Many of you have seen pictures taken by student photographers at school sporting events, but how do those pictures actually come about? To answer this question, The Crusader interviewed Moeller Junior Hunter Ross and Senior Brayden Finn about what it takes to be a good photographer at Moeller games.

Crusader: How did you start photography?

Ross: I picked up one of my parents’ old cameras from 2007 and started taking pictures of anything I could. I was inspired by some of my friends that did photography, and I thought it looked like a fun hobby.

Finn: I’ve only been doing photography for a few months now, but it has been great. I always had an interest in photography but never thought to become a photographer until earlier this year. I was at a Moeller football game, and I saw a few people on the field, and it looked pretty fun. I bought a cheap camera and started taking some pictures for the basketball team.

Crusader: What does the average game you photograph look like?

Ross: I arrive a little early to get warmup photos. Then I try to find a good angle to shoot from. Then I try to capture any good action I can. I also try to keep an eye out for the bench and coaches because they always make good photos if there’s a lot of emotion going on in a high stakes game.

Finn: I show up about twenty minutes before game time for basketball so I can get some pregame warmups. I usually try to move around as much as possible so that I can have a bunch of different types of photos. I also constantly change my settings on my camera during the game so that not every photo is the exact same.

Crusader: How many games have you photographed at this year?

Ross: Twenty-two games total—one cross country meet, seven football games, eight basketball games, one wrestling meet, one rugby game, and four track meets.

Crusader: What are your favorite games to photograph and why?

Finn: My favorite game that I’ve done this year was St. X, for sure. The crowd was crazy, Moeller was playing great, and I got a bunch of great pictures.

Crusader: What does it take to get a perfect photograph?

Ross: A couple of things need to come together for a perfect photo. The picture needs to be sharp, meaning the subject is in perfect focus and there is no motion blur. It needs to be a genuine moment, especially in sports photography. Like a picture of a guy coming up for a dunk. I think it’s better if you can see their face, but I think a big moment makes a great photo, whether that be the dunk, or the bench celebrating, or the coach cheering. Freezing that moment is the most important part.

Hunter Ross and Brayden Finn on Moeller Photography