Elsa Garrison
Known in the industry by her first name only, Elsa has the distinct honor of being the first woman staff photographer at Getty Images. Famous for capturing defining moments, Elsa brings her vision to collegiate and professional sporting events all over the globe- including some of the most preeminent events, such as the Olympics, World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, US Open, FIFA World Cup, and NCAA Final Four. Elsa lives in the New York City area and hails from the Midwest. She grew up in a small town in Minnesota, where she discovered her love of photography at an early age. As a sophomore in high school, she landed her first sports photography job working at the local paper. She continued to feed her appetite for sports photography while earning a Bachelor of Journalism at the University of Missouri – not just by pouring over copies of Sports Illustrated but working part-time with the university’s athletic department, the town paper, and the Associated Press. Elsa was hired by Allsport (a sports photo agency) soon after graduating in 1996 and continued on as staff photographer following its acquisition by Getty Images in 1998, where she continues to document sports history and actively mentor women and underrepresented photographers. Decades later, Elsa’s genuine passion for bearing witness to some of the greatest moments in sports remains as potent as ever, whether during regular season or finals. Still reveling in her dream job, she approaches each assignment with creativity, compassion, and confidence, always searching for pinnacle moments of athleticism, beauty, and emotion to share with the world.