In late 2021, I refocused my effort, purchased professional photography gear and started sharpening my skills to continue pursuing my dream. I started asking local high schools’ permission to photograph any sporting events, providing photo galleries for students and parents to enjoy in return for access. After several months of resharpening my skills, I applied for and was approved to be a photographer for CBS MaxPreps, posting my first gallery on December 5th, 2022. I immediately started photographing as many high school sporting events as possible resulting in over 150 galleries being posted in only eleven months.

In September 2023, I felt I had enough experience to start expanding beyond high school sports and cover some local college football games. I started requesting credentials to photograph college football games starting with a with local Division 3 university.  Following each game, I edited and provided the link to the photos to each school and then requested credentials to photograph the next level for the following weekend.  Three weeks after starting down this path I was fortune to have been given access and photographed a D3, D2, D1AA football game.  I reached out to UNC Chapel Hill and requested credentials to photograph their Military Appreciation Day game against Campbell University on November 4th, 2023.  This game was significant since my youngest son, also a military vet, had recently left the military and was attending Campbell Law school. Upon receiving the news that I was granted credentials to the UNC Chapel Hill game I realized I was one rung away from achieving my dream of photographing my favorite NFL team.  I reached out to the Carolina Panthers and humbly requested permission to photograph their Salute to Service game on November 5th, against the Indianapolis Colts.  The following day I received an email from the team photographer and after a brief conversation heard the words, I thought I would never hear, “The Carolina Panthers would love to have you on the side lines photographing the game”.  The next four weekends I photographed two additional D2’s and two D1’s to maintain and hone my skills in preparation for the big day.

Following the UNC Chapel Hill game, I departed for Charlotte arriving late in the evening.  Once at the hotel, I layed out the equipment and started recharging batteries, cleaning equipment and packing / repacking my bag.  I started mentally preparing, making a list of photographs I wanted to leave with.  This list included photographs of the tunnel leading to the field, the stadium from different angles as well as the field from the stands.  While I wanted story telling photographs I was not going to let those distract me from my main goal of photographing the players.  I planned to be on the field early enough to capture the players entering the field for no pads warm-up as well as warm-ups with pads followed by the game.  High on my list was to conduct a recon of the path behind the benches to ensure I can get around without getting in anyone’s way.  Equipment was ready and the plan in place, it was time to get some much-needed sleep and get ready for the big day.