Top 10 Cheerleader Photos of 2019

I am a little late in publishing my annual retrospective of my favorite photos from last year…oh, well, stuff happens!  My apologies to you readers.

Over the past few years, I have attended fewer and fewer events and this year was no different. I attended only a handful of cheerleader related events and probably will continue to pull back even more in 2020. I still enjoy photographing cheerleaders and dancers, but it is more and more of a hassle to do so and I have other interests and commitments that are becoming more important.

That being said…I did get to a couple of nice events and I did get some lovely photographs, so onward and upward with my favorite images from 2019.  Let’s begin the countdown.

10.  The 2019 Los Angeles Rams Preliminary Auditions

The two biggest events I attended last year were the P.R.O. Convention in Atlanta and the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders auditions.  Both of these events were multiple day events and there were many beautiful girls (and a couple of nice looking guys) at both events.  Most of my images came from these two events and as you can expect with such events, I got many nice images.

Number 10 on my list is from the Rams Cheerleaders auditions.  The Rams Cheerleaders auditions regularly attracts hundreds of hopefuls and there were many, many beautiful girls in attendance.  This image is of one of the dancers who caught my eye and one that I would have thought would be a nice addition to the Rams Cheerleaders.  But alas, she did not make it.  But, I did find out that later in the year, she did make the San Diego Sirens Dance Team, the dance team for the San Diego Seals professional lacrosse team.  I think I will have to try to make it down to San Diego for a game.

9. Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader Emma

I took this photo at the 2019 P-R-O Convention in Atlanta and the main reason why this photo makes my Top 10 list is because of the subject, a beautiful Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader named Emma.  Perhaps this photo doesn’t do her justice, but this photo reminds me of all the things I do admire about her…beautiful smile, pretty face, great dancer (though you can’t tell from this particular shot) and I love how she looks in that MVC uniform…purple is my favorite color!

So for me, this photo is a composite of all the things I love about Emma.  And to see more photos of this lovely cheerleader, check out her 2019 P-R-O Convention All Star profile article here.

And here’s a bonus photo of Emma.  Enjoy.

Cheerleader perfection!

8. Blonde hopeful at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions

As I had said previously, there were many beautiful girls at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions and there were many girls that caught my attention.  One of the keys to being a successful cheerleader is standing out in a positive way.  And this blonde stood out for all the right reasons and those reasons led to some interesting photos.

For me, the expression on the girl’s face really left a positive impression upon me.  I love that you can’t see her eyes in this shot and i love how her hair color contrasts nicely with the red of her lipstick.  And the colors of her outfit were pleasing and visually harmonious.

All in all, a nice combination of elements that make a nice image.

7.  Brunette hopeful at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions

One of the most strikingly beautiful hopefuls at the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions gave us our next most memorable photo from 2019.  Sometimes there’s something special about a girl that you are simply attracted to them and this brunette candidate just stood out to me.  I think I saw her at the Charger Girls auditions a few years ago, but she looked a different back then.  She still had that quality that made her stand out but things were definitely better this year.  And if my memory is correct, this time around, she looked a bit older, a bit more womanly and a bit more memorable for all the right reasons.

6.  The 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Final Auditions

My sixth most memorable and favorite photo of 2019 is another image taken at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions.  In this instance, this photo was taken at the final auditions, which were held at a high school performing arts center in Lynwood, CA.  The lighting conditions were horrendous with spotty coverage and that led to many dark areas on the stage.  But, they did produce some rather striking lighting effects in those areas that did get enough overhead light and the above photo is a nice example.

5.  Redheaded Dancer at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions

It seems like most of my favorite images came from the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions.  That is because this event attracted over a hundred beautiful cheerleader hopefuls and the shooting environment was good enough to allow me to shoot the way I like to, with a flash…at least for a portion of the day.  Shooting with a flash creates images with deeply saturated colors and bright illumination, which I prefer for these type of images.

Our next most beloved image is another beautiful candidate at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Preliminary Auditions…a striking redhead who was an amazing dancer.  I don’t remember if she made the team, but she certainly left a very positive impression upon me.

Here’s a bonus image of this lovely dancer.

4.  Returning Veteran Michelle C. at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Auditions

I met Michelle many years ago when she first tried out for the Anaheim Bolts Dance Team back in 2012 and I knew back then she was something special.  She became one of my favorite cheerleaders to photograph over the years and I was very pleased to see her progress from the Bolts to the Ladies of Ontario Fury to the Lakers Girls and then to the Rams Cheerleaders.  And at this year’s Rams Cheerleaders Auditions, she game me one of my favorite images of the year…and here’s the secret…she had the best hair and she knew how to use it!  Big hair is special and so was Michelle.

