He jumps over the line and scores the touchdown…CLICK! She springs off the gym floor and scores the three… SNAP!! They are able to push their flier into the air into a perfect formation… FLASH! Atholton sports photography is taking the school by a storm with the rise of new photographers.
It is nearly impossible to think about sports photography without Atholton Sports coming to mind. Atholton Sports is an Instagram account started by Kush Kommula, a recent graduate of Atholton, that highlights sports and athletes in the limelight through photography.
Both Kush, and the current owner of the Instagram account sophomore Gauthier Ducharne (commonly known as Gucciflics) edit sports photos to show off the athletes and provide updates about upcoming sporting events.
The account is widely known at Atholton, with around 2,200 followers. Ducharne explained, “[Kush] needed someone he could trust to continue posting in the Atholton Sports account so I upgraded cameras and I knew he could teach me some things before he graduated.”
As soon as Kommula graduated, there were many people that began taking sports photos and speculators believe that they are trying to “fill his shoes.” Photography accounts at Atholton include @shots_by_om and @producedbycam_.
Another photography account at Atholton, @MdwsPhotos run by junior Josh Meadows, has around 150 followers. Meadows explained that rather than competition, sports photography provides recognition for the athletes.
Meadows stated, “There is no filling shoes, we are just taking photos.” In the eyes of the photographers, they care about recognition of athletes. It isn’t about competition for them but really about, “our athletes getting great exposure” said Kommula.
Sports photography provides exposure for the athletes, but it allows them to receive necessary recognition as well. Senior at Atholton, Om Kanthan, also known as @shot_by_om, photographs for JV sports.
Kanthan explained that he shoots for JV because, “JV in my opinion, never gets the love they deserve. I prefer shooting JV because no one ever gives them attention.” By taking photos of the JV players, they are able to be recognized for their hard work and dedication that they haven’t received in the past.
In addition, more people are drawn to the games and provide support because of the overall publicity. Sophomore and JV football player, John Emmons, often buys photos from Kanthan at $10 per set.
He went on to say that he enjoys having the photos for friends and family as well as “it publicizes the team more and gets people to come to the games.”
Some of the photographers at Atholton charge money for their photos whereas some do not. Atholton senior, Cam Williams (@producedbycam) claimed, “It depends on the person because I have better relationships with certain people so I wouldn’t mind doing free work for them, especially if they have done me a favor before.”
Sports photography, naturally, becomes competitive in terms of pricing. Kanthan explained that he charges around $10 to cover “the time spent and the cost of the equipment.” It is a common theme for the photographers with Instagram accounts to charge because of the overwhelming costs of the cameras and equipment needed to shoot photos.
Some coaches are having difficulties with sports photography as it tends to become a distraction for players. Mr. Constantine, math teacher and JV boys soccer coach at Atholton stated, “They don’t say who they are or why they are there, and then because of that lack of communication, because of their presence on the bench, it can be slightly disruptive.”
Constantine then explained that he has never had a photographer ask for permission or let the coaches know in advance that they will be taking photos, but instead they show up on the field, bench, or sidelines.
Constantine went on to explain that it is a positive presence to have, but in the right capacity. It is important to coaches, both JV and varsity, that they feel that their time and their player’s time is being respected and valued.
Varsity football coach and teacher at Atholton Coach Woodson explained that he is very drawn to Atholton sports photography because it shows the coaches in action. It highlights them making adjustments and guiding their players to victory.
Woodson believes that sports photography photos can be used for recruitment. “I would like to have access to the photos, so I can use them for recruiting purposes.” Woodson is requesting that the sports photographers give photos to coaches in order to help the players with college offers.
Players at Atholton don’t find photography to be a distraction when they are playing because they are focused on the game. Varsity baseball player and junior at Atholton Lincoln Mays explained, “I do think about how the pictures will look during the game, but it hasn’t ever been a distraction.” Mays went on to explain that he enjoys having the photos for himself and that it is worth it because of the quality of the photos.
Not only has sports photography at Atholton benefited the players and the coaches, but it has brought everyone together within the sports community. As Coach Woodson shared, “it is always a good idea to capture athletes in action.”
