How do I decide what games to cover?

I get far more requests to cover games than I can possibly do, so it forces me to make some difficult decisions about which games to cover each day.

As you may know, I do sports photography mostly because I enjoy it. During school sports seasons, I often spend 25-30 hours per week taking, editing, and sharing photos. 

But I also have a full-time job, so I need to make decisions about the games that I take photographs at.

School sports

I try to cover most Bow High School varsity home games. When possible I will also mix in some junior varsity and middle school contests. That tends to be easier in the winter months when there are fewer overlapping home games — and much more challenging in the fall and spring when there are lots of simultaneous games happening on school fields.

I put special games – like Senior Nights – on my calendar as soon as I find out about them to make sure that I can be there for them if at all possible.

I try my best to get to at least one home game for each BHS and BMS school team each season.

For school teams that have all of their games/events outside of Bow, I will still try to get to at least one for each, but the logistics often make it challenging to do so.

Bow rec leagues

During the peak of school sports seasons, that’s often all that I can do since I have commitments for my “real” job. 

However, I will occasionally go to a local recreation league game. 

I will often go to special events for these leagues, like BYBS Opening Day and the BAC Basketball Tournament.

If a Season Pass member for the current season has a child playing, I will try to give those games priority.

After that, it’s really just a question of having the time (and energy!) to attend the game and then edit the photos afterwards.

Unfortunately, there are too many rec league teams in town for me to get to all of them since each game requires 60-90 minutes of editing time on top of the length of the game.

Other factors

I have relationships with some local media outlets and NH Sports Photography each of whom occasionally ask me to cover a game or event. I try to avoid conflicts with Bow Varsity home games, but that isn’t always possible.

Sometimes I may also seek to cover high school tournament games, even if Bow teams are not featured.

During off-peak times, I sometimes venture outside of Bow to capture a game I’m personally interested in or simply to find a fresh opportunity. For example, over the summer I often take photos at American Legion games outside of Bow.

Guaranteed coverage

While I’m happy to take requests and do my best to accommodate them when I can, the only way to guarantee that I will cover an event is to hire me to be there. 

For example, travel teams, non-Bow school teams, and private event hosts have paid for me to come to their games and provide photos.

I don’t have a lot of openings for these engagements (and it isn’t really my focus), but it is an option if there is a game you really would like to have me photograph.

Additional questions?

My wife, Jen, handles all of these requests and is happy to connect and let you know what might be possible. Just contact us to find out more.

This guide was last updated on August 14, 2023.