JEAN FRUTH: Major League Visual Storyteller

Creativity in Captivity

One of sports photography’s preeminent visual storytellers. Jean does much more than take pictures. With a diverse portfolio in portraiture and sports of all kinds, she is devoted to capturing the dynamism of her subjects and revealing the stories behind the images. She covered everything from wrestling to sailing, from basketball to volleyball to track and field. And, of course, football — on any given Friday, she could be found taking full advantage of those Friday night lights, shooting the sport’s storied rivalries and eating at local snack shacks up and down northern California. Jean spent nearly a decade shooting the crown jewels of Bay Area sports — the Giants, the A’s, the 49ers. Her portfolio quickly expanded when she was invited to Cooperstown, where she helped build the archive of the renowned National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. Jean’s work has also been seen at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and the Smithsonian. In 2019, Jean co-founded Grassroots Baseball, a non-profit that promotes and celebrates the amateur game around the globe, with the goal to grow interest and participation at the youngest levels. That year-round shooting schedule squares nicely with her commitment as a traveling photographer for La Vida Baseball and La Vida Sports, digital media companies that shares the stories of Latino sports across the United States and Latin America through original video, writing, and social content. Jean’s first book, Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin, was released in 2019. Her latest, Grassroots Baseball: Route 66, was published in 2022, with proceeds benefitting the non-profit organization. Jean is honored to be designated by Sony as one of its select Sony Artisans of Imagery.