Sports photographer gains world of exposure

It was the fall of 1996 and Bob Sibilia was the sports editor at the Martinez News-Gazette. But this story isn’t about Sibilia; it is about Tod Fierner, who still currently works with the Martinez News-Gazette.

Fierner and Sibilia were at an Oakland Raiders game, there first year back from Los Angeles, when Fierner was talking to Sibilia’s girlfriend. She introduced Fierner to Sibilia, and asked Fierner if he wanted to do game coverage with photos. Fierner kindly accepted the offer even though he had no prior camera experience, or even a camera to take pictures with.

Fierner met with Sibilia the following week and told him to go to the game and shoot some pictures, with a camera that Sibilia had lent Fierner. If Sibilia liked the pictures Fierner would have a gig with the gazette, if not he would have had some exposure to the real world of sports photography.

Fierner went to the Raiders game the following week and snapped some shots, brought them back to the Gazette and Sibilia. Sibilia liked the photos Fierner had taken and took him on as his apprentice. “Bob was a wartime photo journalist, he didn’t want to do all the photos for sports, that’s where I came in,” said Tod Fierner.

Fierner worked with Sibilia for a year before he bought his first camera, and after another year Sibilia left the gazette, but Fierner stayed. “When Bob left I stayed, I kept shooting pictures for the gazette, whether it be professional sports or Alhambra or College Park, I was shooting sports,” said Fierner.

To this day Fierner has still never taken a photography class, or a journalism class. “It’s all trial and error, everything I’ve done,” said Fierner. The trial and error has worked in his favor.

Currently, Fierner is currently employed by, St. Mary’s college in Moraga. He is their photographer for all of their collegiate sports. “I expanded, marketed myself and my work and got in contact with St. Mary’s, to be where I am today,” said Fierner.

Fierner has been many places throughout his photographic career, including two super bowls, a Sweet 16 appearance with St. Mary’s, countless 49ers and Raiders games. College games from San Jose State, California Berkeley, Stanford, and Oregon. Fierner was also at an NFL Alumni golf tournament back in 2008 before the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, where he was the only photographer at the event. “It was cool, we had eight police escorts around the bus I was in,” said Fierner. “When I got out all the fans were like who is this?”

Fierner has been shooting NFL games since 1996 with the Oakland Raiders, and 2005 when he finally got in with the San Francisco 49ers. At the Raiders game Fierner also has special duties that include taking pictures of Ice Cube, a long time Raiders fan. “I’ve been shooting for Ice Cube for three years, every time he’s at the coliseum,” said Fierner. “Cube is a cool guy, he is not who you think he would be.”

Fierner has met a lot of famous people while working, “Magic Johnson was probably the coolest person, he is very personable, he asks about you, how your doing, he gets to know you,” said Fierner. Fierner met Johnson while working a Raiders game in 2010.

Fierner has also met athletes like Reggie Jackson, Mike Ditka, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Warren Sapp and Ladanian Tomlinson. All of whom asked to get their photo’s taken. “I met Tim at a Giants game, he was pitching and came into the dugout and saw me taking pictures, he asked if I had any good ones, which I thought was odd because pitchers are usually quiet when they are working that day, but I showed him some of the pictures and he told me to hook him up,” said Fierner.

Because of the work Fierner does he has been requested to travel to other side of the country on occasion, “I went to Providence, Rhode Island with St. Mary’s basketball team for the 2010 NCAA tournament,” said Fierner.

Fierner has shot almost every sport from baseball to volleyball, “I went to Wrigley Field in Chicago to shoot a Cubs game that was cool,” said Fierner. “I never take my work for granted though, everyday is probably the coolest day when your watching sports.”

Cool indeed, but some sports are difficult, I asked Fierner which sport was the most difficult, “Volleyball,” said Fierner. “You never know where the ball is going.”

I asked Tod which guys he thought through his lens looked like they were going to be studs at the next level, “When Ryan Leaf was as Washington, I could have swore he was going to make it big,” said Fierner. “I also thought Kyle Boller was going to be something big when he was at Cal and Atari Kellen, I saw him in high school.”

I also asked Tod if there was ever a moment he got too close to the action, “In San Francisco, I was covering a 49ers game, I was on the sidelines and I got run over by the special teams unit,” said Fierner. “They blocked the punt, and I got run over.”

Fierner has also had some opportunities to shoot other things besides sports, “I was invited to the Play Boy Mansion once to shoot a party, but I cancelled because St. Mary’s was going to the WCC Tournament in Vegas,” said Fierner. “My wife doesn’t believe me that I ever had the chance, but I did.”

Fierner currently has four cameras, all Cannon and all digital, “It’s a long way from my first camera, which was a classic filmstrip Cannon,” said Fierner.

Some events or sports Fierner would like to do in the future are, a boxing match, UFC fights, a World Series and the Olympics.

Fierner’s work has even been seen on the other side of the world in Australia, “I’ve had some pictures in the Aussie newspapers because of the Australian guys on St. Mary’s,” said Tod Fierner. “Everything I do today would not be possible without the Gazette.”