BLACKRAPID SPOTLIGHT: Jon Blacker

Jon Blacker – Pro sports, live music & portraits

Best known for his sports, music and portrait work, award-winning Toronto photographer Jon Blacker brings his gear and his experience working with editorial, commercial and corporate clients in Canada, the United States and overseas to every project.

Among others over the course of his 32 year career, Jon has worked with; Major League Baseball Photos, The Canadian Press, Reuters, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, World Aquatics, The International Paralympic Committee, National Post, The Hockey News, The Globe and Mail, Nikon Canada, Woodford Press, Fender Musical Instruments, The Sporting News, Roadrunner Records Canada, Racing With Autism and directly with a wide range of bands.

BLACKRAPID SPOTLIGHT: Jon Blacker 2 — Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays slides home to score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 3 of the ALDS to defeat the Texas Rangers at the Rogers Centre on Sunday, October 9, 2016 in Toronto, Canada.

Do You Have a Good Photography Tip for Us?

Know your subject and anticipate. This is especially important for shooting sports and concerts. Know at which point in which song the guitarist will jump off the drum riser. Know that a left handed batter will hit ground balls to the second baseman while right handed batters will hit them to the shortstop.

BLACKRAPID SPOTLIGHT: Jon Blacker 3 — Slayer performs at Kool Haus in Toronto November 21, 2013

That time I gave the drummer of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers a piggy back ride…

In 2011 I was in the very early stages of working on what would become my first book, Musical Ink (2013, Schiffer Publishing), a collection of black & white infrared portraits of musicians and their tattoos. I had arranged with his manager, the late great John Carter, to make a portrait of former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar while he was in Toronto for a pre-tour warmup show with his new ‘supergroup’ Chickenfoot. Sammy was a lock, but I’d also asked Carter if he thought we might also have an opportunity to get RHCP drummer Chad Smith and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony. Carter said he’d ask, but I still hadn’t had him confirm either way.

Once I had my makeshift studio set up in my Four Seasons suite, I phoned Carter and told him I was ready, and he said he’d send Sam down. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door which I opened to find…Michael Anthony. I invited him in, gave him a quick rundown of the book and got him on his mark. While I was shooting Mike, I heard the door open (I’d thrown the lock so it wouldn’t fully close, expecting Sammy to show up while I was shooting Mike), and someone running across the floor. I didn’t even have time to turn around before Chad Smith was literally on my back. I turned my head to the right and his face was so close I thought he was going to go in for a kiss.

It should be noted that I was about two weeks out of knee surgery (announced to the room by my assistant, hence the look on Mike’s face) and had my knee said ‘No thank you’ to carrying a 6’4” 200lb drummer on my back, I would have launched Chad into Mike, through the seamless background and into all the furniture I had to move to set everything up.

Fortunately everyone survived. I wrapped up shooting Mike, and finished Chad’s portrait just before Sam arrived. Mike asked if I minded if he put the Indy 500 on the TV, so while I was making Sam’s portrait, Mike and Chad were hanging out on the couch watching the race. It was a little surreal.

BLACKRAPID SPOTLIGHT: Jon Blacker 6 — Kansas City Royals’ Nicky Lopez fields a line drive off the bat of Toronto Blue Jays’ Eric Sogard during fourth inning MLB baseball action against the Kansas City Royals, in Toronto on Sunday, June 30, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

What’s in Your Bag?

I’ve been a Nikon user my entire career and went all-in with Nikon’s mirrorless system in 2019, so the cameras remain constant with a trio of Nikon Z-series mirrorless bodies. For baseball, football and soccer, I’m carrying 3 bodies with my Nikkor 200-400/4 on a monopod on one body and a Nikkor Z 24-70/2.8 & Nikkor Z 70-200/2.8 on the other two. If I’m shooting football, those two cameras are connected to my BLACKRAPID Double harness which makes walking up and down the sidelines much easier.

When I’m shooting concerts, I never leave my studio without my BLACKRAPID Double with the Nikkor Z 24-70 & Z 70-200 combo connected to the rig and either my Nikkor Z 14-30/4.0 or my 16/2.8 fisheye on the third body around my neck (this is also my setup for shooting hockey). For hearing protection at concerts I wear some foam earplugs under a pair of Walker Razor electronic muffs.