Now that I am with Special Olympics Southern California, I had the opportunity to work my first Summer Games. It is one of more than 200 events a year but it is the biggest. If you ask any of the athletes, it is the one they look forward to. It is the championships. It is their final four. It is their super bowl. It is their moment. And it showed. I had many duties, but I had the chance to sneak away with the cameras a couple times.

Day one featured a festival, free health screenings, a behind scenes look at volunteers from Vons, Albertsons and Pavilions making 8,000 lunches, and the most memorable dunk “contest” ever.

Day two was on the track and at the pool. I snuck by the awards podium at the swim venue. If you have a chance, I encourage everyone out there to go to your state’s summer games and watch the medal ceremonies. You will shed a tear. And then there was the show stopper. The young athletes exhibition on the track. A pair of young ones stole the show.

Enjoy what I saw behind the lens (galleries linked by the day above).

Categories: Noteworthy Shoots, Sports PhotographyTags: #SOSCSG, basketball, Breakfast, Featured, pancake breakfast, Photography, SoCal Photographer, Special Olympics, Special Olympics Southern California, Summer Games, Swimming, track, volunteers, young athletes