Photojournalism ballin'

I shot the Wayne State University women’s basketball team in their home game against Wright State Lake on November 21 at 7 p.m. This was my first time attending a WSU sporting event, so in addition to capturing photos, I was happy to get that experience before graduating.

The process of doing a sports journalism assignment was more arduous than my other assignments. I had to obtain permission and written consent from the athletic department and follow guidelines for where I could stand, prohibited use of flash and other rules. I was able to stand beneath the basket, on the sidelines where I did not block fans and in the corners of the gymnasium. The shots I had to capture were action, coach, feature and fan reaction. Action and feature were the easiest photos, as there was constant movement and plays occurring on the court. I was able to take a great action shot at the free-throw line where the ball was in mid-air. The other feature shot I chose was another one where players look up in anticipation of the ball going into the basket.

Capturing the coach shot was difficult because it felt extremely invasive. As the coaches were talking to their team, I was nearly in their faces snapping photos. I was able to get a photo of the coach and the team looking up at the promo video before the game, which came out nice. The fan-shot was difficult as well, not because of the lighting or where I had to stand, but because the fans lacked enthusiasm. There were people spread out throughout the stands with a moderate turn out, and people continued to come as the game went on. However, whenever WSU or Wright State Lake made a basket the cheers were lackadaisical. There was one fan who had pompons and cheered very hard for every play, so he was the gentleman I captured for that photo.

Overall, I enjoyed this assignment because it took me out of my comfort zone again and forced me to move around a lot to get the shots I needed. It was also fun to shoot because of all the action, and the variety of available shots. WSU won the game 88 – 47.

#photojouranlism #basketball #womensbasketball #sports

Players from WSU and Wright State University team watch as an attempted shot from WSU player #3 Nastassja Chambers goes into the basket, advancing the lead. Chambers is a senior from Ypsilanti, Michigan who is a guard for the team. She scored 8 points in the game against Wright State University.

Sadia Johnson, senior, shoots at the free throw line. The Kalamazoo, Michigan native scored the team-best in the last game against Findlay University Johnson at 13-points. She scored 18-points against Wright State University and plays guard for the team.

The Wayne State University women’s basketball team breaks their pre-game huddle to watch a promotional video of their team. The team led by coach, Carrie Lohr played a home game against Wright State Lake University from Celina, Ohio. WSU won 88 – 47.

A fan excitedly cheers for WSU as the women’s team makes another shot increasing the lead against Wright State University. 225 fans attended the game held at the WSU Matthaei Center.