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Hi, I'm Michael.

I run Rival Imaging: youth and high school sports photos on the North Shore and around Greater Boston, posted while the game is still going.

A football player in a St. John's number 33 jersey celebrates with his team under the lights

A note to families

PLACEHOLDER: Why you started Rival. What made you start shooting youth games? 2 or 3 sentences, in your own words.

PLACEHOLDER: Your first sports memory, playing or watching. One specific moment: the field, the score, who was there.

PLACEHOLDER: What you want a family to feel when they open the gallery on the ride home. 1 or 2 sentences.

Michael

What I've shot

I'm a National Emmy and duPont-Columbia award-winning cinematographer and photographer. Rival is where I point that camera at youth and high school games.

A National Emmy and a duPont-Columbia Award

PLACEHOLDER: the project behind each award and your role on it, one line each, or delete this line

HBO, MTV, NESN, NBC Sports Boston

My work has run on all four.

Sports is already the work

High school football and basketball, field hockey, college hockey. Every photo on this page is mine.

Now, Rival Imaging

Youth and high school games on the North Shore and around Greater Boston. A live gallery at every regular season game I shoot, and athlete spotlights when you want one kid followed from warmups to the handshake line.

Bad light and fast plays are the job

Youth games don't happen in good light. It's a 4 o'clock sun straight down the sideline, a gym lit for a PTA meeting, a Friday night field where the far end zone goes dark.

Shooting for TV, I'm used to that: people moving fast, light that keeps changing, and no asking anyone to run it again.

The other half is reading the game. I watch where the play is going, not where the ball is, so I'm already on the receiver when the pass comes down, on the keeper before the PK, on the bench before it empties.

So you can watch your kid play instead of watching your phone. The photos will be there.

A St. John's receiver reaches over a Catholic Memorial defender in a red number 26 jersey for the ball

A few from the sideline

Football, field hockey, basketball, hockey and fencing. Tap any photo to see it big.

A running back breaks a tackle under the lights

Field hockey players leap and run in to celebrate a goal on a foggy night

A basketball player in a black and orange number 30 jersey stretches for the ball

A hockey player in blue yells with his arms out, celebrating on the ice

Basketball teammates wrap up a shouting teammate after a big play

A fencer's mask painted like the American flag, in front of an American flag

The practical stuff

What you should know before you book, or before your league signs on.

You talk to me

Rival isn't a call center or an app company. Questions and booking requests come straight to me, and I confirm every spotlight with you myself before the game. Ask me something

Galleries stay private

Galleries are unlisted and kept out of Google. Previews are small and watermarked. No face recognition.

You have the final say

Every photo has a Remove button, and any parent can use it. No photo of an athlete 12 or under goes on social or in an ad without a written OK from a parent, the team or the coach. Read the photo policy

Payments through Stripe

Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card. No account to make, no app to download.

Background check

PLACEHOLDER: CORI, background check and SafeSport status, the date of the last check, and whether a league or parent can ask to see it

Insurance

PLACEHOLDER: liability insurance carrier and coverage, and whether you can send a certificate to leagues and schools

What families say

PLACEHOLDER: a real review from a parent who bought from a post game gallery, in their words, with permission to use it

PLACEHOLDER: first name, town, sport

PLACEHOLDER: a real review from a parent who booked a spotlight, ideally a senior night or Big Night