No two ways about it, moving is a bitch. So I took a break from blogging last Saturday.
You never know where or when your proverbial 15 minutes of fame will occur. This week the public spotlight fell on Charles Ramsey, the man who gave a colorful interview after helping rescue the three women held captive in Cleveland, and Phyllis "Filomena" Tobias, the ex-wife of a late CNBC commentator/hedge fund manager and apparent Miami Heat fan who flipped the bird inches from the face of Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah. And when the photos of her went viral, fame was thrust on the guy who took the shots.
Story behind photo of Heat fan giving Joakim Noah the finger
More pictures from the photographer who caught the Filomena Tobias flipoff.
Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY SportsIt’s just been one of those days for Steve Mitchell, the USA TODAY Sports Images photographer who snapped the viral photo of Miami Heat fan Filomena Tobias giving Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah the finger.
“I did not think it was going to be like this,” Mitchell told For The Win, when asked about all the attention his picture is getting.
Mitchell was busy transmitting photos to his editors when Noah got thrown out of Game 2 Wednesday night. He said he didn’t even see the play, but once the commotion started, he grabbed his camera and started shooting.
“I see him arguing with the refs, so I quickly jump up and grab my Nikon 600 mm lens,” Mitchell said. “I see him get ejected and I see him walking and I’m just taking pictures, and as I’m taking these pictures, the shutter, which is a Digital SLR, is going so fast I can’t see her hand. I see him walking and I thought she was just trying to touch him.”
As Mitchell’s shutter kept going off, he caught Tobias looking mighty proud of herself, giving the man accompanying her to the game a high-five.
Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports“Then Taj Gibson gets ejected and she does the same thing to him,” Mitchell said.
As Mitchell’s shutter kept going, he caught the man with Tobias in a wonderful action shot.
Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports“And afterwards, during a timeout, I see on the back of my camera what I have and quickly start sending pictures to the desk,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell didn’t notice Tobias’ finger initially because he was working on a small computer on a tight deadline and was cranking out photos as fast as he could.
It wasn’t until after the game when he met up with some colleagues in the media work room that he learned he’d gone viral.
“They were all talking about my photo,” he said.
So was everyone else.
