We were lucky to catch up with David Frerker recently and have shared our conversation below.

David, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Becoming successful in any industry takes work. In the world of sports photography that means hundreds of thousands of images. Getting out and photographing as much as you possibly can. The more you photograph the better your skills will become. Another massive component is knowing the gear you use. Photographing during the day is different than photographing during the night time hours. Knowledge of the sports that you are going to be shooting is also paramount. You can see the knowledge in the photographs. For example…. Someone who has never played football before will have a much different photo style than people who have played football. The photographer who has played the sport will shoot in a more technical style.

David, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

San Diego Sports Domination was created in July of 2012. The goal was to cover all San Diego Sports teams. That was the same time period that the San Diego Union Tribune moved towards the paywall model. We wanted to provide free sports news for everyone. The website then grew to include coverage of San Diego State, San Diego Padres and San Diego Chargers. Early in the creation of San Diego Sports Domination we cultivated the idea of covering semi professional teams. Covering Semi Pro teams would allow us to get our foot in the door to cover sports in San Diego. Our first ever media credential came from the San Diego Flash of the National Premier Soccer League. We have since received media access to many of the semi pro and professional teams across San Diego.

We used to write a ton of articles on the teams that we covered but have since shifted to high quality sports photography. We asked our fan base what they wanted to see. Did they want written material or did they want to see more than just one image? The consensus was they wanted to see all of our best images from the games we cover. We had over 225,000 views on the website of our content from 2012 to 2018. The shift to sports photography has made a massive difference. We have had over 499,000 views from sports photography content over the last four years. As of today’s day… June 9th 2022 … San Diego Sports Domination has been viewed over 725,000 times.

I am the main photographer currently for San Diego Sports Domination as the company’s CEO and Founder. I cover 99% of the events in which we attend. I am currently the team photographer for the San Diego Strike Force (Indoor Football League), San Diego Strikers (Women’s Premier Soccer League) and Albion San Diego (National Independent Soccer Association). San Diego Sports Domination currently has media credentials for Albion San Diego (NISA), San Diego Legion (MLR), San Diego Seals (NLL), San Diego Strikers (WPSL), San Diego Strike Force (IFL), San Diego Sockers (MASL), San Diego Wave FC (NWSL), and University of San Diego (NCAA).

My sports photography has been published around San Diego, United States, England and around the world. I am currently working on the process to build my own sports portfolio website that will be launched the end of June. This has been the most successful year of photography I have ever had from a client perspective. I also hold a stable day job in the world of sports marketing. Everything that I have discussed with you to date has been accomplished on my weekend’s. Currently I am booking events up to six months in advance. I am always willing to accept new clients if both sides agree to the terms.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Professionalism and networking is a major key. Going to use Major League Rugby (MLR) as an example. Rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in America and has quickly become one of my favorites. I got in on the ground floor during MLR’s first season with our local team the San Diego Legion. I was able to quickly build a working relationship with the Legions Social Media Manager. That position over the years has evolved into Marketing & Communications Coordinator. I was able to network with people throughout the league. MLR has a unique media photo platform. All team photographers have access to upload to following all games. I have since been given the unique opportunity to become a part of that platform. You can count the amount of non team photographers who have access to this photo platform on one hand. I have since photographed over 43 MLR Matches and three MLR Championships. I have used this to help market my product to more teams. I have shot for two MLR teams and the league.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

For me the best source of new clients has been from word of mouth. That could be from teams who I am currently working with or photographers who I have shot with. The University of San Diego for example loves my work. They pass along my contact information to other university’s who come to San Diego to play against them. Recently, I photographed for Gonzaga Baseball as they clinched the WCC Regular Season Championship. The San Diego Sockers team photographer reached out to me to fill in for him while he was on vacation. I recently returned the favor… as he will fill in photographing Albion San Diego for me. I also got the opportunity to photograph for the National Lacrosse League filling in for another photographer who could not attend. From time to time … I have also gotten clients from shooting events. They see my images online and ask for me to photograph.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sandiegosportsdomination.com/ | https://davidfrerkersportsphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdsdomination/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sdsdomination
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-frerker-52323845/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SanDiego_Sports

Image Credits
For the photo of myself: Don De Mars Everything else: David Frerker