There is only one way to immortalize the jaw-dropping displays of athleticism and the overall energy at sporting events, and that’s through photography. Sports photography has existed long before games were even broadcast on television. In more recent years, as our lives have moved online, the advancement of technology and the rise of social media have created a demand for high-quality photographs. On the sidelines of Malvern’s sporting events, one will find a diverse group of sports photographers ranging from aspiring middle school students, established high school students, and professionals. All of these photographers have a mutual goal: to capture moments in Malvern sporting events. These moments are then posted on social media by the players or official Malvern athletic accounts. Due to NIL and the need for athletes to market themselves online, the demand for sports photographers is high. Fortunately for the athletes at Malvern Prep, there are numerous Malvern Students interested in photography and happy to help.
High school athletes now have the ability and desire to market themselves due to Name Image and Likeness (NIL) and the ability to garner a brand deal, becoming more prominent in a high school athlete’s recruiting journey.
High School sports photographer Aiden Capobianco ‘28 shares how Malvern students use the photos he takes in games.
“I see [students using my photos] everywhere. And I love to see that, because students use it for themselves, just to promote their athletics and their recruiting, but also for their personal use of the photos; they [just] like to post pictures on Instagram,” Capobianco said.
As more and more brands move to enact NIL deals with high school athletes, these athletes need to develop their online personas. A high-quality post, one that grabs attention and appears professional, requires high-quality photos. This quality is something that is very difficult to achieve with the average iPhone, but is something a high-resolution camera is needed to achieve. That’s why the skill of sports photography is growing in popularity and is becoming more sought after by people looking for legitimate help and business. Capobianco mentioned an increase in demand for photographers with the rise of NIL deals.
“It’s definitely put a lot on photographers, and it helps us as well, because it brings us business. We need that kind of motivation. [Athletes] can come out and be like, I need this for this. And we’ll be like, yes, we can get you that. We can help you. And it builds relationships with the athletes as well …I worked with Chase Ecker [class of ‘25], who has a brand deal with Vuori, and he needed pictures, so I helped take pictures and edit them for him, and he liked that a lot, because it’s making him money and it’s making me money, so we’re both happy at the end of the day,” Capobianco said.
However, social media and NIL are not the only motives; professional photographer Max Mangigian, or more commonly known around campus and on Instagram as “Caught by Max”, focuses on the memories parents are able to keep of their sons. Max is possibly the best demonstration of sports photography here at Malvern. Even though Max did not graduate from Malvern, the efforts he’s made for Malvern athletics and Malvern athletes make him an important part of the community. His perspective as a more experienced photographer serves as a strong role model for aspiring professionals.
“So I actually ended up borrowing a friend’s camera. I had no idea what I was doing. The images were terrible, but that’s where I got my start … [however] I realized I had something with [Sports Photography] when I realized how grateful parents were for the memories. I grew up and graduated in 2015 over at West Chester East, and yeah, there were cameras, but like, my friends who were great at sports didn’t have these sweet photos. And for the kids, they’re like, oh yeah. They look tough. They’re excited. The parents are like, wow… And so that’s kind of really how I see the photos being used, for memories, ” Mangigian said.
His start in photography is similar to that of other young, aspiring sports photographers, but with experience, he recognized the deeper, more sentimental side of sports photography. These images are not just awesome moments frozen in time; they are portals that allow parents to look back on memories of their sons. Having images that capture some of the biggest moments of these young athletes’ lives is a small memento that has a huge impact.
This feeling is reciprocated by athletes. Marvin Reed ‘27, a varsity basketball player, provides insight into the meaning these photos have for the athlete.
“Sports photos are great for big moments when you’re in the act of making a big play for your team. It’s different in real time because you can’t see the person’s facial expression, you can go back in time with sports photos,” Reed said.
Even for the athletes who have lived these moments, the photos allow them to look at the moment as a whole, not just from their perspective, but from the perspective of their teammates, competitors, and fans. This wider lens can help to enhance a memory and make it more detailed and impactful than before.
As the art of sports photography becomes a more popular field, it has sparked an interest in Malvern’s middle school students. Quincy Booker ‘30 is one middle schooler who is riding the wave of sports photography.
“My goal for the future is to really try and get into whatever I can, whatever I have access to, because I want to keep expanding my perspective, my storytelling, and my vision. Being out on different fields, courts, and arenas gives me new ways to capture the game, and I’m excited to explore more sports as I go,” Booker recalled.
This open-minded approach is one shared by many other young and aspiring photographers. They understand the value of experience and are doing everything they can to gain as much experience as possible. They are passionate. They take any opportunity to pick up their cameras and shoot sports.
Other ways to progress in photography include learning to edit photos and upgrading equipment. Malvern Middle School student Ryan Cooper ‘30 shares his journey in developing his photography skills.
“Honestly, it started off terrible, so bad. And then I learned how to edit on Lightroom on mobile, and that helped so much. But comparing my photos to other people’s, it was still not good enough; I just didn’t like [the photos]. So then I got new camera equipment, [by] saving up money, and it was such better stuff. Like the photos were clear. It was much easier to take photos and everything. And I mean, honestly, since I [started to] like [my] photos, I just kept progressing. Got another camera, I was even better, started to take videos too, and it’s just been progressing from there,” Cooper said.
