Olympic gold medalist gymnasts Simone Biles and Suni Lee recently traded their leotards for professional camera equipment, stepping into the challenging world of NFL sports photography during week 17 of the football season. The two athletes, who have spent years performing under intense pressure on the world stage, applied their competitive mindset to capturing fast-paced football action from the sidelines. Their foray into sports photography represents a growing trend of professional athletes exploring visual storytelling, bringing their unique understanding of athletic movement and peak performance to a different kind of competition.
Suni Lee, who represents Minnesota in international competition, returned to her home state to photograph the Minnesota Vikings' Christmas Day matchup against the Detroit Lions. Equipped with Sony's lightning-fast a9 III camera and G Master lenses, Lee documented not only the on-field action but also the halftime entertainment featuring Snoop Dogg, Lainey Wilson, Huntrix, and the operatic father-son duo Andrea and Matteo Bocelli. The NFL highlighted her work on social media platforms, showcasing how the Olympic champion applied her artistic eye to the gridiron. Her experience as a photographed athlete herself likely informed her perspective as she captured moments of triumph and struggle from the other side of the lens.
Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history with eleven Olympic medals, took her turn photographing the Sunday Night Football clash between the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California. Using Sony's high-resolution a7R V camera, Biles focused much of her attention on her husband, Jonathan Owens, who plays safety for the Bears. The NFL shared several of her images on Instagram, revealing how Biles captured intimate moments of her husband's performance that only someone with a personal connection could anticipate. Her photographs demonstrated an athlete's understanding of body positioning, timing, and the emotional intensity of professional sports.
The collaboration between the NFL and Sony to place these cameras in the hands of Olympic champions serves multiple purposes, combining genuine creative opportunity with strategic marketing. While the league benefits from the star power and social media reach of athletes like Biles and Lee, the gymnasts gain access to top-tier equipment and a new form of artistic expression. The NFL has a history of inviting celebrities and athletes to try sports photography, recognizing that their fresh perspectives can produce compelling content while inspiring fans to explore photography themselves. The choice of Sony Alpha cameras also highlights the brand's continued push to establish itself in the professional sports photography market.
Biles and Lee join a distinguished group of athletes who have developed serious photography practices after their competitive careers. MLB Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson have both become passionate photographers, while former NFL superstar wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald built his photography skills during his playing days and continues to pursue it seriously post-retirement. These athletes bring an insider's understanding of timing, anticipation, and the mental aspects of sports that translate surprisingly well to photography. They know how to read body language, anticipate decisive moments, and understand the emotional narrative unfolding on the field.
The trend of athletes becoming photographers reflects deeper connections between competitive sports and visual storytelling. Both disciplines require intense focus, quick decision-making, and the ability to perform under pressure. For Biles and Lee, the experience offered a chance to see their sport from a new angle while challenging themselves in an unfamiliar medium. Their participation may encourage young fans to pick up cameras and explore photography, just as they once picked up gymnastics. As sports photography becomes increasingly accessible through advanced consumer equipment, the unique perspectives of those who have lived the athletic experience may continue to enrich how we see and document sports.
