Chris Graythen/Getty Images

The NCAA football season is finally over, and it’s been a roller coaster since the start. College football is always full of unexpected upsets, last second victories and intense rivalries. The Louisiana State University tigers had their fair share of all three, but somehow managed to end up on top in the final game of the season. The game itself was exciting, but as an LSU alum, and resident of New Orleans (which is only 90 miles from the LSU campus) This one was a little more exciting.

At the end of the game, I stayed with head coach Les Miles from the time the clock stuck :00 on the Tiger’s 38-24 victory over Ohio State until he left the field. The end of the game is always a giant confusing mess, and the bigger the game, the bigger the mess. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place for the coaches meeting at mid field, as well as when the team gathered to sing the Alma Mater.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Once the team left the field, I was fortunate enough to get permission from the athletic department to be in the LSU locker room once the game was over. This was a once in a lifetime experience. The room was packed, just me, the staff, the players and the coaches. Coach Miles recognized the players, the hard work and effort they they gave through out the year to earn them the national championship. The seniors lead the team in singing the LSU fight song, and Coach Miles lead the team in a prayer. It was really amazing, and even with the widest lens on that I own, it still wasn’t enough to capture the feel of being there. I was very lucky to be there, and thankful to the LSU athletic staff for letting me in. I hope I get to experience this again!

Being the newest member of the Getty Images staff, as if having the BCS Championship in my town wasn’t enough, this was a great weekend for me as I got to show some fellow staff members around my town that is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. After the first night of customary trips down in the French Quarter to a great restaurant called Palace Cafe for dinner, and eventually to see the lights and sounds of Bourbon Street, where it almost seems as if nothing happened, I took everyone out on the ‘Misery Tour’ around the flooded areas of New Orleans. It’s a tour I’ve given a million times, to friends, family and reporters from all over the country, as I never left during “The Storm” working for Getty Images news as a freelancer. But this was special. For Brock Smith, Travis Lindquist and Streeter Lecka, it was also their first time in New Orleans - they never got to see it, as we say, “Pre-K.” We passed around the now empty lots where my parents and family used to live in the Lakeview area, as well as driving through mid-city and the Lower Ninth Ward. We saw waterlines from as low as 3-4 feet, to as high as 17 feet.

My parent’s house (from L-R) pre-Katrina, during the flooding, 3 months after Katrina, 2 years after Katrina

Travis Lindquist/Getty Images - Getty Images photographer Streeter Lecka looks around a house that was devestated in Hurricane Katrina.

As many times as I’ve given this tour, this was the most inquisitive group I’ve ever been with, and I tried as hard as I could to answer all the questions. We eventually stopped at a gutted out church, and stopped to take a photo of the four of us on a set of steps where a house used to be. In fact, there used to be houses and churches and stores all around, but most either floated away, or have been demolished.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images - Team Getty Images (from L-R): Streeter Lecka, Chris Graythen, Brock Smith and Travis Lindquist

I’m glad that I got to show my co-workers, and good friends that while the city is well prepared to handle tourists and put on a good show for the BCS, the NBA All-Star, the Arenabowl, and other major events, there is still a lot of work to be done, and recovery is moving forward, but is going to take a while.

So come on down, wether for a sporting event, Mardi Gras, or just to experience a little southern hospitality and some great cajun food. And let me know if you need a tour guide! Misery tour only on request.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

The BCS National Championship is quickly approaching the Big Easy, the teams have arrived, and the fans are coming in droves. As a local, its great to see the hotels, restaurants and bars filled to capacity again. We started off the year with a bang with the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Hawaii, and it’s only going to get better, as we have the BCS championship, the NBA All-Star game, NCAA Women’s regional basketball tournament, and the Arena Bowl Championship again.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

During the big year-end games, we have a larger crew which helps us not only ensure that we have every photo to help tell the story of the game, but in a way it helps us to be able to experiment a little when you know you have two other photographers out there. For instance, during the Sugar Bowl, I took a chance using a low angle viewfinder to place my camera directly on the ground and get as low of a shot as possible. Kneeling in the back of the end zone, I was lucky enough to have the Hawaii quarterback fumble the ball, and a Georgia player pounced on it, scoring a touchdown to really help put the game out of reach for Hawaii. The low angle was a unique look at a key play during the game.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

The BCS Championship is going to a great game between two tough teams, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Louisiana State University Tigers. We’ll just have to wait and see who is crowned the BCS National Champions.

See you at the game!

An image I shot with a remote camera mounted above the tunnel the players come out of in Jacksonville - Doug Benc/Getty Images

“Hey Doug, need someone to carry your lenses or bag on the sidelines?” asks my neighbor as I am leaving my driveway. This question strikes me with humor and intrigue. Here is a former professional baseball pitcher, that won a World Series ring with the Yankees not long ago, and he thinks I have the greatest job in the world.