Luckily, these Malvern middle schoolers have help in their progression. High schoolers, Bryce Kash ‘29, Stephen Rullo ‘28, and the aforementioned Aiden Capobianco ‘28 have started the Sports Athletic Media Club this year with Malvern Prep photography teacher Ms. Jaclyn Cantor.
This official club has expanded opportunities on campus for more and more students to try something new that connects to sports, but is not a varsity-level commitment, it also provides a safe haven for the middle schoolers to learn and interact with their upper-classmen peers.
“We’ve got [middle schoolers] who have come out [during] hosted pop-up events. Those have been really helpful because kids have come out. We’ve taught them how to use the camera. They kind of mess around with their friends, and can take pictures of them, and it just gets them connected with the camera, and then it sparks interest,” Capobianco said.
Max Mangigian has also been a help to young photographers, bringing professional insight to these aspiring young artists. Ryan Cooper ‘30 explains how he got in touch with Mangigian and how he has helped Cooper hone his craft.
“So he actually has been to a bunch of the games [I shoot], and I talk to him a lot through Instagram DMs [Direct Messages]. I always see him at games, too, and he’s just a really nice guy. He also helped me out a lot with taking videos, what camera to buy, and with finding the best platform to edit videos on. And he was just a really good help with everything,” Cooper said.
Back at Malvern, all three leaders of the Sports Athletic Media Club share a love for sports photography but have their own unique skill sets. Bryce Kash, who is the youngest of the group, is specifically in charge of working with the middle school students. Kash is helping to develop these young photographers and prepare them to follow their passion in high school. Sophomore Stephen Rullo is well-equipped in photography, but he has truly found his passion in graphic design and editing photos. This well-balanced team nurtures artistic growth at Malvern and provides well-shot, carefully edited photos of Malvern athletes.
Even though Bryce Kash is only a freshman, his passion for photography is strong. What started out as messing around with a camera with his friends has now become something he is considering majoring in when he goes to college, or even doing professionally. Kash has reached out to many media groups and has had the opportunity to take photos for them. Working with media groups has allowed Kash to expand his photography beyond Malvern.
“So I’ve worked with “PhillyLacrosse.com”. And I went to the national championship for lacrosse in Boston last year. So that was an awesome experience. I was the youngest person there…I [also] looked up to a lot of people who were playing. So that was an awesome experience… I worked with Shoot 360, it’s a basketball training software [with] NBA-level technology, and it’s at Cheyney University, and that is training younger kids. It’s really great, great people there,” Kash said.
Surprisingly, there is much more that goes on behind the scenes after the photographer clicks the shutter. Stephen Rullo has found his niche in editing photos and tailoring them for game-day or commitment posts (enhanced photos or graphics that showcase where an athlete has committed to play their sport at the collegiate level, typically posted on Instagram or other social media). The three photographers’ ability to collaborate on creating game-day graphics and commitment posts led to an internship with the Malvern Athletics Department, led by Malvern’s Head of Athletics, Mr. Jim Stewart. Stephen Rullo explains the internship and how Mr. Stewart provides feedback to help them develop their craft.
“Me and Aiden [Capobianco and Bryce Kash] have an internship with Mr. Stewart, and he gives us feedback on the graphics all the time. Obviously, [the graphics] are not as advanced as something we would do for a commitment post, but we create a template, and we post these [game day] graphics every day. Mr. Stewart definitely gives a lot of feedback about it, and most of it is positive. Some[times] we need some changes,” Rullo said.
On the sidelines of the Malvern games, the Sports Photographers are looking for action. With these students thrown into the action headfirst with sideline access, it takes immense focus to take good shots. Quincy Booker ‘30 describes his experience on the sidelines of these sporting events and how it has even changed the way he watches the games.
“I’m so used to being on the field as a player, focused on the game, but when I’m shooting pictures, I get to notice the little moments that usually go unseen; the small details, the interactions, the energy around the plays. Being on the field also lets me build connections with the players, and as a photographer, I get access to find my own angles and tell the story of the game in my own way,” Booker said.
Of course, sports photography is a three-part equation: the athletes, the photographers, and the fans. The athletes make the plays that the photographers capture, while the fans and student sections bring the energy needed to combine the three into one cohesive, electric environment. Professional photographer Max Mangigian addresses how a student section can change the game and, subsequently, the photos themselves.
“[When looking for a game to photograph], I want to go where the kids go, and what I mean by that is really where the student sections will be, because that, at the end of the day, is what makes the memorable moments. I’m with the Malvern hockey team for all their games, and I’m with the Malvern lacrosse team for all their games. And the difference between a big game and a small game really isn’t the opponent; it’s the students who come to support. A wild student section just changes the game,” Mangigian said.
Malvern Prep is a place of passion and athletic competition. This is something that is not always easy to describe to a person who has never experienced it; these photographs allow that story to be told. However, the energy Malvern creates extends beyond sports. Malvern students are encouraged to try new things, be well-rounded, and are passionate about each other’s successes. A prime example of this is the fact that Malvern students are rising to meet athletes’ and community demand for sports photography. Photographers are using their passion for this art form to help other students.
For every ounce of time and energy these students put in, they receive support, gratitude, and love from families who now have tangible memories of their kids. The future is bright for sports photography and these young artists.
