Professional midget wrestler Tony “Teo” Elliott of Lake Station, Ind., leaves the field at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago after throwing out the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game against the Texas Rangers, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Elliott stars in the new Spike TV series Half Pint Brawlers.

With the start of the latest incarnation of my web site and this blog, I’m going to make a vow to be honest with all of you here, even if it puts me in a less-than-favorable light. So, here comes the first morsel of truth: I’d be lying if I said I looked forward to each and every photo assignment I do. I fantasize about a world where every assignment was like the favorites I’ve done, from following Willy the pyromaniac at Willy Works blowing stuff up next to his store around July 4th, to holding a camera above my head in a Stearman biplane shooting the pilot behind me doing loops over Lake Michigan.

I could definitely handle assignments like that on a daily basis. Oh, and they’d all be in gorgeous golden magic-hour light! Reality, unfortunately, is often far less fantastic. Like many photojournalists, I’ve shot my share of people sitting around a table talking blankly against grey walls lit with fluorescent lights. Sometimes, in those situations, you have to chalk it up and do your best to shoot the cleanest images you can, and call it day.

So, last week, still sunburned and sore from the Indy 500, I was pleased when a unique assignment came down the pipe. The Half Pint Brawlers, stars of a new Spike TV series with the same name, were throwing out the first pitch at the White Sox baseball game at U.S. Cellular Field up in the city. Tony “Teo” Elliott, one of the cast members, is a native of nearby Lake Station, Indiana. The assignment was simple: Cover Teo and crew enjoying their moment in the spotlight at the ball game.

The Half Pint Brawlers, as their namesake implies, are professional midget wrestlers. Wait a minute, did I just drop the m-word? Don’t worry about my lack of political correctness, for the Half Pint Brawlers write off midget as just another word. Don’t believe me? One look at the back of their business card will confirm that these guys are light-hearted and ready to have a good time and make people laugh, even if slightly at their own expense.

I tagged along with the crew just as they finished their dinner at the Jim Beam Club at The Cell. White Sox PR staff escorted us onto the field just before the game for the ceremonial first pitches. As the guys warmed up their throwing arms and readied themselves to take the mound, I saw their reserved personas slowly give way to child-like enthusiasm. You could see in their eyes that they were all genuinely happy to be there, and all this on the eve of the premiere of their first national television show – I’d be happy too!

Professional midget wrestler Tony “Teo” Elliott (left) of Lake Station, Ind., helps fellow wrestler Steve “Puppet” Richardson of Chicago, Ill., loosen up his throwing arm prior to throwing out the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game.

I suppose that’s an interesting note about this assignment and why I enjoyed it. Being invited into moments people will remember for a life time is something that never gets old, and something that can only be experienced in a limited number of careers. The happier people are in front of my camera, the happier I am behind it, and the more that assignment inches just a little bit closer to that list of fantasy shoots in my mind.

Professional midget wrestler Tony “Teo” Elliott (bottom right) of Lake Station, Ind., talks with Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen (left) prior to throwing out the first pitch.

Professional midget wrestlers (from left) Tony “Teo” Elliott of Lake Station, Ind., Jake “Turtle” Colyer of Chicago, Ill., and Steve “Puppet” Richardson, also of Chicago, throw out the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game against the Texas Rangers at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

Professional wrestlers (from left) Jake “Turtle” Colyer of Chicago, Ill., Tony “Teo” Elliott of Lake Station, Ind., and Steve “Puppet” Richardson, also of Chicago, talk with White Sox pitcher John Danks after throwing out the first pitch.