My coverage of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl FCA Breakfast

Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 2800, ƒ/5.6, 1/100

My morning started off early with the annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Fellowship of Christian Athlete's breakfast.

They had surprise guest of Heisman Trophy Winner Hershel Walker being interviewed by Ernie Johnson Jr. at the end of the event.

This year the event was moved to the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience.

Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 5000, ƒ/5.6, 1/100

For many this is a fun place to come in Atlanta. Seeing all the memorabilia was just an added bonus that the football fans loved in addition to hearing from the football legends.

Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 2800, ƒ/5.6, 1/100

The emcee for the event was Ernest Thorwald "Ernie" Johnson Jr. is a sportscaster for Turner Sports and CBS Sports. He also interviewed Dan Reeves.

Dan Reeves spent  23 years coaching for the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons. He played or coached in a record nine Super Bowls – five with the Dallas Cowboys, three with Denver and one with Atlanta. Prior to coaching, he also spent 16 years in the Cowboys organization – five as a player, three as a player/coach and eight as an assistant coach.

Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 4000, ƒ/5.6, 1/100

The keynote speaker was Benjamin Watson. In the 2005 AFC Divisional Game against the Denver Broncos, he made perhaps one of the most notable plays in NFL history, when he tackled Denver cornerback Champ Bailey one yard short of what would be a 101-yard interception off Tom Brady. Bailey intercepted the pass one yard inside of the Patriot end zone and proceeded 100 yards before Watson, the only Patriot within ten yards of Bailey, hit Bailey violently, knocking both the ball and Bailey out at the Denver 1-yard line. This play is of note due to the fact that Watson was on the other side of the field when Bailey made the play. He had to sprint an estimated 120-yards, run through a referee and never gave up in the chase.

My job this morning was to document the event. I got some overall shots to establish the location of the event and then also had tight shots of the speakers and everything in between.

I shot the event with what I use on the sidelines of the football field, because the distance to the speakers without standing right down in front of the lectern is a good distance away.

Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 5600, ƒ/5.6, 1/100

My tip for covering an event as this is to plan ahead. Which lenses will you need? Will you need a tripod or monopod? I used the monopod.

Take the time and think all through the event. If you can go early and scout the location.

Know the Purpose for Success

Dan Cathy, President of Chick-fil-A, enjoys playing in the Moo Cow Band at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast for the Chick-fil-A Bowl.  This is one sure way to be sure those in attendance were awake.  They are really good band and got everyone alert for the program. (Nikon D3S, ISO 12800, f/5.6, 1/125, 28-300mm)

If you don't know the purpose of an event for an organization, then your photos will not communicate what took place effectively. Why are they putting on the event and what do they hope to accomplish is what you should be asking yourself if not the client.

This is an event I covered this week and let me walk you through what they did and the purpose of the event.

Putting on a breakfast during the middle of the Chick-fil-A Bowl week is a daunting task. Each year the organizers work to create an event that will make each of the teams and the schools involved want to come, because it isn't a required event.

There is an art to event planning and those who put this event together each year plan throughout the year trying to find the right keynote speakers and other parts of the program so that the variety of the parts creates an overall enjoyable and memorable event.

Keynote speaker RV Brown takes the stage in a sports jacket.  He looks like a typical evangelist dressed like this. RV knows his audience and knows he has a very short time to get their attention. (Nikon D3S, ISO 12800, f/5.6, 1/400, 28-300mm)

We have seen the entertainers through the years that dress up to draw more attention.  Elton John had those wild glasses, KISS the rock band painted their faces and wore platform boots, David Bowie even wore makeup to get our attention.

All of those musicians also made it on the Radio long before MTV came about and emphasized even more the importance of the visual part of the performance to sell records. Later the ability to put together a total package of the audio and visual is so important that singers like Justin Bieber would launch their careers on YouTube.

