Before coming into the photography world a little over 5 years ago, Douglas Levy spent years umpiring professional baseball. Cool job, right? So what made for a change? Well, after getting struck in the face by a bat (ouch!!), Doug decided to rethink things a bit. Well, we’re glad he joined us because it’s certainly the perfect fit for him and he agrees!
Number of Years in Business: After graduating from Syracuse University in 2003, I proceeded to spend the next six years umpiring professional baseball before an injury (getting hit in the face with a bat) which made me rethink things.
In June of 2006, three years into my career as a professional umpire, baseball and the umpires union had a labor dispute, resulting in us missing the first half of the season. During the strike baseball had threatened to cut off our health insurance, so I started saving. When things were resolved three days before we were to be uninsured, I had some spare money in the bank. So I did the smart thing and spent it all on a camera.
A little over a year later I assisted good friend Rob Brown at a wedding on Cape Cod and was forever hooked. I started shooting on my own not long after, at the time shooting anything and everything. High school hockey for local newspapers? Family portraits? Boston skyline sunrises? I was your guy.
My photography began to evolve and eventually became my offseason source of income when I wasn’t on the road with baseball. While umpiring in Harrisburg in June of 2009, the batter hit a ground ball to third base and as I got in position to see if the ball was going to stay fair, the batter tossed his bat behind him and it struck me in the side of the face fracturing my cheek.
I spent the next 6 weeks at home recovering, really not missing the game (or the 210+ annual days on the road that went with it). When my final evaluation for the year was that I was going to be promoted to AAA (one level below the major leagues), and wasn’t excited at all. I knew it was time to move on.
What makes you stand out? I think it’s silly when photographers separate their “personal” and “professional” work. All of my work is my personal work.
What’s the favorite part of your work? The first dance. I enjoy the entire wedding day, but the first dance, the it’s just a great window to who the couple is. If I were to pick one image to tell the story from a wedding, 9 out of 10 times it would be a first dance photo. Is the couple funny? Goofy? Head over heels in love? Watch the first dance and you’ll always be able to tell. Even grooms who’ll warn me “I hate having my photo taken” will forget about the photos during their dance, and you get this great, genuine three-minute window to make images.
*previously posted on 1/27/2011
