Joel Bird and his digital camera are a familiar sight at Western sporting events. From football to soccer, Bird has documented every part of Western athletics over his photography career. His photos are frequently featured on Instagram, and are often used by the sports teams themselves. Despite being a noted member of the track and field team, Bird still manages to dedicate his afternoons to sports photography.
Bird first became interested in sports photography during his freshman year. He credited his sibling with helping him get started. “Last year, I joined the sports photography club, because my sister ran it and she wanted me to join. After that, I just kept going to games, getting experience, and getting better.” Bird’s older sister, Rachel, is also a well-known Western sports photographer. Her work is often featured on the WAHS Sports Photography Instagram account.
Now in his sophomore year, Bird is coming up on two years of documenting Western Athletics. While he enjoys many aspects of sports photography, his favorite teams to photograph are basketball, football, and soccer. Bird appreciates the varied approaches required to properly capture these games. “Basketball, you’ve got to be up close, but in football, you need to get more of a long distance shot. Not as close to the action.” Taking good sports pictures requires careful planning and setup by Bird. When he arrives at a game, he must first scout out the best vantage points, and then adjust his equipment accordingly. “Give me a good angle. And you’ve got to get the focal length right. Get your settings right. Click the button a few times, get a picture.”
Cassidy Girvin has had Bird as a photography student for two years now. He has watched as Bird’s interest in taking athletics pictures developed from a hobby into a full-fledged passion. “His technique is certainly improving through the years.” Having also taught Bird’s predecessors, Girvin is excited to see how the next generation of photographers develops. “Joel is a sharp and talented student who I look forward to working with more.”
Bird’s sports photography career shows no signs of slowing down as his sophomore year comes to a close. Next year, he plans to take over the leadership of the sports photography club after his sister graduates. Bird considers his work to be more than a simple hobby, and possibly a potential career path: “I’m pretty passionate about it. I’ve been thinking about going to college for photography but I’m not completely sure yet.” In the meantime, he looks forward to the spring sports season and the new photography opportunities that come with it.
