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Hall of Fame baseball player Ken Griffey Jr.’s passion for photography is well known. The slugger-turned-photographer is a mainstay at major sporting events, including NFL games, soccer matches, and last year’s Masters Tournament at the iconic Augusta National Golf Club. Griffey’s experience behind the camera at The Masters is the focus of a new documentary, “Photographer No. 24.”
“I get some doors open because of who I am, but I take what I do very seriously,” Griffey Jr. says in the documentary.
During his baseball career, Griffey Jr. was competing against the very best of the best on the diamond. At The Masters, behind the lens, it’s no different. It is arguably the biggest golf event on the calendar, attracting a select group of elite sports photographers from around the world. The Masters at Augusta National has delivered some of the most iconic golf photos of all time.
For Griffey Jr. to have earned his “No. 24” photo credential at The Masters, he needed to take photos of that caliber.
“We need pictures with a sense of place. Pictures that say Masters,” says multi-award-winning sports photographer Bob Martin, Managing Editor of Masters Photography. “Think about making your photos stand out.”
“We don’t just want a load of stock shots,” Martin continues. “We want a load of good, creative photography. That’s why you guys are here.”
As Martin makes very clear in “Photographer No. 24,” he wasn’t initially convinced Griffey Jr. could be the photographer to capture those iconic photos.
“When I first heard Ken Griffey was coming, I was like, ‘What? Why?” Martin recalls. “Why is this man coming here and ruining my day? I’m stressed enough as it is without having him here.”
Martin nonetheless welcomed Griffey Jr. into the fold and worked hard to help the very talented amateur photographer deliver some top-notch work.
“He’s passionate about photography, so that’s the overlying factor. The fact that a man wants to do well, and wants to take good pictures is the most refreshing part for me,” Martin says.
“I want his pictures published because they’re good enough, I don’t want to publish them just because they’ve got Ken Griffey’s name on,” Martin says.
Throughout NBC’s “Photographer No. 24,” it is evident that Ken Griffey Jr. is not only a talented photographer but a very committed one. Martin gives consistent, wonderful advice, and Griffey’s daily improvement is evident throughout the documentary.
“This whole photography journey, I was the low man on the totem pole, but I got to do something and learn. Now I’m cognizant of what is around me, and making sure I get in the right spot, making sure I get in the right light, making sure I do all these little things right to make my photographs tell a story,” Griffey explains.
At the risk of spoiling just how superb some of Griffey Jr.’s shots were, particularly of Rory McIlroy winning The Masters tournament for the first time in his career, Martin concluded: “I’m glad you were here now.” Compliments don’t get much better than that.
“Photographer No. 24” is also a unique look behind the curtain into the world of professional sports photography. It is not just a documentary about “The Kid” behind the lens, but an impressively detailed look at what makes a photo from The Masters special, how photographers approach different scenes and tell the story of golf, and the people behind the scenes who work hard to deliver powerful photographs.
“Photographer No. 24” is streaming now on Peacock. The 2026 Masters Tournament tees off on April 9 at the storied Augusta National, where the world’s best sports photographers will be chasing the next iconic photo, just like the golfers will be chasing down the famous green jacket.
Image credits: NBC Sports/Peacock
English (US) ·