Concentration

I started taking athletic photos for my friends, not for myself or for class.  People would ask me if I could go to their games or matches to get pictures of them, and, wanting to support my friends as they did something important to them, I went.   My friends where all grateful for the pictures that I took, and taking the photos made me realize a love of photographing athletics. I loved capturing a pivotal moment in a competition and turning it into a work of art.  

My concentration began, unbeknownst to me, one afternoon when my friend Jai Bakshi texted me saying “Hey, can you go to the Hun football game and get pictures of me”.  I responded saying sure, and then my concentration was born with picture 8. After seeing my results, he asked me to go to the next game and get pictures, where I got picture 2.  When my other friends saw my work, some asked me to get pictures of them. I was requested to take pictures at all the home wrestling matches, and then received the honor of attending Wrestling Prep Championships, and photographing my friends compete at one of the highest level possible.  At Prep Championships, I took pictures 3 and 11. Taking all these pictures made me realize that seconds at a time during a intense competition have their own stories that are different than the entire competition’s story. One picture that truly emphasizes this is picture 11 with my friend Shayne tangled up with an opposing wrestler.  The faces from the Blair team in the back add a sense of awe to the photo, showing how impressive of a feat that this was. Taking pictures of the athletics the entire year has allowed me to see more of the work and pain that goes into just a moment of an athletic match, allowing me to show a more of an emotional and human side to the athletics.

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