While growing up, high school football was a big part of my life. I never played a down of organized football at all but found several different ways to follow my hometown Solon Comets. As a middle school student, I often went to games with friends and in high school, I helped the Solon Community Television station crew with televising the games by either serving as a cameraman or play-by-play announcer. Whenever the fall came around, being at a football field on Friday night was always a fun way to start the school year and another season.
In college, I didn't cover as many Friday night games but managed to work on the WOCC-TV3 crew for games or called them for WOBN-FM at Otterbein College. I didn't have as many Friday night games to cover and even though I was two hours away from home, being out in the crisp air helping to cover a game made me feel like I was at home again.
When college was over, I managed to make it to a couple of Solon football games but wanted something a little more. I enjoyed watching the games from the stands but I couldn't always find someone who wanted to go and it was much different then doing play-by-play or working on a TV crew.
About a year after leaving college, I decided to take my camera with me to a Saturday afternoon game Solon was playing to take pictures. The game was at Shaker Heights and with it being sunny, all I wanted to do was take a couple of pictures. Photography had developed into a passion of mine in college and I figured I might as well take some shots if I was going to the game.
Even though it wasn't a Friday night showdown, being on the sideline and taking the photos helped fulfill the emptiness and need to contribute. It helped me get into the game, learn the nuances of doing sports photography and I received a warm reception when I posted the shots on Facebook.
Not too long after that game, I traveled to Hudson for another Solon away game and brought the camera with me again. I managed to get on the sidelines for the game and had as much fun as I did the week before. The pictures received a warm reception again and I was asked if I could come to more games in the future.
In my third season as a photographer for Solon football, combining a childhood passion with my love of photography helped filled the void I had felt when I left college. Taking the pictures each week gives me something to look forward to, gives me an opportunity to do the photography I love and I have enjoyed meeting the players, coaches and parents. Taking the time to combine one passion I wanted to keep apart of my life with another I wanted to do more of has made the world of a difference.
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