RV Brown removed his jacket and revealed his guns. These were not gotten with steroids he said, they were done with weights, black-eye peas and cornbread. (Nikon D3S, ISO 12800, f/5.6, 1/400, 28-300mm)

RV knew that the room was filled with Auburn and Virginia football teams. They are all expected to eat healthy, lift weights and to get into the best possible physical shape to play the game. RV wanted to establish he too had not only been down their road, but continued to take care of himself.  He didn't say it but this helped him to overcome how some people right someone off as a "has been."

RV mixed humor with some life lessons that had the people laughing and crying by the end of his message.

RV Brown, Chelle (my daughter) and Charlie Ward. Chelle wanted a picture with the main speakers, which I enjoyed taking. Later on the ride home Chelle was talking about what each of them talked about. She knew which scriptures they used and was excited about their messages. (Nikon COOLPIX P7000, ISO 200, f/3.5, 1/30, Slow Curtain Flash)

I knew later after the event how well RV had done when my daughter is talking about the scripture references that he and Charlie Ward used in their talks.

Master of Ceremonies Ernie Johnson, Jr., Turner Sports inc., interviews Featured Guest Charlie Ward, 1993 Heisman Trophy Winner, Florida State at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Breakfast (Nikon D3S, ISO 12800, f/5.6, 1/500, 28-300mm)

Charlie Ward is a quite person who commands attention more from his actions than from his talk. To mix up the program they had Ernie Johnson from Turner Sports interview Charlie and together they helped tell Charlie's story and how God plays a role in his life.

Dorie Griggs, Chelle, Regina and Mike London enjoying catching up. (Nikon D3, ISO 6400, f/2.8, 1/60, 14-24mm)

We were excited about this year's teams. University of Virginia's head football coach is a close friend of my wife Dorie. When they were at University of Richmond together they met each other through FCA.

Dorie Griggs, Mike London and Jimmy Lyles when they were students at University of Richmond

Having Chick-fil-A sponsor the breakfast really helps the FCA. What is a nice surprise each year is that Truett Cathy makes it a point to be there for the event.

Truett Cathy stands up when they said he was here.  Everyone applauded for him as well. I think people like Truett as much as they like his food. (Nikon D3S, ISO 12800, f/5.6, 1/40, 28-300mm)

Don Perry and Truett Cathy (Nikon D3S, ISO 12800, f/5.6, 1/30, 28-300mm)

Ernie Johnson Jr. always closes the event with the presentation of the Gospel. This year was a very touching time for him. He lost his father who was his best friend. Later he almost lost his son.  He spent most of October in the hospital with his son who has muscle dystrophy and was suffering with pneumonia. He received a phone call while on the road working with the doctor asking permission to put a tube down Michael's throat. A matter of life or death.

Master of Ceremonies Ernie Johnson, Jr. closes the breakfast with presentation of the Gospel. (Nikon D3S, ISO 12800, f/5.6, 1/640, 28-300mm)

Johnson became a Christian late in life.  He remembers the date of December 10, 1997.  He says this is the date where he found a direction in his life. A year later his wife had a gift for him of a compass. It is to remind him of his decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ.

Ernie Johnson Jr. shares how the decision to follow Christ was very much like having a compass for his life. (Nikon D3S, ISO 12800, f/5.6, 1/400, 28-300mm)

If you have read this far and seen all the photos I hope you understand that the reason I put this here in my blog was two fold. First of all the most important thing in my life is my faith in Jesus.  Second I believe to be able to tell stories and capture those moments that show how much people with a faith in Christ are purpose driven you have to have walked with Jesus in your own life.

No matter the story you must be totally immersed within the story to engage the audience.

I will tell you the number one secret I have discovered in photographing people. My faith is in a God who loved us so much that he died for each one of us. He also taught us how to live. What I have learned through my walking with Jesus is that everyone is important.

If he was willing to die for all of us then each of us is worth getting to know. I spend my time listening and getting to know people and what I have discovered is for the most part I am truly blessed by each person I meet.

I hope my photos not only introduce you to the people I meet and their stories.  I believe I honor God by treating everyone with honor, dignity and respect.

Photos used by permission of Chick-fil-A