There’s something special about getting invited back. After photographing Burn Boot Camp’s Athlete Games in 2025, I was excited to return to North Carolina for another weekend of Athlete Games photography with the athletes and the crew behind it all. I knew it would be a busy few days. I also knew I’d be working with people I enjoy, in a room full of energy and stories worth capturing.
Athlete Games brings Burn trainers from across the country together for a national championship, with men’s and women’s Standard and Masters divisions. After qualifying through regional competition, they arrive at finals ready to put months of preparation to the test. Athlete Games photography means getting to capture that effort up close, and it’s a privilege.
This year, a few of those athletes were trainers I know through my own Burn in Hurst. That gave me even more reason to look forward to the weekend.
Back with the Burn team
I’m in my second year working with Burn Boot Camp HQ, and reconnecting with Chelsea Fetzer, Isaiah Hammond, Jordan Doolittle, and Dana Boone was a big part of the excitement. I’ve enjoyed getting to know this team across events like Burn Summit, and they’ve made me feel welcome from the beginning. Coming back meant getting to build on those relationships and jump into the work together again.
I flew out Thursday with my gear and headed over to get set up for Friday’s media day. Traveling with lights adds a little adventure to the airport experience, but having the setup ready meant we could hit the ground running when the athletes arrived.
Athlete Games photography: making the most of media day
There was a lot to capture in a short amount of time. My part was headshots, portraits, and full-body action photos. Isaiah was capturing video for Saturday’s opener, with editing literally happening while we were still shooting. The social team was also gathering interviews and getting the athletes involved in games and other content.
Our Athlete Games photography setup started with what the team needed to create. HQ would be using these images in livestream graphics, athlete introductions, and social posts, so we went with a clean background and lighting that gave them flexibility. They could cut athletes out for graphics or use the portraits on their own. With the full-body action shots, we had room to let each trainer’s personality come through and highlight the work they’d put into getting here.
This year, I also connected my camera directly to my MacBook so the photos could come up on screen as we worked, with edits and previews happening in real time. It gave the athletes and the team a chance to see how everything was looking right there in the room. These trainers had worked hard to earn their place at finals. I wanted them to feel confident in the photos that would represent them, and being able to see the results together helped with that.
Chelsea did a great job leading the team through a lot of moving parts. Toward the end of the day, one athlete poked her head in to tell Chelsea that this was the smoothest and best media day she’d experienced at Athlete Games. That comment stayed with me. I was proud of the photos we were making, and hearing that the experience felt good on the athlete’s side made it even better.
A little hometown pride
Saturday started early, with a 6:30 a.m. call time and three workouts ahead for the athletes. From the first heat, there was plenty to keep a camera busy.
This year had an extra personal connection for me: Alayna Tichenor, Jordan Joe, and Riley Kelly were all competing. I know them through my home Burn in Hurst, and getting to watch them on this stage was pretty special.
These are trainers who have encouraged me and pushed me in my own workouts. Getting to turn that around and cheer for them was special. I already knew how much they brought to the gym; now I got to watch them show it on a national stage, with my camera in hand.
All three competed through the first four workouts, and Riley advanced into the top eight on Sunday. Alayna and Jordan were close to that cut, and I was proud of all three. Qualifying for this field is an accomplishment in itself.
Competing hard, celebrating together
You could tell how much these athletes wanted to win. The effort was written all over their faces, and every heat had that urgency of people pushing for their best possible finish.
What stood out just as much was how they supported one another. As athletes finished, they stayed engaged with the people still working. The energy carried through the end of each heat. And as names were announced for the top eight, the final four, and the division winners, you could see how much those moments meant to the people around them.
Many of these trainers are close friends. They’ve walked through life together, and you could see those relationships in their reactions. Making a cut or winning a division brought out emotion well beyond the person whose name had been called. People were celebrating someone they knew and cared about, and those were some of my favorite moments to watch.
Friends and family brought that same investment from the sidelines. As a photographer, it gave me a lot to pay attention to. The next rep mattered, and so did the reaction just beyond the floor. Together, those moments tell you what the weekend meant to the people who were there. I’ve said before that Burn’s culture is contagious, and this was another reminder of why.
The part that stayed with me
Once the competition wrapped for the day, I’d settle in to go through the photos, make edits, and get images over to the team. With people following the event and athletes ready to share their experience, there was a reason to keep things moving. I wanted the team to have photos they were excited to use while the weekend was still unfolding.
Coming back on Sunday morning, I heard from the social team that the photos were exactly what they needed. That meant a lot. Every event has people working hard behind the scenes to make it happen, and I want my part to help them do theirs. Knowing the images were communicating what the team needed them to communicate was deeply encouraging.
Then I started seeing the Athlete Games photography everywhere: in posts from HQ, in athletes’ highlights, and, by the flight home, as new profile pictures. There’s something especially rewarding about someone choosing a photo you made to represent a moment they’re proud of. For whatever reason, that hit me a little harder this year.
By the time I headed home to my family in DFW, I was tired and thankful. I’d spent the weekend doing work I enjoy with people I’m grateful to know, watching my trainers compete, and capturing moments that were already finding their way back to the people in them. That’s a pretty good way to finish a trip.
Thank you to Chelsea and the whole Burn team for trusting me with another year of Athlete Games photography. It was a privilege to be back.
Planning an Event?
I’m based in Dallas–Fort Worth and travel for event photography, from Athlete Games photography to conferences and galas. I’d love to hear what you’re putting together.
