The Man Behind the Camera: Mike Strasinger

  You might think that being a sports photographer is a glamorous job. It is not. That was my experience when I recently tagged along with Nashville Sounds' team photographer Mike Strasinger on a hot, humid night at First Tennessee Park. It was work!

   Strasinger took photography classes at Nashville Tech in the mid-1990s and once worked at Wolf Camera. He gained a passion for photography especially in sports when he was given a camera as a gift.

   "My wife was a teacher at Pearl-Cohn High School and gave me a camera for Christmas," said Strasinger. "I began taking photos of the Pearl-Cohn football and basketball teams. I just immediately fell in love with photography and I saw how the kids reacted to it. They had never really seen photos of themselves before and were passionate about it.

   "That made me really feel good. I got emotional about it. Coach (Maurice) Fitzgerald allowed me on the sidelines and this was when John Henderson played for Pearl-Cohn. I got to meet Tom Squires and showed him some pictures I took of Henderson. Tom had started up Sports Nashville then Sports Nashville Weekly.

   "He asked me if I'd like to start freelancing for him. I always thought it would be great to get paid to shoot high school sporting events. I was all in. One thing led to another from there."

   Strasinger was born in Baltimore and attended the University of Florida. His dedicated work earned more freelancing assignments that included the City Paper that covered the Nashville Sounds. It was in 2002 that Strasinger met Doug Scopel, presently the Sounds Vice-President of Operations. As things worked out, Strasinger became the Sounds team photographer, a position he's kept since.

   When spring rolls around, his duties begin on the Sounds' annual greeting with the Nashville media.

   "They always have a Media Day, which is usually a couple of days before Opening Day where the media gets a chance to meet the players with interviews and photos," said Strasinger. "I shoot the team picture and the headshots of all the players that day.

   "The headshots are what they will use throughout the year in any publications or on the Jumbotron. As soon as the season starts in the first few home games my job is to get the photos for baseball cards done as quickly as I can. There is a deadline for that. Every team at all levels of baseball provides baseball cards."

   Strasinger does not follow the Sounds for road games, but works at nearly all their home games. On a typical game day, his duties begin with the pre-game festivities.

   "In the pre-game I will shoot pictures of the ceremonial first pitch and the singer of the National Anthem," said Strasinger. "I don't know if those people always want those pictures, but it is always good for the ones that want them. There is that kid they select to say 'Play Ball' before every game. I always like to get his or her picture.

   "Anytime the players are signing autographs I take those pictures. The players are so nice and always sign autographs when they can. I try to get pictures of players signing for kids. The Sounds might use those photos somewhere down the road in one of their publications. They put out a program once a month (Inside Pitch) and they have all types of marketing materials."

   For 12 seasons, Strasinger used his photographic talents in old Herschel Greer Stadium. Then when First Tennessee Park opened last year he had to make small adjustments in positioning for the best possible advantages.

   "I never want to be in anybody's way," said Strasinger. "There are more people coming to games at First Tennessee Park so I don't shoot from the stands too much. I usually shoot from the photo wells at the end of the dugouts. I try to switch that up depending on if it's a left-handed or right-handed pitcher.

   "There is not much difference in Greer and First Tennessee. Now that they have put the protective netting next to the dugouts that really forces my hand. I can shoot through the netting, but sometimes it puts the focus off. I shoot more from the field now than I did at Greer. At Greer I was mostly in the stands."

   When the game begins, Strasinger has a routine he follows that will enable him to find the best positioning to photograph as many of the Sounds players as possible. He can take a shortcut using the hallways underneath the ballpark to get from the third base photographer's well, to behind home plate and to the first base photographer's well.

   "The first thing I want to photograph is the Sounds' starting pitcher," said Strasinger.

"Where I set up depends if he is a right or left-hander so I can be on the proper side to shoot him. Early in the season when I need photos for baseball cards I will shoot the starting pitcher from behind the catcher so I get that good clean green background that's not distracting.

   "During a game, while the season goes on, the photos are used mostly for game stories and game action. I want to show they are playing a baseball game and I'm not shooting them during warm-ups. I will shoot the pitchers sometimes purposely when there is a man on base to show they are playing another team. I will include other team's base runner for context."

   Sometimes the Sounds will give Strasinger an assignment such as to photograph a particular player or a player that has been making news with his pitching or batting. He looks at stats and other information about the players before each game to be thoroughly prepared for his work.

   "I generally know what they want," said Strasinger. "Of course they want pictures of the newer guys that just joined the team. If a player is doing exceptionally well they will want more pictures of him. Like a player might have had a big night at the plate the night before or is in a hitting streak.

   "I pay attention and know who is doing well and who's having a good season or in a hot streak. I have to assume that the photos could go further than just the Sounds. The website MiLB.com sometimes will use my pictures. I always keep that in the back of my mind.

   "If someone is having a big night at the plate or pitching well for the other team I am generally aware of that. I will shoot that player and if somebody asks for it then I've got it. There is a player in the minor leagues (Francisco Mejia of Class A Lynchburg Hillcats) that has a 47-game hitting streak. If someone like him came here I would probably be shooting him. I pay attention to the other team as well just in case Minor League Baseball or somebody wants the pictures. You will never know where these players will end up. They could be on our team the next week."

