Why Athletes Are Suddenly Moonlighting As Sports Photographers

April 22, 2026

Mikaela Shiffrin spent a late-March evening at Barclays Center in New York, professional camera in hand. Sporting a black credentialed-media vest, the champion skier positioned herself courtside to photograph the Nets against the Hornets.

The appearance came together quickly as an informal stop on Shiffrin’s post–Winter Olympics press tour. Her publicist, Megan Harrod, had spotted Caitlin Clark’s photographs from a March 25 game between the Pacers and Lakers on her social media feed, and she saw an opportunity for her own client.

“I was like, ‘Oh, that’s such a good way to amplify [Mikaela] without it just being her sitting courtside taking in a game,’” Harrod tells Front Office Sports. She reached out to Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the Nets’ parent company, via a mutual contact. Shiffrin had credentials and a camera a few days later.

On game night, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment team members briefed Shiffrin on how to use a professional lens, then set her loose.  FRONT OFFICE SPORTS