Tom Brady & Best Buddies 20 Years of Friendship

Tom Brady participating in Best Buddies Events

Tom Brady.  His name conjures greatness, both on and off the football field.  Since 2003, Brady’s commitment to Best Buddies has been unrelenting.  He has devoted his time and energy to promote the greatness of individuals with disabilities.  
 
As an Honorary Co-chair of the Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port, Tom organized and participated in the annual Tom Brady Football Challenge, a tag football game that included Buddies, Patriot teammates and celebrities for a fun yet competitive event.   Additionally, he rode in the bike ride, signed autographs, handed out awards, met with donors, and did everything he could to promote the Best Buddies mission.
 
Tom’s involvement helped to raise over $20 million dollars, which in turn help to raise awareness in the Best Buddies mission to provide opportunities for people with special abilities.  
 

Tom Brady and Katie Meade

As the Best Buddies Official Documentarian, I had the privilege and opportunity to photograph Tom and his participation with Best Buddies.  He was paired up with Katie Meade and over the years they developed a wonderful friendship.  When they were at events together, you could feel the true bond.  Additionally, Tom gave his full attention to all the Buddies he connected with.  Best Buddies couldn’t ask for a better advocate and friend.  

Photo Notes:  Two reasons why to hire a professional photographer:

1. There were sixteen years of photos taken with Tom at Best Buddies events.  All the images were stored and cataloged as well as backed up on additional hard drives.  Within a few hours, I was able to find all the images of Tom.    I ended up choosing over 300 images from the thousands of photos taken. Each picture had meaning and told the story of Tom’s involvement.  This is why professional photographers are vital for your communication team.  They make photos with meaning, they catalog and store their images and when you are in a pinch, they can find the images for you.  

2. Professional photographers use high end equipment, so that you have quality images.  Through the years, these images were made with Nikon Digital Cameras.  

Copyright 2021 Laurence L. Levin

All Rights Reserved. No publishing or usage granted without permission.

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Rated #1 2019 DC Event Photographer by Peerspace

Tom Brady and Best Buddies Football Game

Tom Brady entering the field at Harvard Stadium

May 31--Harvard Stadium Boston MA--For the twentieth year,  Tom Brady has played football with Best Buddies.  Brady is the quarterback for both teams which includes Brady's Patriot teammates past and present, celebrities, supporters and Best Buddies participants.  For the same amount of years, I have photographed this game.  I try to do something different each year.  One year I went on the field and photographed the huddles, other years game action, this year the concentration was on groups.  In the planning meeting, it was decided for me to just get certain people on the sidelines.  Posed photos yes, these are the photos everyone wants.  The task is to coordinate this before, during and after a football game in a pretty big stadium. Each situation takes time to arrange.  There is the effort to get everyone with nice expressions, eyes open and enthusiastic.  Sometimes you get lucky,  however there is a lot a cajoling and even making the Massachusetts governor to take a knee to photograph him and two Buddies.

Actor Michael Chiklis with Buddy Players 

Buddy Global Ambassador Josh Felder with Miss USA Cheslie Kryst. 

Tom with his Buddy Katie Meade

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker

Tom Brady and Anthony Shriver with a Buddy Family. 

The Buddy Ambassador with Miss USA and other super heroes.

Copyright 2019 Laurence L. Levin

All Rights Reserved. No publishing or usage granted without permission.

Instagram @larrylevin

LinkedIN Laurence L. Levin 

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Rated #1 2019 DC Event Photographer by Peerspace

Tom Brady & Best Buddies

Tom & Katie

June 02--Boston & Hyannis Port--Committed and involved, for over ten years, Tom Brady has donated his time to make a significant difference in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.  He is a spokesman that articulates the mission of Best Buddies.  It seems Tom is always in the middle of the event, leading the way to promote and share acts of kindness.  This is seen year in and year out.  Tom is a hero to all his Best Buddies.

