Written by: Ariel Connell, staff writer
While the football players get the recognition they deserve, sports photographers are out there working just as hard for their craft.
As football season comes to an end, it is important to recognize the accomplishments of everyone on the field. The players, coaches, and trainers do amazing, but so do the photographers. These students lack the proper credit they deserve for these amazing photos they produce. From the hours spent taking photos at games to the behind the scenes of editing all while balancing their schoolwork, these photographers are extraordinarily talented.
Keaton Pilliter (11)
Keaton Pilliter has been doing photography for 5 years who became inspired by his mother, who is also a sports photographer. He uses a Sony A280 to take photos, “which is definitely not recommended but I make it work,” he claims. He edits his photos using adobe lightroom to give them a softer and welcoming feel, as his favorite part about taking pictures is the environment. “The passion these players carry [is my favorite part]. You can tell they want to be here and for some they’re playing for more than just the game,” Pilliter explains. On Instagram, he shares his love for these photos, you can check out his page @shot_by_keaton. Shown here are some of his personal favorites:
Samantha Reed (11)
This is Samantha Reed’s first year taking photos for football. As the editor in chief for the yearbook, “Sami” bought her first camera. However, after taking some photos, it shifted into “something [she] genuinely loved doing”. She uses the Canon R7 and Canon 80D, with her favorite lens being the 70-200mm, specifically because “it’s perfect for sports” according to Reed. At first, she never edited the photos but recently she has been editing them while still, as she puts it, “keeping the moments real and authentic”. You can check out her website samijoyphotoco.mypixieset.com or her photo account on instagram @picsbysamijoy.
Allurabella Chandler (11)
Allurabella Chandler has been involved in photography for years now, bringing her camera everywhere she goes. A huge inspiration of hers is her mom; “She taught me all I know about it” she expresses. Before she started photographing football games, “Bella”, was “thankful enough to have a spotlight article on a football game” assigned to her. That was when her passion for taking photos really flourished. She uses a Canon camera and her Macbook to edit the photos; she “does not edit the photos very much”, as she feels that “just light photoshop is needed”. Chandler’s favorite part of being on the field is getting to create art that the players appreciate, and to be close to the game. She does not have a website, but here are some of her photographs below:
Aalyia Staley (12)
Aalyia Staley has been at almost every football game, working hard to ensure the students and players get the photos they deserve. She began her career to open her experience with different types of photography. She takes over 400 photos at a single game, using one camera for close-ups and another for those far-away action pictures. She has been taking photos before she was in high school, and has continued this journey for over 7 years. After football season, she plans on photographing most sports and continuing personal photography outside of school. Her favorite part is “being with the team and feeling the energy and passion”.
With such passion for capturing moments, it is no surprise to see the professionalism in the photos above. They all are dedicated to their craft and create beautiful snippets of time in each picture. If you see any of them on campus, be sure to thank them for their hard work. Without them all events would be purely in the moment.