I’ll be the first to admit it: my soccer career peaked in elementary school, and even then, I was mostly just there for the post-game snacks. Everything I know about the "beautiful game" today basically comes from Ted Lasso, which is to say I know a lot about team spirit and very little about the offside rule.


But that’s exactly why I started the Photographing Every Sport series. I wanted to see if I could walk onto a sideline, totally out of my element, and still find the story.

Athletes compete in a track and field relay race with runners passing batons on an outdoor stadium track.

Lights, Camera, Action (Literally)


The setting for this one was Clark Field—a Dickinson vs. Gettysburg matchup. This was my first time ever shooting under stadium lights, and it was a total rush. There’s a specific kind of drama that happens when the sun goes down and the floodlights kick in. It turns the pitch into a stage.


I was shooting with my Canon R6 Mark II and the 70-200mm. It’s my go to set up for literally almost everything, weddings, sports, portraits it doesn't matter this has been my set up. I personally love the versatility of the lens and I love the look of compression when zoomed in. With it being able to shoot at f2.8 that was going to be a must to capture this night time game.

Soccer players compete for the ball in an intense aerial challenge during a match under dramatic dark skies.

Getting a "portfolio Worthy" photo even in a 0-0 tie.


The game ended in a 0-0 draw. On paper, a scoreless tie might sound like a "quiet" night for a photographer, no goal celebrations, no massive pile-ons. But soccer is a game of inches and air.My favorite shot of the night (the header you see here) happened because I stopped worrying about the scoreboard and started focusing on the physicality. When you get low to the ground and watch these athletes compete for a ball in the air, you see the intensity that a box score misses. It’s vibrant, it’s crisp, and it’s high-energy—even if the scoreboard never moved.

Soccer players in red and white uniforms compete for the ball during a nighttime match near the goal area.

The Sideline Life


Every school handles their fields differently. I’ve covered games at John Hopkins and Dickinson, but Gettysburg has these massive protective nets behind the goals. Let me tell you, when you’re looking through a viewfinder, losing all peripheral vision, those nets are a godsend. It’s the difference between getting the shot and getting leveled by a stray ball. Which helps a lot because I can photograph teh game straight on rather than off to the side. This allows me to capture the players faces a lot clearer, plus half the time the refs won't let you be there without the nets.

Soccer player in red jersey slides on green turf field during match action sequence.

The "North Star" vs. The Climb

A lot of people ask what the end goal is for a series like this. If we’re talking about the "North Star," the dream is the Olympics or standing on the sidelines at Ford Field for the Detroit Lions. Those are the peaks.


But you don't get to those stages without appreciating the grind of a Tuesday night match in October. There’s a different kind of pride in documenting the climb. Dropping into a massive championship for a day is an adrenaline rush, but sticking with a team through the scoreless ties and the mid-season hustle is where you really learn how to be a storyteller.

Soccer players compete on a green field during a night match with stadium lights illuminating the action.

Your Next Sports Photographer

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