Family Affair, nephew, sister and son

Classic 

Pursuit

Team Huddle

Award Ceremony

Step and Repeat photos done over a hundred times

Criterion with Katie 

Criterion start

Copyright 2017 Laurence L. Levin

All Rights Reserved.  No Publication Rights Granted without Permission

www.LLLevin.com

Photos made with Nikon D810 24-120mm Nikkor & 70-200mm Nikkor

They "Like" My Photos, Social Media Successes

June 23, 2016--Social Media provides not only another outlet to show photography and gain more attention for your cause, but it give you a sense of gratification when a viewer "likes" your image.  An important item to this delivery is the channel or page your image is posted to, not only does it need to be a good photo but something of interest and a sports superstar will help too!

2014 Kyrie Irving at the Best Buddies Leadership Conference photo was posted 75 weeks ago on the Best Buddies Instagram Page.   It received 2,130 likes. https://www.instagram.com/p/x14OAew-fO/?taken-by=bestbuddies

The same photo was posted last week, celebrating the NBA Championship and so far has 1,362 Likes https://www.instagram.com/p/BG3DTYhw-Qx/?taken-by=bestbuddies

This photo made at the 2016 Best Buddies Tom Brady Football Challenge and was posted on the Best Buddies Instagram Page.  It received 1,708 likes, 28 comments and countless shares.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGNpt50w-dH/?taken-by=bestbuddies

The best liked photo so far with over 67,000 likes posted on Kyrie Irving's Instagram page is Kyrie and Joey Shriver at the 2014 Best Buddies Leadership Conference.  Kyrie has only 5,900,000 followers on Instagram.  It's all about placement!

https://www.instagram.com/p/rBH4RMMhLx/?taken-by=kyrieirving

All Photos by Laurence L. Levin

www.LLLevin.com

Instagram @larrylevin

Visit  www.bestbuddies.org 

Instagram @bestbuddies 

2016 Hyannis Port Challenge

Buddies Ambassadors at the Harvard Stadium, (homage photo Phillipe Halsman who did a "jump" series), Tori, Kellie, DQ, Katie, Sam, Christina, , Rachel, Ashley

Game Time with Tom Brady

Michael Chiklis selfie with Tom Brady & Julian Edelman in the locker room before the big game.  

Covering The Best Buddies Hyannis Port Challenge for 15 out of the 17 times, is challenging.  Each year, the basic elements are similar.  Trying to find an image that is new and fresh can be,  to say the least, perplexing.  Weeks prior to the event, discussions are underway to brain storm ideas and concepts.  There are phone calls, shot list preparations, and just a lot of thinking to figure how to make this year's event memorable.  Fortunately, there is a wonderful team of staff and volunteer photographers who can concentrate on the must have shots.

This year the plan was for me to shoot less, which meant not having to cover everything, because it would be well documented.  Thus the goal was to find five specific situations, as well as not be shoulder to shoulder with the others.  Additionally, in the "staged" situations find angles that were different and true moments.

It's great to be part of a team of devoted and talented Best Buddies staff and photographers.

Katie Meade with her buddy Tom Brady.(shot from the side of the stage, lucky to get this situation)

A wonderful moment on stage with Chef Guy Fieri with his buddy Michael Jaxtimer Barry.  

At the last second, jumped into the lead car and made this photo at the beginning of the ride. 

After his presentation at lunch Buddies Ambassador Sam Piazza is congratulated by Tom Brady 

Best Buddies Performer Tori Ackley on stage with the Beach Boys.  In addition to this performance, Tori sang the National Anthem at the start of the Football game and 50 mile start

#BestBuddies #HyannisPortChallenge #larrylevinphoto @larrylevin #TomBrady #MichaelChicklis
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Copyright 2016 Laurence L. Levin

Hyannis Port Challenge

Tom Brady

May 30--Boston and Hyannis Port--I have photographed the Best Buddies Hyannis Port Challenge for a long time.  Each year the goal is to not only capture the obvious shots but find something different.  So after the good looking photo of Tom Brady and the Miss USA winners, the concentration was to find interaction between buddies.

Miss USA Nana Meriwether, Miss Kansas Teen Katie Taylor, Miss Indiana Teen Darrian Arch, Miss Teen USA Logan West

Bryan Link and Will Macom

NFL Center Dan Koppen and Michael Jaxtimer

Sarah and Tom

Copyright 2013 Laurence L. Levin
www.LLLevin.com