From Sideline to Story: Photographing the Simon Kenton Lady Pioneers 2025 Run

Capturing Emotion

This high school soccer season was the first time I really invested my time into following a team. My oldest daughter, Parker, played soccer for the Simon Kenton Lady Pioneers on both the JV and Varsity team and Varsity ended up doing so well they made it all the way to regional finals. Needless to say, as a mom and photographer, I wanted to donate my time to capture photographs of the team out on the field. This gave me a unique perspective as a parent because I not only got to support the girls and cheer them on from the stands but I also got to spend time right next to the field with my camera, watching the girls work extremely hard to win.

So, what is it like photographing the team from the sideline? Well, it's work for sure. Just like any photography job I have to evaluate the time of day, where I'm going to be working and what I am trying to capture. Some of the games are during the day in bright light and I can work with a longer lens that isn't as fast and at lower ISO for crisper shots. Night games are different though because under the lights I use a faster lens, the one I have is 70-200 mm f/2.8 Nikkor. Unlike my 200-500mm lens, with the 70-200 I have to move around the field more to be close to the action. While I have to choose my gear, I also have to anticipate what settings I will need to create the best image, and I work in manual mode, so I am always adjusting due to changes in light. Sometimes the early evening games, as the sun is setting behind the field, can be the hardest to shoot because of all the shadows and continuously changing light.

Understanding and anticipating where to shoot from is the next part of telling the story of the game through my images. Working with different lenses and depths of field allows me to show others what I see from the field. Depending on which zoom lens I am working with, I can capture emotion from right next to the goal if that's where I have posted up, the transition across the field or the intense drive down the sideline. Sometimes the strength and determination of a player throwing the ball in and the fight to gain control of a corner kick that has been launched right in front of the goal produces more emotion than anything else on the field. I also love seeing the celebration after a beautiful kick into the goal and even the deep sadness after an incredibly hard loss.

This year I have seen Simon Kenton Lady Pioneers fight really hard, love and celebrate and also have a whole lot of fun. From the laughs and encouragement during warmups to the prayers before games, these ladies prepared for every game encouraging their teammates from the seniors down to the freshman. The seniors took the freshman under their wing and worked hard together to build trust and understanding. A battle is never won or lost alone. Pat Summit said, "To me, teamwork is a lot like being part of a family. It comes with obligations, entanglements, headaches, and quarrels. But the rewards are worth the cost." The Simon Kenton Lady Pioneers became a family. They worked hard on and off the field supporting each other and growing together. The memories, love and strength they developed throughout the season will last a lifetime.

Do I know everything to document the games perfectly every time? No. Photography is art and I develop skills and understanding every day through study and by using the resources I have, including other photographers that I meet, every day. I have met many photographers and journalists this year and have learned a great deal from them about photography and photojournalism. Some of the lessons included how the moisture in air affects the crispness of the photos. Sometimes the photos look as though they are a mirage in the desert, each pixel taking on a soft bubble quality. This completely aggravated me during those sunny, hot and humid games in August where I thought it would be so easy to get beautifully crisp images of the players racing across the field. I also learned that newer cameras have flicker reduction that can help with lighting during night games. After a game on a new field and struggling to get all the images lit the same, speaking with Marc Figgins helped me sort out the light flickering issue I was experiencing within just a few minutes and saved me many images and hours of editing. Never hesitate to lift one another up and help colleagues in need. We are all learning every day and I hope I can help someone down the road as I have been helped this year.

Producing and delivering the final product is sometimes the most rewarding part of this job. After their final game fighting for the regional title, I shot 2023 photos, it took me about 5 hours to edit, and I delivered 357 images to the team before 1 am the following day. Marren Goetz, a senior on the Simon Kenton team, told me that she checked every day to see if I had posted new photos of the team's games. I felt a great responsibility to the girls to give them this gift of memories of their year together on the soccer field. Overall, I was able to deliver 3637 photographs documenting everything from each of the players portraits, introductions, action shots, prayer circles, coach Hillary Johnson's pregame and halftime talks, emotional wins, awards and their final game and special moments throughout the year. In a few weeks, the team will celebrate all of their accomplishments at their team banquet, and I am sure the emotions will be high. I'd like to thank these ladies for allowing me to capture all of these precious memories - may they remember them always.

Cheers!

Mary Rose