Follow David Frerker’s journey from covering semi-pro soccer with an iPad to photographing MLB, NBA, and international events. Learn how persistence, networking, and passion built his sports photography career.

Many people have asked how I became a professional sports photographer. This is the story of building San Diego Sports Domination, capturing semi-pro and pro sports across San Diego, and eventually breaking into Major League Baseball, the NBA, and international events.

This is the story of how San Diego Sports Domination grew into a successful sports media brand, and how that work helped me launch David Frerker Sports Photography.

The Beginning: San Diego Flash (2013)

In the summer of 2013, I received an email from Clent Alexander, CEO of the San Diego Flash, a team competing in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). To give some perspective, the U.S. soccer pyramid is structured with MLS (Tier 1), USL (Tier 2), NISA (Tier 3), and NPSL (Tier 4), with regional and local leagues below.

Alexander wanted to use San Diego Sports Domination to help #GrowTheGame of soccer in San Diego. I agreed to check out a Flash home match, and on June 7, 2013, I received my first press credential. That night, the Flash defeated the Las Vegas Stallions 4–2 at Del Norte High School.

Armed with only a first-generation iPad, I walked the sidelines capturing short video clips and photos for my articles. I tweeted highlights in real time, and the Flash re-shared them. It was my first taste of covering live sports—and I loved it.

Building a Brand

From there, we expanded coverage to the San Diego Chargers, San Diego State, the Padres, and the University of San Diego. A close friend of San Diego Sports Domination, Tony Amat, had media credentials through Learfield Sports to photograph SDSU Athletics. He generously shared his images with us, which gave our site credibility and made us look like a legitimate sports outlet. In turn, our collaboration helped amplify both of our brands.

The next big milestone came in 2014, when we were added to the Cision PR database, opening the door for journalists and agencies worldwide to connect with us. In early 2015, I interviewed the U.S. Eagle Sevens Rugby Team as they prepared for the 2016 Rio Olympics. That same year, we landed our second and third media credentials (San Diego Surf and Oceanside A-Team of the ABA).

A feature I wrote in May 2015 on Chargers guard DJ Fluker put us on the Chargers’ radar and earned us a spot on their PR list. Around that same time, we continued covering the Flash until the sudden passing of Clent Alexander later that year—a loss that hit the community hard.

Shifting Focus to Semi-Pro Sports

After Alexander’s passing, I decided to grow San Diego Sports Domination by focusing on San Diego’s semi-professional teams—programs that often received little to no coverage. In 2016, we added more credentials, including the San Diego Breakers (PRO Rugby) and Albion SC Pros (NPSL).

By 2017, we were gaining momentum, but changes at SDSU meant Tony Amat was no longer providing us with high-level imagery. That forced me to take a leap of faith. On March 21, 2017, I purchased my first camera. The decision was personal, too. Just a day earlier, my uncle—David Lynn Edwards, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret and my lifelong hero—had passed away. I wanted a way to honor him and connect with him. For me, that path was photography.

Learning the Craft (2018–2019)

In 2018, I got my first chance to be a true team photographer with the San Diego Silverbacks, a semi-pro football team. I shot with them until the team folded in 2023. Those five years taught me how to photograph sports at a professional level. Along the way, I added credentials with teams like Albion, La Jolla High, the San Diego Strike Force, San Diego Enforcers, San Diego Fleet, San Diego Legion, San Diego Seals, and the University of San Diego.

My big break came in 2019 with the Strike Force. After a few games, they began using my photos across social media, always crediting me. When I realized they didn’t have a team photographer, I stepped into the role unofficially. Some might dismiss the Indoor Football League as “lower level,” but to me, sports are sports—you never know who you’ll meet or where it might lead.

Breaking Through: 2022–Present

In 2022, I had the opportunity to acquire media credentials for the San Diego Wave during their inaugural NWSL season. That year, I posted what I thought was a “not great photo” of Alex Morgan hugging Megan Rapinoe—but Morgan loved it. She shared it with her massive following, tagged me, and gave full credit. That kind of recognition doesn’t happen often with professional athletes, and it gave me a huge boost.

Later that season, when the Wave made the playoffs for the first time, the Padres came out to support them. I captured some incredible postgame interactions that ended up published by ESPNW’s social channels. Those two moments directly helped me earn a spot as one of the Wave’s team photographers for the 2024 season.

At the same time, I was pushing myself harder than ever. Between 2019 and 2023, I averaged 200–250 events per year while working a full-time, 40-hour-a-week job. The grind was intentional—I wanted to improve my craft and steadily upgrade my gear. After the 2023 Holiday Bowl, I decided it was time to elevate my presentation as well. I wiped my Instagram clean, rebranded with a consistent white-box format, and rebuilt my feed with a polished, professional look.

That decision may have led to one of the biggest milestones of my career. On April 27, 2023, I got a message from a senior assignment editor at USA Today, asking me to cover a San Diego Wave match. On April 29, I made my professional wire debut. Just two days later, on May 1, I was assigned my first MLB games. By May 16, I walked into Petco Park to photograph Padres vs. Royals—my official “call-up” to the Major Leagues. It was a surreal moment for someone who once stayed up until 3 a.m. watching Tony Gwynn highlights before his own Mustang League games. That momentum carried into 2024, when I photographed my first NBA game. To date, I’ve covered more than 35 MLB games, each one still as special as the first.

(Quick note on Imagn: formerly USA Today Sports Images, Imagn is now the official photo partner of the USA Today Network. In 2025, it also became the U.S. sports image provider for Reuters. So if you see either a USA Today or Imagn watermark on my photos, that’s why.)

This same mindset paid off through another important connection. In 2022, I met Natalie Schneck while covering the San Diego Strike Force. She later moved to Sports San Diego—the nonprofit behind the Holiday Bowl, Rady Children’s Invitational, California State Games, and other major events—and brought me in as a contract photographer. My first major assignment was the 2022 Holiday Bowl. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of photographing:

• The 2022, 2023, and 2024 Holiday Bowls (Oregon vs. UNC, Louisville vs. USC, Syracuse vs. Washington State)
• The 2023 and 2024 Rady Children’s Invitationals
• Manchester United vs. Wrexham
• Fiji vs. the New Zealand All Blacks

Thanks to Natalie and Sports San Diego, I’ve been able to cover some of the biggest and most high-profile sporting events to come through San Diego.

Looking Ahead

From the sidelines of a semi-pro soccer match with a first-generation iPad to photographing Major League Baseball, the NBA, and international events, this journey has been anything but ordinary. Every opportunity—whether it was covering the San Diego Flash, grinding through hundreds of semi-pro games, or capturing moments for Sports San Diego and the Wave—has taught me something valuable and prepared me for the next step.

Photography has allowed me to honor my uncle, build a brand from the ground up, and share the stories of athletes across every level of competition. Along the way, I’ve learned that there are no “small” assignments in sports photography—only moments that can lead to something bigger if you put in the work.

I’m incredibly grateful for the people and organizations who believed in me, collaborated with me, and opened doors along the way. But most of all, I’m excited for what’s still to come. The story of San Diego Sports Domination and David Frerker Sports Photography is still being written—and I can’t wait to see where the next chapter takes me.