I have an unusual week ahead - I am covering three football games in a three day period. It’s late Friday night and I have to get to Miami and get some sleep for an early game the next day between Georgia Tech and Miami. Then immediately following that game, I have to drive to Jacksonville and stay the night to cover the Houston Texans and Jaguars game the following morning. From there it is another long drive home, get some sleep and catch an early flight to Atlanta for the Monday Night Football game between the New York Giants and the Atlanta Falcons.

Saturday morning comes quickly, and with the Miami fans, I know that I need to arrive even earlier than I do at most stadiums. Three to three-and-a-half hours before kick-off is the minimum. In Coral Gables, you better make it closer to four plus hours. The parking fills up fast and paying for a spot in the local neighborhood can become very costly.

Seeing the workroom brings chills to the back of your neck. It’s damp, hot with tall counters for which there are no stools unless you have brought one from home. The smell hits you as soon as you walk through the damp corridor leading to the photo work room. You pass buckets set up to catch water dripping from the stands above you as if the rain is draining through holes in the ceiling. Of course that would be an assumption since it hasn’t rained in two days. It’s clear to me why this will be the last year of football played in the Orange Bowl, and the University of Miami will be moving to play their home games at Dolphin Stadium beginning next year.

Here I am working in the work room in the bowels of the Orange Bowl.

I break out the computer and get all me gear set up greet fellow photographers that I work with quite a bit throughout the year. Al and Walt from the Miami Herald are in another one of the small rooms located nearby. Shortly after that, more photographers begin to filter in. The Sun-Sentinel and Reuters share a space in the room I am working out of.

As the players enter the field, photographers are allowed to stand in a area so we can all capture the team’s running out of the tunnel. Once in a while you can make a nice frame of the moment. During the National Anthem, I look up and see why I was able to park so close to the stadium, the stands are as empty as I have ever seen them. It seems that Hurricane fans are not as rabid as I had thought, when their team is not very good.

I send a few frames at half-time and then the rest of my take at the end of the game. It is a fairly uneventful game with no upset and no real story line, other than two teams that are in rebuilding years facing each other. The media meal was not very appetizing and is usually avoided. But after the ESPN camera crews eat, there are leftovers for those that have the stomach. Al and Walt from the Herald do their best with the cold sandwich. I pack my gear and get on the road for a six hour drive to northern Florida for the Jaguars game the following day.

A sandwhich that sits between two Miami Herald photographers

Again the following morning, I find myself going through the same ritual as the day before. With more on the line in this game, you can sense the arriving home crowd is very excited. Walking through all the tail-gaiters, on my way to the gate, I hear those familiar words, “Hey mister photographer, I will carry your lenses if you get me a ticket to the game.” I smile and nod, without them knowing, that I would gladly take them up on the offer if it was possible. I am still a bit sore from the game yesterday. The knees ache a little, your muscles are bit sluggish, but the anticipation of another football game has me excited. I arrived early enough to do a second edit on my images from the day before.

There is a different feel to an NFL game. You can tell by the professional attitude that the NFL staff, Jaguars personnel and other sidelines officials show. This is a big game for the Jaguars, as they have only lost once and have the Colts coming to town the following week. A win today and a win next week would propel the Jaguars into first place in their division and most likely a strong contender in the AFC.

The Jaguars prevail and I transmit my images to reflect the win. By the time I leave the stadium, most fans have left and I have an easy drive out of town. I stop a couple of hours outside of town to get something to eat and rest up for my drive home. I arrive at home around 10 PM, enough time for me to fill out my weekly expenses and get them sent to my boss. Set the alarm for 4:30 AM and get some sleep.

I arrive in Atlanta in mid morning and get checked into my hotel. I avoided renting a car this time and decided to try staying near the airport and take the train into the game tonight. I get to my room and begin my second edit from the Jaguars game. I call down and get some dinner sent up and charge the batteries for my cameras.

Taking the train in has proved to be a bit more challenging than I thought it might be, but not impossible. I have to take a shuttle from the hotel, then I change trains downtown and take it one stop to the Georgia Dome. It’s nice to not have to negotiate the traffic and just step of the train and walk about 200 yards to the entrance.

The worn muscles are little sorer today than the day before. The Falcons have a very nice coffee bar set up for the media near the field, a perfect drink to begin a big game, such as this one. I picked a bad week to give up caffeine. But the roar of the crowd and the energy on the field more than gets your blood pumping and again the excitement creeps in and has me ready to go.

Like the three days prior I find myself transmitting at half-time. Only this time I need to send a few more than I normally might. With the late start, more newspapers will be on deadline and can’t wait till the end of the game for images before they go to press. The rest are sent as the game ends and again, the photographers are the last to leave. We file out of the photo work room one by one, saying good bye to each other until next game.

I touchdown in West Palm and call my wife to let her know I am safely on the ground and that I will be home soon. She tells me that my two boys can’t wait to see me, since they haven’t’ seen me since Friday night. I drive into my neighborhood and my friend spots me and waves me down. He asks how my weekend went and if I got some good photos. I tell him it went well. Before I drive away, he smiles and reminds me that if I ever need someone to help on the sidelines, he is ready and willing.