It all started back in 2015.
I was a senior in high school and one art course away from graduating. My two choices were some kind of drawing and painting class or photography. Since the extent of my artistic capabilities ranged from coloring inside the lines to drawing stick figures, I decided photography may be the better option.
I bought a cheap Canon Rebel T5 kit from amazon and relied on my teacher and a number of YouTube tutorials to figure out how to use it. As the class went on, I realized that I did have a little talent in photography. I was by no means spectacular and my photos weren’t award-winning, but I had this so-called “eye for the camera.” At the time I didn’t understand what that meant, and let’s be honest I still don’t really get the metaphor.
But hey, I’m doing just fine regardless.
Fast forward to August 2016. I’m almost packed for my first year of college at Quinnipiac University, and something told me to take the camera off the shelf and pack it just in case. Little did I know that would be the best decision I ever made.
It would remain on top of my dresser until the end of my first semester when I got an unlikely request. A friend of mine asked if I wanted to take pictures at his intramural hockey game. I never tried shooting sports before so I was definitely nervous, but it was all in good fun so I decided to go for it.
This is where the story gets interesting.
I showed my friend the photos after the game and he was pretty impressed. Other guys on the team said the same thing and couldn’t believe I never photographed sports until this point. After that, intramural hockey became my new favorite thing.
I can’t help but laugh at these photos now because realistically, they are not that great. Many are too dark and blurry or the subject is totally cut out of the frame. At the time, though, it was the only exposure I had to the sports world so I thought they were fantastic.
When sophomore year rolled around, I decided to get more involved on campus to hopefully solidify what exactly I wanted to do with my life after college. I know, I’m only a sophomore at this point. But it’s never too early to start thinking about it.
“The Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network.”
I saw the banner from across the quad during the involvement fair and I knew I had to check it out. Let me give you some context—if there’s one thing I had planned in my life, it’s that I would work in the sports world one day. Obviously a sports club was a good place to start.
I talked with one of the members and as soon as she mentioned photography, it felt like it was meant to be. Next thing I know, I’m in weekly meetings and signing up to shoot every possible sporting event on campus.
QBSN gave me an outlet where I could be exposed to a wide range of sports and shoot three to four games every week.
My skillset grew stronger and my photos came out better after each game. I even got to join Quinnipiac Athletics as a photographer for most of the year when they saw some of my work.
When sophomore year was coming to a close, my search was over—I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. I shot every game with a smile on my face whether it was in 90 degrees or the pouring rain, and I never got bored.
If you told freshman me that I would be here today, I wouldn’t believe you. But I’m so glad I chased down my dream and ended up where I did.
To top it all off, I accepted a photography internship with the Brooklyn Cyclones—the Class-A affiliate of the New York Mets—for the following summer.
But you’ll have to wait until next week’s blog to read about that adventure!
“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.”- Theodore Roosevelt