Written by: Amara Forsyth
“Whenever something happens, I’m always getting the photo!” For Kassidy White, a Seton Hill student intern, the magic of capturing a raw moment is unmatched. “I usually don’t make specific plans on what moments I’m going to capture before the game,” she explained, “I usually like to get a balance of action and candid photos because candids are sometimes not seen during the game, and it’s nice to capture those for the players.”
One of her favorite recent subjects includes the Seton Hill Women’s Lacrosse team. “I love the team’s energy,” she said. “It’s also a sport that I’m learning as I photograph, so it has been a cool experience.”
“This one I love because it captures the energy you get from the team. I love getting the moments after the players score a goal,” said White, “I also love to get creative with sports photography and take photos that people wouldn’t typically think of in sports.”
“One of the challenges sometimes for me is being in the right spot for the exact moment because sometimes you don’t know what play is about to happen,” said White, explaining that a referee or umpire may obscure her camera. “I take so many photos, so it takes a bit of time to go through and edit. I just want to make sure that I’m capturing every moment because you don’t know what’s about to happen.”
From highlight reels to post-game interviews and milestone moments, Apollo Barron, a second-year student, brings a visually engaging approach to Seton Hill sports coverage. “What makes our videos stand out–our weekly highlight reels, our Gameday hype videos, our postgame interviews, our mini mic mondays–you don’t see what we do anywhere else in the PSAC.”
“I gotta focus on actually getting the film first,” Barron explained. “It can really pay off to make those gameday hype videos, it helps drum up more hype for the next game, and it also gives recognition to the feats of the athletes who won that game.”
“It also really pays off to stay informed and do your research, or just be in-the-know when it comes to athletics, because it can make highlights that much more significant,” said Barron.
“Someone reaches a big milestone, like Grace Agnello hitting 100 career goals” or “Mia Kalich got into the top 10 for most single season steals in the PSAC all-time, and I was able to make a little video highlighting that because I kept track of that stat towards the end of the season,” Barron Stated.
“It helps a lot when you have had such creative minds on the team since the beginning of the program,” said Barron. “There’s quality, significance, purpose, and collaboration.”
His attention to detail is clear, especially when comparing livestream footage to the shots he captures. “4K, 60FPS film from a quality camera taken at a good angle will usually stand out from your average livestream clip,” he said, referencing the livestream clip of Kedrick Curtis’s buzzer-beater back in November and his recording of the same play.
Being close to the athletes makes a difference, too. “It makes things like hype videos and especially interviews that much better because I’m able to work with them so easily,” said Barron.
Both interns are already looking to the future, now having valuable experience and a surplus of content for their portfolios.
“I plan on getting a job in graphic design with a company, preferably in Pittsburgh,” said White. “On the side, I have my freelance business where I’ll still be doing photography and graphic design services,” later continuing, “I definitely feel this internship is helping me get to what I want to do,” she said, adding that “it also has allowed me to grow in my photography and graphic design abilities.”
“The PSAC holds and will hold a special place in my heart,” said Barron. “I would love to continue working in sports media, whether that be through camerawork, editing, announcing, or commentating.”
“This internship gives me an opportunity to gain years of experience before I graduate, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have been given.” Barron plans to return in the Fall – and he’s not done leveling up.