In almost every facet, the Los Angeles Dodgers have evolved since the year 1985.
Four World Series titles have been won, superstars have come and gone, and the city of Los Angeles as a whole has dealt with so many ups and downs.
Through it all, Jon SooHoo has been behind the lens.
SooHoo is the Dodgers team photographer and has been with the organization for 41 years. He is a fifth generation Asian-American, grew up just minutes away from Dodger Stadium and has documented many eras of the team that is growing into MLB’s model franchise.
Ahead of the Dodgers’ June 19 game versus the Baltimore Orioles, I sat with SooHoo in the field level stands to get to know more about his photography journey, how he’s been able to hold onto his passion for so long and what it’s been like covering such an iconic team.
The full interview is on the Dodgers Nation YouTube channel for those that prefer visual forms.
Magic of a Dodgers Team Photographer
“I’m documenting it the same way I documented back in 1985.”
Whether you’ve been to a game in person, watched on television or even scrolled through clips on social media, you have likely noticed Jon SooHoo on the field capturing photos at some point during your fandom. From the pregame festivities until the final out and celebration following a game, SooHoo is always ready to capture the most defining moments of this team.
He first joined the team’s staff in 1985, and now over three months into the 2026 season, he knows his way around quite well.
“I just want to make sure my parking is all set,” SooHoo said with a smile. “I get here so early that I make sure I’m all comfortable where I put my car and just being able to come to this place is amazing.”
“There’s no agenda, just trying to do one day at a time.”
That mindset has allowed SooHoo to be a part of and capture so much history for the fanbase to hold on to for generations to come.
Six years into the 2020s, we are experiencing what is being called the “Golden Era” of Dodgers baseball, and he is grateful to have witnessed the rise of this organization being able to invest into so many talented players.
“That also has been an amazing part of this whole journey, because when you are in it day by day, you don’t really recognize these are very good people that are in your face every day,” SooHoo explained. “’We’ve had some really good players come through here, and each team has been good and the results are the results, but the fact that we have won it the last two in a row and we’ve been pretty dominant in the 2020s, that’s pretty cool.”
“I go back to 2004, which was another wonderful team, and I go by relationships with the people too, not necessarily just the hardcore results.”
In a technology-driven world that has seen the media landscape develop at a rate faster than ever, SooHoo has never gotten away from his bread and butter.
The Dodgers have invested plenty of funds into their digital team, much like their roster, but the team has recognized what makes SooHoo so special as a photographer, and he’s continued his job in a similar manner as he did in the 1980s.
“When I started, we had a plethora of magazines and poster companies and trading cards were just getting started,” SooHoo said. “The team photographer job was never looked upon as that big of a deal. It was usually used for newspapers or magazines. They all had the love and they were getting all the bigger money.”
“The landscape has changed so much and for me, I’ve just tried to maintain. I’m not doing video, I’m not doing anything outside of my normal taking pictures of the game and life as a team photographer and I think that’s all I really really want to do.”
Shohei Ohtani Effect
SooHoo has been able to witness Shohei Ohtani’s first two seasons with the Dodgers up close and personal and the two have shared some amazing moments.
Ohtani’s greatest games through these past two championship runs have been captured by SooHoo’s camera, and being a fifth generation Asian-American, it was special for him to see the impact that Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto all have during the team’s international trips.
“It’s not nationwide, it’s worldwide, their allure is amazing,” SooHoo said. “Not only in Japan, but when we went to Korea in 2024, that was amazing. You see more Asian love and that’s really cool to see.”
In some of SooHoo’s pictures of Ohtani these past two years, he’s caught him in some light-hearted situations. Whether he’s messing around with other teammates, letting out a hearty laugh during his workouts or just sharing a smile with himself, Ohtani has been able to show his personality on a larger stage with the Dodgers.
“He’s (Ohtani) just a regular dude, it’s wonderful. He’s got a great personality, great sense of humor and is just skilled beyond compare.”
Now that SooHoo has documented the beginning of the Ohtani experience in Dodger blue, he has his own wish for a future MLB star similar to the Unicorn.
“I’m really hoping that an Asian-American player has the same ability to, you know, perform like Sho does, but from an American perspective, we’re going through our little leagues and going through our version of American life. That time will come like everything else.”
Jon SooHoo’s Journey
Most of SooHoo’s days are spent at Dodger Stadium and it’s an area he’s very familiar with.
“It’s pretty amazing to be born in White Memorial right down the street,” said SooHoo. “I was raised in Silver Lake. It’s just amazing just to be alive at this point in time because the game will go on whether I’m here or not.”
“I’m glad I could have a good mark of history by recording it, but I know the game will go right by me once I’m gone. Just like everybody else, no one’s safe, the game is still the game.”
SooHoo first fell in love with photography when he was young thanks to the Los Angeles Coliseum, the home of the USC Trojans.
“I had been there to see USC home games as a kid with my folks because they were season ticket holders,” SooHoo said. “So when I was able to walk down that big tunnel at the coliseum with my gear on my shoulder, the players were just massive.”
“The Raiders played there also so I shot down the walkway with them. That became very promising, considering that my path for college was gerontology which is not something I really pursued academically.”
Taking It Season by Season
Now that Jon SooHoo has been with the Dodgers for over 41 seasons, I had to pose the question to him: How much more does he have left in the tank?
Will he ride out the next seven years of Ohtani’s contract?
Could he see how he feels after a potential three-peat this season?
Here was his answer:
“I’m going to be 64 in July. So if I can make it to the end of this contract, that puts me at what, 71? I don’t know if I can do that. I’ll just go day by day because I’ve been still playing basketball, trying to do what I can to stay as healthy as I can. I don’t eat beef, chicken, or pork, for 10 years now. I’m doing what I can to keep myself up and moving and we’ll see where God takes us.”