3. The 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Final Auditions

We have a repeat honoree…it’s the same girl that gave us our 7th best image of 2019.   As I mentioned previously, the venue where the final auditions were held provided some high contrast overhead lighting.  It was a challenge because there were definitely some dead spots on the floor where no usable images were possible and then there were a few areas where you get some gems like in the photo above.

I would have preferred to use a flash to get some nice saturated images, but the Rams staff did not allow the use of any artificial lighting other than the stage lighting, so you got to go with what you get.  And sometimes you get lucky.

2. Blonde Candidate at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions

This retrospective is really turning out to be a featurette on the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions because my second favorite photo of 2019 is of another beautiful dancer trying out at this amazing event.  And what is memorable about this photo is that the dancer is absolutely gorgeous, the beautiful red color of her outfit, and her pose.

There is no better way to stand out at auditions than to wear an eye catching outfit.  That is a sound strategy and doing so makes a good first impression…then you’d better be able to dance because all eyes will be on you and they were in her case.

1. Blonde Dancer at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Final Auditions

Here it is…the top photo of 2019, taken at the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Final Auditions.  I must admit that most of the images at the final auditions were not what I would consider to be to y liking.  However, there were a few circumstances where the unique lighting provided some very striking images and this was one case where that harsh lighting was beneficial.

High contrast lighting create a very dramatic and moody images.  And at times these images born from such circumstances can be very descriptive and evocative of the event you are shooting and it was so in this case.  And it doesn’t hurt that the subject was absolutely gorgeous.

Well, there you go.  My favorite images from 2019.  What the future holds for 2020 and beyond, I don’t know.  But for now, we have the past to reminisce over and ponder over the current state of professional cheerleading.

Flashback Friday – Blonde Laker Girl at the 2009 Fiesta Lakers Celebration

Over a decade ago, I attended a fan event called Fiesta Lakers and that was an event celebrating all things Lakers but with a Hispanic fan twist. I don’t remember what the specific tie in was all about…if it was in celebration with a holiday or sponsored by a specific Hispanic radio station that hosted Laker games, but anyone could attend and the Lakers players and Laker Girls made an appearance. So as Lakers fan, it was a great change to see them up close and this was one of the images I got from the event.

Flashback Friday – The 2016 Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders Auditions

One of my favorite events to shoot was the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders Auditions because it was a two day event and there was always something or someone interesting to photograph. And this year, I was able to take some nice shots of AZCC Captain and Pro Bowl Cheerleader Kristen, who was posing on the main stage as they adjusted the lighting levels before the finals. Needless to say, I was very thankful for the opportunity to snap these photos during a quiet time before the finale.

R.I.P. Kobe Bryant 1978 – 2020

Flashback Friday – The 2015 P.R.O. Convention in Atlanta

In this edition of Flashback Friday we take a look back at the 2015 P.R.O. Convention in Atlanta, the premier professional cheerleading convention in the world.  It is one of the most fun events of the year that I get to photograph because the dancing is hot and the cheerleaders even hotter!

Flashback Friday – The 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Auditions

In this edition of Flashback Friday, we take another look back at last year’s Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders auditions.  This year, the auditions were held at the Galen Center on the campus of USC and the lighting was mixed, at best.  In these circumstances, I prefer to use a flash to provide some forward illumination instead of having to rely upon the overhead lighting which imparts a dull yellowish tone to your images.  It is a trade off in these circumstances, I prefer using flash as opposed to just using available light.

Flashback Friday – The 2013 Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders Auditions

I am reminded that audition season is just around the corner and this is the time that girls (and young men) start thinking about trying out in earnest.  So let’s take a look back to the 2013 Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders auditions and check out one of the candidates that caught my eye.

2020 Rose Parade Photos

So, I spent my New Year’s Day morning photographing one of the world’s most spectacular events, the annual Rose Parade.  And while there were many interesting floats and equestrian units, I have decided to share some of the more interesting photos.  Enjoy.

Flashback Friday – A Wisconsin Dance Team Member in the 2020 Rose Parade

On January 1, 2020 I was at the Rose Parade, taking in all the sights and sounds of this magnificent event.  And one of the best things about this event is all the wonderful photographic opportunities that this parade offers.  One of my favorite images from this day was of a beautiful Wisconsin Dance Team Member celebrating the New Year along the parade route.  Enjoy.

A Special New Year’s Flashback Friday – USC Song Girl at the 2017 Rose Parade

Is there a better way to ring in the new year than a photo of a pretty USC Song Girl in the Rose Parade? I don’t think so. So let us celebrate the new year with a photo from one of the world’s best parades that also happens to be synonymous with New Year’s Day.