On August 16, high school senior Shelby Kessler job shadowed Prost Amerika photographer Max Aquino as the Sounders defeated Orlando City FC 4-0. This is a glimpse into her first day.
High school senior Shelby Kessler at her first day as a Sounders photographer. Photo by Max Aquino
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got the opportunity.
My name is Shelby Kessler. I am going into my senior year at Connell High School, which is in Eastern Washington, about 40 miles North of the Tri-Cities. Max is one of my counselors at a summer camp called N-Sid-Sen on Lake Coeur D’Alene. This past summer, he taught a focus group on sports photography, showing us what makes a good shot, different techniques, how to set camera settings, etc. He also took each of us out on the boats to take pictures of the wakeboarders and innertubers. I expressed great interest in photography and he looked into opportunities for me to job shadow him for a game.
Was the job what you expected? What was different?
To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what it was I expected. I’d never been to a professional game for any sport before – that was a whole new experience in itself. I did not expect it to be as difficult as it was, though. I found myself struggling to follow the ball and the players and wondered how you learned to keep up with such a fast paced game. I realized how easy it was to miss photo opportunities and have to reset yourself in order to get your flow back.
I think the entire workflow was different than what I thought it would be. Max had talked a little bit at camp about how he stays late some nights in order to get everything in on time, but I don’t think that really registered with me until I was sitting with him after the game in the press box watching him narrow down his pictures, edit them and submit the best ones, all before he went home.
What are a few things you learned?
I learned a tremendous amount in those short few hours I spent with Max. I learned how to frame a shot better and when the best time to snap your picture is. I also learned that communication is key; it’s important to know who the writers want shots of for their articles.
An early lesson on the day was learning how to find the shot, even with shadows creeping onto the field and referees drifting in and out of the camera frame.
What did you like best about the job?
I think what I liked most about the job is being right there for the action and the amount of focus it took to do the job efficiently. You had to be on your toes and know what was going on at all times, and it’s exciting!
Shelby’s photo of Obafemi Martins was featured in the match photo recap.
What did you like least?
What I liked least about the job was the amount of kneeling I did. It was killer on my knees and I was definitely sore the next couple of days.
Lamar Neagle later, at a fan event, remarked how impressed he was that this photo was taken by a high school student. He autographed a copy of it as a gift to Shelby.
Did you have a good time? Has it changed how you feel about sports photography?
I had an amazing time shadowing Max! It was a once in a lifetime experience for me and I could not be more grateful. At this point, I’m not sure how I feel about sports photography as a career, but I can see myself going to some of the different sporting events at my high school and experimenting with it more!
I’m so thankful for this experience and to everyone who made it possible for me to shadow Max. Everyone I met was so nice and welcoming to me. It was wonderful to have a real look into what a sport photographer’s day is like and how everything comes together in the end. There are no words to describe how proud I felt when I realized what a good shot I took and seeing it in one of the articles. Photography is something I see myself doing for the rest of my life.
Prost photographer Max Aquino with student Shelby Kessler. Photo courtesy of Mike Russell.