My earliest memory of the Olympics was watching the summer games in 1988. I remember being mesmerized by the South Korean flag, which I drew in the margins of every school notebook I had. My father was a massive sports fan— specifically anything involving Ohio State— so I’d heard all about @butchreynoldsofficial , who was not only representing OSU in Seoul, but went on to take home a silver and a gold.
Tragically, there was a mixup with the lab work, and Butch was falsely accused of doping, and placed on a two-year ban by the IAAF. He took the case all the way to the US Supreme Court, and it was revealed that a lab error was made and Butch had never used performance enhancement drugs. Regardless of his vindication, Butch was never awarded damages, even though the mixup cost him numerous sponsors, and kept him from competing in the ‘92 Olympics.
This leads me to this shoot. @espn was working on False Positive— a documentary that tells Butch’s story of injustice, perseverance, and triumph— and asked me to shoot the key art. It felt like a full circle moment for me, as adult Nick had the chance to collaborate with one of child Nick’s heroes. Butch brought power and honesty and light to every image, and all I had to do was capture what he was already emitting.
I highly recommend watching the documentary, which is out now. Thank you, to everyone involved, for a flawless shoot. Crew listed below.
Photographer / producer- @nickfancher
Creative director- @epaul16
Deputy photo editor- @galac_
Senior Designer- Gabe Meza
Senior Photo Editor- @jayski34
Stylist- @matteysworld
Grooming- @andi_makeupartist
Digital tech- @mattreesephoto
Assistant- @sethmosesmiller
