Here’s a shot from a US Sailing race: a windfoiler mid-turn, with the Queen Mary sitting quietly in the Long Beach harbor background.
Crop the photo to the Windfoiler and it’s a decent shot. Keep the Queen Mary in, and it’s not just someone windsurfing anymore. It’s the city with a hundred years of history parked right behind the action. It also happens to showcase the very city hosting many water sport venues for the LA28 Olympics. That is the job in one frame: the background telling half the story without saying a word.
I was in awe of the US Sailing team’s photographer out in the water getting some of the coolest up-close shots I’ve ever seen. But my job was event story for US Sailing and their corporate sponsor shooting from a yacht. Good background doesn't just show what happened. It shows where- and makes you wish you’d been there. That’s the part I care about: the experience, the branding, the full story. I also got to stay nice and dry in the process.
