A Defensive End and a Linebacker Share Insights About Connections Between Playing Football and Creating Images

After photographing an AIC football game, Professor Nordell asked two Visual and Digital Arts Majors to reflect on the connections between playing football and creating images.  Defensive End Trevor Catlin and Linebacker Terrell Wallace had recently completed their Midterm Portfolios in Digital Photography 1.

Let's start with Trevor's report:

Being a student-athlete is definitely challenging, and being a student and being an athlete are totally different in what they present. However, there are some are some similarities and connections. In this case, creating images/being a student photographer is going to be compared to being a football player.

Trevor Catlin - Photo by Professor Nordell

Creating images and being a football player definitely have some connections. The connections aren’t physically, but definitely mentally. In football, I have to think of what I have to do to get the job done. I have to adjust to how the other team plays. I have to think of what moves I’m going to use to win in pass rush. I have to learn the new plays and execute them. If not, we start the play all over in practice. Therefore, there is a lot of trial and error in football, especially during the preparation for the game. Creating images is also a good example of trial and error. I have to adjust to the weather. A sunny day can be best window light portraits, freeze motion pictures, etc. I have to adjust the settings in order to get the perfect picture for the assignment. The trial and error can come with thinking of the perfect picture too. You can take a picture and may not like it, or it can be the perfect picture. Football and creating images are very similar in preparation.

Heavy Tobacco Use is a Known Risk Factor for Opioid Addiction - Photo by Trevor Catlin

The images I created in class weren’t easy to take. It took a lot of trial and error. My “I Have a Dream” picture is a great example of that. My idea was to create an image of an illuminated fist surrounded by darkness. I probably took and deleted around 30 pictures. At first, I turned off the main light in my room and tried to use the light from outside as the source. That didn’t work out too well because my camera kept saying subject too dark or the picture just didn’t come out right. I took a break because I was getting a little frustrated.

Trevor Catlin - Photo by Professor Nordell

I turned on my desk light to adjust the settings before I started taking pictures again. I began adjusting the shutter speed and aperture. After every adjustment I took a picture. One of the pictures was of my lamp and it sparked some hope for me. The picture showed the light source of my lamp surrounded by total darkness. Therefore, I beamed the light from the lamp on my fist as much as I could. I started taking pictures. I noticed I was getting closer and closer to getting the perfect impact, but the background was a little illuminated because I had light grey sheets. I put a dark grey blanket in the background and adjusted my camera angle so that not much of the potentially illuminated background could be seen. Three more pictures in and I got the perfect one. This image was just what I was looking for and I was so proud of myself for taking it and not giving up.

I Have a Dream - Photo by Trevor Catlin

And now, let's hear from Terrell:

There are many connections between creating images and playing football. When creating images and playing football you have to find your sense of self and your own style. When playing football you have to find what your good at and you make the best at it working hard and making different plays in the game. When creating images you have to find what your good at and you have to work hard on the little things to help create a better picture. They both take hard work and they both take the individual to find what they are good at, to exploit their talents.

Terrell Wallace Celebrates a Tackle - Photo by Professor Nordell

Game planning for a game and the creative process are similar in many different ways. When planning for a game you take on different aspects from your team, the opposing team and yourself, to help create the best game plan to win. It is like the creative process because when taking a picture you have to account for many different things in your environment of the picture and also you have to account for the many different techniques in pictures and your camera settings. They both take careful planning and work to get the best out of everything. Also with the creative process and when game planning there will be many errors, but you won’t admit defeat until you finish successfully. 

AIC Volleyball Flying High - Photo by Terrell Wallace

The images that I’ve created in class have taken lots of thought and practice. When taking my blur motion picture I went to a volleyball game and tried to catch the players in active motion. I had to take the pictures many times until I captured the perfect one. There have been many times where I had to adjust my camera due to the lack of lighting, but I got it to work.

Terrell Wallace - Photo by Professor Nordell

Also, when I took another picture on my midterm for the MLK speech (I Have a Dream) I really didn’t know what to say until I read the speech over and then had many ideas. So I just took a picture of my friend balling his fist and raising it in the air while I captured the lighting on his face.

I Have a Dream - Photo by Terrell Wallace

A big thank you to Trevor and Terrell for taking take time to share their thoughtful and illuminating insights.  Professor Nordell on his blog explained how he engaged in the Creative Process to prepare for photographing the game.  Click here for the narrative and images.