Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Guzy
Hi Joseph, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After going from major to major at South Suburban Community College in the, you guessed it, south suburbs of Chicago, I took some time off from school and went to work in the internet department at Bettenhausen Automotive. I did a little bit everything: SEO/SEM, general website maintenance, graphics, video and social media. I began to gravitate towards the social side of things at the same time I started to get back into sports. Following different journalists and content creators, particularly around the NHL, really sparked my interest. So much so that I decided to apply to the Multiplatform Journalism program at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Which just so happened to be down the street from my favorite NHL team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
I arrived at Duquesne with dreams of being a sports writer. Once I walked into the student newspaper’s open house the first week of classes, I quickly realized a lot of other people had the same dream. The photo editor at the time, Claire Murray, overhead me asking about opportunities and asked if I’d have any interest in taking photos of sports. My parents sent me to school with a new DSLR so I figured why the heck not.
As I honed my photo skills as more of a hobby, I was grinding away at writing opportunities. I wrote for a few fan sites and appeared on some podcasts, eventually making my way to be the Staff Writing Intern for the Pittsburgh Penguins. But as much as I loved writing, I found myself watching the photographers and what they were doing each and every game.
Sitting down for what was my final semester at Duquesne, now the photo editor of the student newspaper, I got an email from the Pittsburgh Pirates regarding a photo internship I applied for the summer before. How could I say no?
Boy was Major League Baseball a completely different world from A-10 basketball. Professional sports require professional skills and professional gear to go along with it. I was in heaven! I had apparently done something right over the course of my first season as my boss, Dave Arrigo, decided to keep me on for two more seasons. He also set me up with another mentor, legendary Pittsburgh Post-Gazette photographer Peter Diana.
Pete and Dave had almost 75 years of combined photography experience shooting all of the professional teams around the city and so much more. Just even being in the same room as them observing how they worked taught me so much and I can’t take them enough for everything they taught me during my time in Pittsburgh.
After three years, a job listing came up for the Team Photographer role with the Miami Marlins. It felt like a long shot but there I found myself, packing my bags to move to Miami, Florida.
If Pittsburgh is where I got my start, Miami is where I cut my teeth. The learning curve was hard. Being the head honcho in charge was hard. Budgets and schedules and everything else you don’t think about when you are shooting a big game with all the equipment you could dream of… all of it was immediately on my plate. Those four seasons prepared me for so much more than I ever could have imagined, and I wouldn’t be the photographer that I am today without that experience.
But Miami started to feel a little too far from home. 19 hour drives with two cats wasn’t the most fun thing in the world. Luckily, there was an opportunity open at FC Cincinnati. After the first interview, I knew it was time to head back to the midwest.
If Pittsburgh is where I got my start and Miami is where I cut my teeth, Cincinnati is where I’ve really brought everything together. There are things I saw, learned and wanted to do over my time in baseball and FC Cincinnati has given me the freedom to do all of it and more. Leaning more into studio sessions with set design and lighting – just really making the most of the big shoots we get to have with our players. Emphasis on “we,” as the club has really invested in photography and putting their trust in me to hire a Staff Photographer and Digital Asset Specialist. I feel like we’re really pushing forward with what a photography team looks like not just in Major League Soccer but all of sports as a whole. I love my team, this club and everything we do here. I’m excited for what the future holds and to see how we can keep pushing the limit.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I will be the first to point out how much luck and timing was involved with these opportunities, not to mention networking. I was a familiar face to many at the Pirates well before I interviewed thanks to my previous internship with the Pittsburgh Penguins. My network expanded at the Pirates. From other photographers in the area and around the league, all the way up to the team’s manager! Moving to Miami, suddenly that network is growing across states and even the world with so many international events in the area. You never know who knows somebody so always put your best self forward.
There are long days, missed holidays and family events, and all the other stuff you’d usually want to do to decompress and relax – it doesn’t always line up with the team’s schedule. You have to really find joy in doing this to keep going season after season.
Something else I don’t see mentioned enough (maybe because it’s a given but) is no matter how ready you feel for the job, you are back to learning every morning of every day. There’s something new in this industry every single day. You gotta keep trying new things and keep it fresh – both for your clients and for your sanity.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I entered this industry as a team photographer and I plan to serve in some version of that role as long as I can. I love the ability to tell the story of not just “the big game” but an entire season. There’s beauty in the little moments. The time spent around the team gives you so much incredible background knowledge. You learn everyone’s rituals and tendencies and it gives you the ability to see moments before they happen.
I don’t know that I’m known for anything, but I love underexposing for highlights and using remote cameras. Weird elevated angles and breaking the rules of photography are both really fun.
One of the things I’m most proud of is having my photo on the cover of MLB the Show 23.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Making others happy. There are the biggest moments in the biggest games, but nothing is better than being around for those little moments with players and their families after the game. FC Cincinnati is a club that’s big on family and I really take that part of it seriously. All the bicycle kicks and emotional celebrations are great, but I know the family photos and those smaller moments are what go up on the mantle forever.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://josephguzy.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/josephguzy
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephguzy/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/josephguzy