   Throughout the game Strasinger will send selected photos to four different Sounds' personnel to distribute on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the Sounds website.

Strasinger said the first photo he sends is of the Sounds starting pitcher since he could last only an inning or two. His other objectives are to get that first scoring play, first big hit or first big offensive play."

   "If the pitcher goes six or seven shutout innings and is dominant even with 10 runs scored by his teammates he will probably be the lead in the game story," said Strasinger. "I try to give them a lot of variety so they will have as many options as possible. I try to get action shots and it's easy to get the position players that play everyday.

   "But the pitchers are more of a challenge whom you might not see, but once or twice in those first two or three homestands. The starting pitcher, I'm going to see him once or twice in a homestand. The relief pitchers you never know when they are going to get in the game. You might see the same relief pitcher two or three times."

   There is also certain etiquette such as never move from the photographer's well until the end of an inning and all the players have left or entered the dugout. On this night, Strasinger used most of his time in the first base photographer's well.

   "If time permits and everything is going right I like to shoot the lineup one time. If I have to choose from first or the third base side I prefer the first base side. Everybody is going to run to first base if they hit the ball whether it's a hit or an out. It's a pretty picture hitting and running.

   "What's really good is when the left-handed batter hits the ball, drops the bat, and runs to the base. It really looks good. I usually don't get good pictures of everybody. I don't go nine-for-nine from that side, but I have a better chance there. Hopefully I will have something good from everybody. Whoever turns out to be the hero of the game I hope to have something of that player. I like to get as much as I can as early as I can in case I drop dead or something."

   "I like to show both teams and the ball. In baseball it's hard to get both teams in the picture sometimes. Individual shots are fine for baseball cards, but for game stories it's best to include both teams and another player from your own team at times. For example, even a play at second base. If it's just the second baseman and shortstop, that's better than just one guy. I'm looking for a play at any base that involves both teams. It could be second, third or home. Ideally, a play at the plate that goes the Sounds way that would be the best thing to get."

   Strasinger is a student of the game. In his pre-game research he wants to know if the Sounds' hurlers are groundball pitchers, which might benefit him to get that perfect photo.

   "I don't know if it helps me or not at least in my mind it does," said Strasinger. "I don't generally shoot players making routine plays on the ball like ground balls. The better I know about the game the better I know what I am going to shoot. If I am aware that the pitcher is a groundball pitcher and he's not getting ground balls, he's in trouble and not going to last.

   "Maybe in the back of my mind I'm thinking about a relief pitcher. Baseball is challenging enough to shoot because there is not a lot of action that is intense action like in other sports. I study the game enough to appreciate it. I want to do as good a job as I can. Any type of edge I can have will help me."

   Strasinger has learned to "steal" signs during a game like when the shortstop and second baseman use their mouths to signal each other.

   "I have learned and asked questions sometimes about what the signals are," said Strasinger. "The shortstop and the second baseman do communicate during the game like when there is a runner on first, maybe first and second when a stolen base is a possibility. They need to know who is going to cover second base.

   "When a base runner steals somebody will yell something and I can go immediately to the guy at the base. I don't have to figure out if it's the second baseman or shortstop covering. It gives me a jump on the play at second base."

   Affectingly known as "Stray Dog" (derived from his name) by the Sounds personnel, Strasinger will hear, "Hey Mike" often from the stands as his many friends stop to chat with him as he roams the ballpark.

   Strasinger looks for other interesting photos especially the fans interaction with the game.

   "I'm looking for people having a good time," said Strasinger. "It could be something that the Sounds will use for marketing to promote their product. Like a kid eating a hot dog or ice cream or trying to catch a Tee shirt and going for a foul ball. I don't know where the pictures will end up."

   On any given day or night, Strasinger shoots between 600-800 photos on his digital camera. Using modern technology, he sends 120-140 photos to the Sounds throughout or at the end of the game. Most of those photos are of pitchers. It could include six shots in a sequence of a player sliding into second base or coming home.

   Strasinger said his favorite photos in his vast collection are of former Sounds Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder posing together in 2005. Another favorite is also from that same year of former Sound Nelson Cruz clubbing a clutch home run. One of his all-time favorite Sounds player is former shortstop Alcides Escobar, a current Kansas City Royal.

   Strasinger has evolved into one of Nashville's top sports photographers. He can be seen on the sidelines at a Titans game, covering the Predators, Vanderbilt and other colleges. But his passion is high school sports. Strasinger also does work for local high schools. He operates three websites-sportsnashville.net, mstrasinger.zenfolio.com and 15minuteheadshots.com.

   His wife, Susan, is involved and is a journalism teacher at Overton High School where she is the editor of the "Bobcat Beat", an online school newspaper. Strasinger also helps the Overton students learn photography.

   But it is baseball and the Nashville Sounds that keep his summers active.

   "Baseball is a game that people think is boring," said Strasinger. "But when you shoot it and are involved you concentrate on just about every pitch. Sometimes nothing happens, and then all of a sudden hell breaks loose. You have to be ready and think like a ball player.

   "You need to know where the ball is going to go; where they are going to throw it next. I enjoy the subtleties of it and the thinking part of it. You've got to be ready on every play. You never know what is going to happen. It's a wonderful game and I'm glad I can document it."

   If you have any comments or suggestions you can contact Bill Traughber via email [email protected].