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Behind the Lens with Jordy Marsono
Behind the Lens is a series by Football Case Study that explores the profound ways photography intersects with football culture and the communities that bring the beautiful game to life. In this installment, we sit down with Jordy Marsono, a Los Angeles-based photographer who recently documented the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires for Football Case Study. Our host, Ili Hyseni de Brissac, delves into Jordy’s creative process, revealing how his work captures both the resilience of a city and the spirited contributions of its football community.
Please introduce yourself, your passion for the game, and what you shoot with.
Jordy Marsono (Interviewee): My name is Jordy Marsono; I’m based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m a freelance photographer who mainly shoots football, but I also enjoy street photography. I shoot with a Sony a7iv and a FujiX100vi. My love of the game stems back to when I was a kid. Growing up In Indonesia, there are many sports that are big, but nothing rivals the number of people playing football. Besides playing all my life all the way up to college, I can genuinely say this is my biggest passion.
Jordy: The thing about photography that I enjoy the most is I can visually story tell through my photographs. I don’t have to explain what’s going on in hope of people that see my work can feel my emotions or feelings through my photography. If I can make someone feel that through my work that’s the best compliment anyone can get.
Jordy: Since the start of the tragic LA fires, I’ve been asking myself repeatedly if I should go out and document the aftermath of this tragedy, but what is my purpose for that? There are plenty of photographers who specifically work in this field in terms of documenting natural disasters. So, for someone like me to step into the areas that were affected and photograph the scenes of homes being burnt to the ground just didn’t sit right with me. However, when the opportunity from FCS came around, I did not hesitate one bit because the purpose aligns with something I love, which is football, and being able to shed light on the football community that was affected by this tragedy gave me a sense of belief this is the way to approach the story.
Jordy: Natural disasters happen everywhere around the world, but when you see it happening up close in a city that you grew up in, it puts a lot of things into perspective. I've learned that when something like this happens, the community comes together and puts in so much effort to play even a small part by trying to help the community that was affected in any way possible.
Jordy: I think it surprised me a little how tight-knit the grassroots community is in Los Angeles. Football is an ever-growing sport in the United States, and I’ve had the absolute privilege of covering professional games these past couple of years, so when I go to the grassroots levels, I see the next generation. I think what makes the community in LA so special is that it is so diverse. It does not matter if you’re Latino, Asian, white, or black. Everyone comes as one when it comes to the beautiful game. The love for the game might come as a cliche, but it’s something that’s evidently for everyone to see In Los Angeles.
Jordy: Where do I start? I guess Mele and Carlos they’re just two wonderful human beings who are football people to the core. Two Individuals who love the game so much and just happened to be in a position, one as a coach and Carlos as a store owner who would do anything and give back as much as they can. Nothing but the highest of respect for both of them.
Jordy: I personally enjoy documenting life in general, especially human emotions. I think the thing that I will take away the most from this project into the next one is that storytelling is key. Shedding light on important topics, even harder ones, such as tragedies like this. Being able to be a part of something impactful is something that I will keep striving to do in future projects, especially in the circle of football or beyond.