Courtesy of Ian Johnson
Junior Ian Johnson captures senior Daniel Jadali going up with contact in a basketball game against Lynbrook High School on Jan 31.
This past season, football fans could see junior Navya Chawla crouched with her camera on the sidelines of the field at Benny Pierce Stadium firing off rapid shots as the Falcons battled against opponents. Four months later, another student photographer, junior Ian Johnson, focused his lens on the basketball court, documenting every moment of the team’s last game, preserving the memories long after the season’s end.
Expanding the photography club through the lens of sports.
What once began as a COVID hobby for Chawla has now morphed into a passion for photography and film, which she explores through various mediums. While she originally focused more on still life and natural photography, Chawla eventually gained interest in capturing the sports teams as they progressed throughout their seasons.
As part of her interest in the craft, she has taken the lead in steering the school’s photography club.
“As I was encouraging the members to photograph different school events, I noticed that there wasn’t much coverage on sports photography, which is a big part of our school culture, so I wanted to bring more exposure to that aspect of the school.”
Courtesy of Navya Chawla
The football team lines up, ready for their first home game of the season.
Chawla is also involved in the Media Arts Program and is set to be the MAP student president for the upcoming year. She has used the program’s professional-grade cameras and lenses to further her photography and videography skills.
With her ASB card and camera, Chawla is allowed into nearly every sports event across campus, allowing her to get close to players to get the best shot.
Sports photography often proves more challenging than other types due to the dynamic motion of athletes, which makes capturing the perfect shot more difficult.
To counteract this, Chawla explained that photographers usually adjust the lighting and sharpness of the pictures during the editing process to achieve the best possible photos.
Navya has 200 followers on Instagram page, navyas.flix, as she continues to share her passion for photography with those around her.
Courtesy of Navya Chawla
Senior Rylee Adler readies herself to score for the Girls Varsity Basketball senior night.
Junior Ian Johnson receives photography commissions
Johnson, also MAP student and aspiring film major, dabbles in sports photography as well. Snapping shots of athletes in action, he captures their quick motion on the field.
Johnson saved up for his first professional camera last year and decided to expand his lens past videography. Since he regularly attended SHS sports games, he found it easy to begin photographing his fellow athletes in action.
Soon, he began receiving professional requests for photos by nearby athletes and teams through his Instagram, ijflix.07, and his LinkedIn. He typically charges between $20 and $40 per session, depending on the number of photos required.
In order to streamline his process, Johnson has developed his own methods to guarantee the best angles and most likelihood of getting a good shot.
Using his knowledge of sports, Johnson tries to anticipate the perfect shots. Tracking the ball with his camera and focusing on the goal when he expects someone to score, he is often able to capture the best moments of the game.
Courtesy of Ian Johnson
Under the bright gym lights on senior night, senior Steven Ning lines up at the free-throw line, eyes locked on the basket.
Due to the complex nature of sports photography, Johnson often finds himself taking up to 3,000 photos each game. After that, he has to cherry-pick the best ones, which he then edits and sends to his clients.
“[Quality cameras] make a huge impact,” Johnson said. “But, at the end of the day, if you take a professional using a bad camera versus an amateur using a really good camera, the professional is still going to get a better photo.”
Ultimately, Johnson finds that sports photography only acts as an extension of his love for sports. Oftentimes, his friends are the ones playing in the games, and it allows him to capture their triumphs while cheering them on in the crowd.
“When the games are nail biters, I can actually cheer and have a good time while like them capturing that energy,” Johnson said. “It’s like giving a gift to somebody. Seeing the players’ reactions [to my photos] just makes it all worth it.”
