Under the bright lights of the Ken Gunn Stadium, junior Joaquin Sanchez kneels against the turf with his camera in hand, ready to capture the energy on the football field through his lens. With a click of a button and a bright flash, he snaps raw emotions of the players on the field into a photo that tells a story.
Sanchez, a freelance photographer, began shooting events and action sport shots earlier this year. After experiencing the love people had for his photos, he made an instagram account this April, @jsnchz.media, to showcase his sports photography, which received almost 140 followers in the span of a few months.
“Just seeing pictures, and photography, in general, it was really [interesting] to me,” Sanchez said. “I got a lot of people reaching out to me [now], from other teams, and [they are] like, ‘Oh, your pictures are really cool.’”
Sanchez’s first gig began at his friend’s soccer tournament, called the Pats Cup. He took pictures for the youth team Pateadores, taking his first steps into professional photography.
“Just being able to experience [being] on the field and posting the action [on social media] [is] really cool,” Sanchez said. “A big dream would be to be a photographer [for] the NFL, or [Major Leagues in] soccer.
As he rose in popularity through his photos, Sanchez viewed photography as more than a money making gig. He found a way to connect with people and tell their stories, capturing moments beyond the sidelines.
“[Gaining popularity] was definitely a happy moment for me. It was cool that other people, not just people I know, were admiring my work and thought that it was good,” Sanchez said.
Not only has Sanchez seen his own improvement, he has grown in others’ eyes as well. His photography friend, junior Christopher Deckard, has known Sanchez for almost a year and a half. He has been there ever since Sanchez picked up a camera, teaching him basics like exposure, autofocus settings, how to frame shots and editing techniques.
“I feel that he’s come a long way because I’ve seen his images from when he first started. Compared to now there’s been a big improvement,” Deckard said.
