Photo: Gene Lower /Sports Illustrated via Getty
Former MLB player Randy Johnson has traded pitching for pictures.
On Wednesday, a photograph showing Johnson — the former Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher — holding a gigantic camera while on the sidelines of an NFL game went viral on Twitter.
“Learned today that randy johnson is now a professional photographer (??) and and shoots nfl games (???)” thetweetfrom Sophie Kleeman ofInsidersaid.
As it turns out, Johnson was a photographer before he was an MLB star.
“My career as a Major League baseball pitcher has been well documented, but what is not as well known is my passion for photography, which began when I studied photojournalism at the University of Southern California from 1983-85,” the 59-year-old explains on hiswebsite.
MIKE FIALA/AFP via Getty
Johnson’s website showcases dozens of images featuring wild animals, landscapes and concerts.
“Thanks to the people I got to meet during my baseball career, I’ve been fortunate to have unique opportunities in photography,” he explained on the site. “I’ve gotten to talk to and learn from some of the best photographers in different fields.”
Johnson, who was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, said his work has been featured inRolling Stone,Spin, andMetal Hammer.
“Photography has taken me on an amazing journey, but it’s only just beginning,” he said. “I look forward to visiting places I’ve never been, shooting things I’ve never seen, and getting better each and every day.”
Kleeman’s tweet received more than 147,000 likes on the platform since it was posted on Thursday, with many users pointing out that Johnson’s studio uses a dead bird as its logo.
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The logo is a humourous reference to one of baseball’s most absurdly improbable moments.
During aspring training gamein 2001, a dove flew directly in the path of one of Johnson’s fastballs and seemingly exploded in front of the Arizona crowd. A video of the moment has racked up nearly 6 million views onYouTube.
source: people.com
