DARREN CARROLL + US OPEN
Darren shared, "I grew up in New York and attended the US Open as a kid many times. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has changed a lot since then—I’m old enough to remember championship matches being played in the original Louis Armstrong Stadium, let alone in a roof-less Arthur Ashe Stadium—but over all those years the championship has never lost its standing as one of my favorite sporting events to witness."
"Now that I’ve grown up (sort of), it amazes me that it’s my job to witness it now. I’ve had the privilege to work as a member of the US Open’s official photography team for the last 6 years (and before that, I covered it for Sports Illustrated). It’s fun, exciting work, and there’s a lot of it over the three week period encompassing qualifying through the finals. Shooting for the Open itself, my images will be used for everything from programs to posters to marketing materials; as such, just as important as the action is the brand—whether it’s the logo, the colors, or the myriad graphics, sights and recognizable locations that make the championship unique and recognizable. And it draws upon every tool in my skill set—for an hour one afternoon I might be an event photographer, another day I get to shoot food, still other days I’m a photojournalist, and then, of course, most days I’m an action photographer, walking the grounds from match to match and ultimately settling into a courtside seat in Arthur Ashe Stadium’s ‘Photographers’ Pit” for the semifinals and finals."
"This year we had multiple storylines to work with, starting with Serena Williams’ retirement to the crowning of two outstanding singles champions in Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. And on a personal note, I was pleased as punch to see fellow Austinite Fernanda Contreras-Gomez, who has been a model for me in several drone video test shoots back home, making it out of qualifying and into the main draw for the first time. I have a feeling she’ll be back next year. As will I."
