profit (and eventually a living) doing what I loved to do. The business was much different then. There were so many outlets for my photography (magazines, baseball cards, poster companies, athletic apparel companies) that once I put together a solid portfolio, I couldn’t shoot enough. And of course, since we shot primarily color slides back in the day, your literally couldn’t have enough material. Nobody wanted dupes. There was no such thing as “copy the digital image.”
Q: What equipment do you currently use in your work?
A: I’m a Nikon guy—D4’s primarily right now. My go to lenses are the 200-400mm f/4 and 500mm f.4 (great baseball lenses) as well as my other fave, the 14-24mm f/2.8. I love either long glass or shooting up close—the 14-24 is sharp edge to edge and I love it. My 24-70mm f 2.8 is also a workhorse for my daily stuff. Add Nikon SB-800 and 900 strobes and I’m good to go. For studio work, I recently converted to Paul Buff strobes and accessories, and I couldn’t be happier. Great lighting, lightweight kits…
Q: When did you first become interested in photography as a mode of expression, an art form, or as a profession?
A: I liked to photograph trains as a kid, using a Kodak box camera. Then came baseball after high school. I won a fan photo contest with the White Sox back in 1980, and after that I began to believe I had some talent—Hah!
Q: Did you have any formal education in photography, with a mentor, or were you self-taught? Was there a photographer or type of photography that influenced your work or inspired you?
A: I’m basically self-taught. I did study the work of pros I respected, photographers such as Walter Iooss, Chuck Solomon, Rich Pilling and John McDonough. I knew their published work had to be what editors liked, so I studied those photos to determine what made them work.
Q: Is there anything you can say about the equipment you presently rely on, such as how or why it helps you capture images your style and to a high standard?
A: I started my career with Nikon, and switched to Canon when the EOS-1 introduced autofocus technology (my eyes were starting to get a little iffy back then—autofocus rescued my career-:) I went back to Nikon in 2007 when they introduced what I consider one of the game changers in the photography world (particularly sports), the D3. I love my Nikon equipment! The D3 and lenses truly made me a better photographer. The 200-400mm, for example, revolutionized sports photography. I’ve made more key images with that lens than I could have ever made previously.
Q: What approach do you take with your photography or what is your guiding principle?
A: You’re only as good as your last image. Don’t rest on yesterday’s laurels. I always look over my take and look first for what I could do better before I look at what I did right. That’s how you evolve.
Q: You obviously have a special affinity for baseball. What is it about the sport you find so inspiring?
A: Some people think baseball is boring but I think it’s fascinating because situations change from pitch to pitch and the pitcher has to continually adjust to the batter and vice versa in the duel between offense and defense. All these intricacies add interest as a photographer because you get to play the game yourself—you’re in the game. To make great baseball pictures you have to know the game, and be totally aware of the changing dynamics. It’s quite challenging and interesting and you pick up many little nuances over the years. Great baseball moments are few and far between and they come without warning so you have to be on your toes and in good spot to capture that magic moment.
Also, there are certain key elements almost always present in the work of great sports photojournalists: If a guy is flying though the air you want to see the ball or some kind of impact. Great light is always important since composition in action sports is often a matter of luck. I can look at a contact sheet or portfolio and the images that work are obvious—they stand out because the capture emotion, great action, and impact. A picture should stand on its own without comment or having to explain it. When I go out I make sure to put myself in a unique position, ideally where other photographers aren’t, or shoot from an unconventional angle or location. I follow my instincts and let the light and the shadows direct me to the right spot. To take memorable sports photos you have to take risks, because without risk there is no reward.
Q: Can you tell us something about your portraits of baseball guys?
A: I’ve been covering baseball for 31 years, and you get to know some players better than others. To get the image labeled Louisville Slugger, I started at 5 AM, and got to know their personalities a little bit. It rained most of the day, and the sun started to come out at 3:30 PM, so I asked my assistant to get the lights out. I got down low to emphasize his strength and power and to bring out the bat against the clouds in the blue sky. I used Paul Buff strip banks with waffle grid to direct light on either side, a hexagonal fill light off to the left plus, with the sun as my backlight. Basically, it’s an outdoor studio portrait. I shot it with the 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens because the client needed enough space to drop in type, but this is close to the full frame.
Joe Crede: You can’t get a shot like this unless you’re really into the game. I knew the batter had a tendency to pull the ball so I knew I had to key in on Joe because there was a good chance of the ball being hit to him. It’s risk-reward. I used the 400mm f/2.8 Nikkor and the exposure was 1/2000 sec at f/2.8.
Juan Pierre sliding home: I went to the top level of the ballpark, the highest point behind plate in the upper deck, to get a different perspective for this shot. Most often nothing happens nothing happened, but in this case, I got a tremendous composition that worked perfectly. You can’t get a shot like this from field level position.
A.J. Pierzynski of the Chicago White Sox collides with catcher Michael Barrett of the Chicago Cubs during the game at U.S. Cellular Field on May 20, 2006. This incident led to a bench-clearing brawl and fistfight.
Chicago White Sox head for the clubhouse after morning practice at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. This picture says baseball—it captures what it’s really like to be a player. You’ve got to work with the light that you have, and noon light is terrible, but not if you make a silhouette using a tunnel. I took a number of shots but this is the one, with the 3 guys walking in perfect step and not blocking each other.
Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox, our franchise pitcher one of the best pitchers in baseball, poses for a portrait during White Sox photo day on February 27, 2016 at Camelback Ranch in Glendale Arizona. This fine art portrait is the lead shot on my site. I converted it into B&W I really like it. I used the 24-70mm lens and a strip bank light and killed the fill to increase the drama. When things get intense, I just do my thing. I don’t overthink it, but tune out the distractions and let my instincts take over. Being prepared lets you act appropriately.
Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after the Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates to advance to the National League Championship Series on October 10, 2013 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. This image screams the emotion of winning. I keyed in on him knowing that he might react and what helps make that shot is the 3rd baseman pumping his fist in background. Pure joy.
Over the last 30+ years, I’ve been singularly honored, having photographed 24 Worlds Series and being a visual historian of the game. When people look back 5,10,or 50 years from now I’m gratified that I’m partially responsible for preserving moments in sports people can look back on. It’s a hard business but I must be doing something right to have done it for so long. Part of that success comes from the fact that clients expect you to be a good photographer but it’s really what you do beyond that makes you stand out—being dependable, delivering work on time, and being able to work to a high standard on your own with very little guidance. They may seem pedestrian compared to the feats of great athletes but those are the things the thing that really define success in this challenging field.
Q: Where can people go if they want to see more of your images or learn more about you?
A: www.vesphoto.com is my website. I also pen a blog at www.vesphoto.net and I’m on Instagram as @TheOriginalVes.
