This was a fun one–one of those projects that reminds me why I love doing what I like to call “seat of the pants” portrait photography. Back in October of 2011, Sports Illustrated’s golf photo editor, Miriam Marseu, sent out a call for story ideas for possible inclusion in the magazine’s special equipment-oriented issue of Golf Plus, normally a magazine supplement but on this occasion (as well as five other times during the year), a stand-alone publication.

The idea behind it was pretty straightforward: find people at the various golf equipment companies who work behind the scenes and photograph them in their environments. In execution, it was a little more difficult than that. We’re talking about 12 portraits, of at least 12 different people, in 12 different locations (none of them, mind you, anywhere near Austin, where I live), most, as in all but one, of whom I’d never met before, in no location that I’d ever seen before. It needed to be shot between December 1 and January 26, with 2 weeks off for Christmas thrown in for good measure. Not only that, but this was an editorial project, which meant that the budget was tight which, in turn, meant that I was on my own. Miriam provided immeasurable support by making initial contact with the various companies, and I’d get an assistant for each shoot, but that was it. No rental gear–I had to get my own, all 5 cases of it, everywhere. No producer; I was on the hook for finding my local assistants, props, and whatever else I might need. No location scouting–I’d be arriving an hour or two before each shoot, and only then would I see what I had to work with. Travel and logistics were all on me. It would be an exercise in adaptation and self-sufficiency.

In other words, it was right up my alley.

Tobie Hatfield, formally the Kitchen Innovation Director at Nike, Inc, and informally the guy who designed Tiger Woods' latest golf shoe, photographed at the company's headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

Wade Lyles, equipment technician for TaylorMade Golf, photographed in the company's mobile equipment truck at the PGA Tour's Disney Classic in Orlando, Florida.

Tom Preece, Vice President of Marketing and Development at CobraPuma Golf, photographed at the company's headquarters in Carlsbad, California.

Mike Nicolette, head designer at Ping Golf, photographed at Ping headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bob Mendralla, Jr. and Bob Mendralla, Sr., legendary clubmakers for Wilson Sporting Goods, photographed in the latter's basement outside of Chicago.

David Lllewelyn and Bill Price of Mizuno USA, who developed the company's Shaft Optimizer system for fitting clubs, photographed at the company's research facility outside of Atlanta.

David Glod, CEO of Tour Edge Golf, photographed at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida.

Dan Murphy, Vice President of Marketing for Bridgestone Golf, photographed at the company's testing facility in Covington, Georgia.

Brent Newsome, manager of tour operations for Cleveland Golf, photographed at company headquarters in Huntington Beach, California.

Austie Rollinson, principal designer for Odyssey putters, photographed at Callaway Golf headquarters in Carlsbad, California.

Ann Cain, LPGA Tour player liaison for Titleist and Foot-Joy, photographed in her garage in Peachtree City, Georgia.

Christian Cervantes, Mark Berry, and Brian Beatty, PGA Tour Reps for Adams Golf, photographed in the company's mobile equipment trailer in San Diego, California.