Kentucky Derby Photography for NBC

This post is dedicated to Kim.  Thank you.

Victor Espinoza and California Chrome, Louisville Kentucky wishes you the best at Belmont!  Bring home the triple crown!

Kentucky Derby Jockey Project

On March 31st, I received an email inquiring about my availability and interest in photographing the Kentucky Derby for NBC.  After I picked myself off of the floor and put my heart back in my chest, I replied as calmly and professionally as I could.  I received a reply and things started to take shape.  I would be commissioned to:

1) Take creative portraits of the jockeys competing in the Kentucky Derby.
2) Document the story of the Kentucky Derby from the jockey's perspective.

So on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I spent hours getting to know the jockeys, spending time in their quarters and shooting my heart out.  I worked alongside an amazing group of creatives at NBC.  I met and photographed people that are the fabric of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby.  Needless to say, it was an experience I will never forget. 

What follows is a collection of jockey portraits from part one of my commission.  Art is so subjective.  I really don't know if these images are all that good.  I do know that when I took these images, I had a strong sense that I was a part of something bigger than myself.  A part of something important.  Kentucky is an amazing state.  America has a beautiful heritage.  The men and women who ride the Kentucky Derby honor both of those things in a profound way.