DANIEL MAZZARELLA

It was 2010 in Buenos Aires. The concrete stadium trembled under my feet as tens of thousands of fans bounced to the relentless drumbeat of La Bombanera. The roar was deafening when Boca Juniors scored; and in front of me, amongst the crowd, a woman wrapped her arm around her elderly father, their matching jerseys moving in unison as they sang with the rest of the stadium. 

That moment solidified what drives me to this day: capturing the raw emotion of tribes, the determination that drives an athlete’s journey, and the fleeting seconds where everything aligns. My work is shaped by the drama of sport and the inspiration I draw from light, cinema, and music. Together, they guide me to create images that not only tell a story but make you feel it..

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working commercially with clients like Nike, Medibank, NAB, Lexus, Pepsi, Uber Eats, and many others. One of my proudest achievements was serving as the official photographer for the Australian Football Team from 2015 to 2018. During that time, I self-published Honour The Dream—a six-week visual journey through the Socceroos’ 2018 World Cup campaign in Russia, a true collision of my two greatest passions: football and photography. More recently, I’ve been called back to work with the Socceroos, granted an all-access pass as the team ramps up preparations for the 2026 World Cup in the USA—an incredible opportunity to continue documenting their evolving story from the inside.

My mixing pot for the best work comes from enthusiastic planning, a bit of gear obsession, a healthy dose of light-chasing chaos, trusting my gut, collective courage, and several coffees—hopefully not in that order. Held together with just the right amount of gaff tape and problem solving, it’s sure to be one hell of a shoot.

Based out of Melbourne, Australia but working globally, I’m passionate about the agony and the ecstasy of sport, the human connection it fosters, and the stories waiting to be told.