Super Bowl 50

Standing at the top of the Super Bowl 50 logo at my first Super Bowl happy as a clam

 

I was lucky enough to have worked my first Super Bowl this year. Also it was a pretty big one being Super Bowl 50 and all. Hopefully I can start my own streak and work the next 50-100 like the three legendary photographers Walter Iooss, John Biever and Mickey Palmer who have worked 1-50. If you are interested in their story Keepers of the Streak is an ESPN film about the four photographers who had covered 48 Super Bowls. Tony Tomsic missed his 49^th last year when he feel ill to a stroke or else he would be in the 50 crew as well.

The challenge that day was I didn’t have a sideline credential. I wasn’t too disappointed because I was just grateful to be there in the first place. All the events that I’ve shot in Levi’s stadium over this past year prepared me pretty well for that Sunday. Typically at concerts and the other events like the Winter Classic and Wrestelmania I would roam in the stands and look for wide stadium shots and fan interactions. So I knew my angles and how the light would fall across the stadium through out the day. With that in mind the 49ers crew divided up the stadium into quarters so that everything would be equally covered. I snagged a prime location in the endzone next to the video booth on the 400 level and went to town shooting with my CPS borrowed 200-400. After half time I moved down to the main concourse to get a little different angle.

I had a couple of good plays happen in front of me (the forced fumbled that turned into the first touchdown to name one). It comes down to a little bit of luck when you are up that high because my range wasn’t as long. Throughout the game I kept pinching myself thinking how surreal it was that I was working my first Super Bowl at 24 years old. I’m still pinching myself.

Click on the thumbnails below to see full screen images.

Cam Newton (1) drops back for a pass near the 50-yard line. The large Super 50 logo looms in the foreground

Fans enjoy the sun and pre game festivities in the converted parking lot into fan village

A Broncos fan checks out his face paint prior to the game

Austin Ginn got a photo of me in action pre game. I’m shooting some of the 49ers grounds crew who helped get the field in tip top shape. Also picture is the legendary George Toma (second from left in group). He has worked every Super Bowl as a member of the grounds crew

Demaryius Thomas (88) catches a pass during warm ups. I wish the light stayed like this all game

Lady Gaga sing the national anthem

Who doesn’t love a good flyover?

I really enjoyed this ladies earrings and hat combo

Von Miller (58) sacks Cam Newton (1) and forces the ball free. The Broncos recover the fumble for the first touchdown of the game

Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, sings their hit Paradise during halftime

Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars perform during the halftime show while the crowd holds up colorful cards that spell out “Believe in Love”

Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars perform during the halftime show while the crowd holds up colorful cards that spell out “Believe in Love”

Kony Ealy (94) sacks Peyton Manning (18) for the third time that night

Philly Brown (10) extends to catch a deep pass for 42-yards in the third quarter

View from the Levi’s 501 club as the sun us setting

DeMarcus Ware (94) lunges for a fumbled ball as Cam Newton (1) looks on. The fumbled helped squashed what little hope was left of a late Panthers comeback

Peyton Manning (18) and Clancy Barone, offensive line coach, embrace on the sidelines in the final minutes of the game knowing they had cemented their victory

Both teams along with media rush onto the field post game as confetti and fireworks fill the sky. The Denver Broncos are Super Bowl 50 champions

Peyton Manning (18) thanks the fans on stage post game and holds up the Vince Lombardi trophy in what is speculated to be his last rodeo

The Super Bowl grounds crew has a tradition that involves the rookie Super Bowl grounds crew members getting a surprise water bath at the end of the evening

The Levi’s stadium Super Bowl 50 photography crew post game on the award stage

To see more images from the game check out my website www.megwilliams.co

 

MLS All Star Game

Part of my Summer of Soccer was working for the MLS All Star Game because it was in Portland this year. The week leading up game was filled with appearances and events and everything soccer-tastic. Portland did not disappoint and Soccer City USA went all out for the week. Check out some of the events I covered as well as a couple photos from the All Star Game.

    

Summer of Soccer

I have officially dubbed the summer of 2014 the Summer of Soccer and the Fall of 2014 the Fall of Football. With that said I was going back and looking at some of the stuff that I shot for the Timbers and Thorns this summer and wanted to share it. I had a blast interning for Craig Mitchelldyer. He’s a great guy to work for, I’m really lucky I was able to this summer. The Timbers Army and The Rose City Riveters made each game exciting. Their passion for the sport and unrelenting enthusiasm really was a highlight from this summer. They reminded me why I love Portland so much. There is nothing like the people that make up that city.