In the heart of the action, amidst thunderous applause and adrenaline-fueled clashes, one student stands poised, not holding a ball or stick, but a camera.

Sophomore David Pérez-Lawrence, equipped with an EOS R6 Mark II by Canon became interested in sports photography this year and photographs basketball, hockey and track events.

Sophomore Travis Applebaum said Pérez-Lawrence draws motivation both from his dad and sophomore Mason Stern.

“I think he got motivated by the happiness he saw people get when they saw photos that our friend Mason took of them. They have different types of photos; David is good at taking basketball and hockey pictures, while Mason is better at soccer. They are each good at their own things,” Appelbaum said.

Pérez-Lawrence said he does multiple things to prepare for the games or meets where he is taking photos.

“I clean the lens, make sure the battery is charged, make sure I have all my essentials, for example, the right lens for the right situation,” Pérez-Lawrence said.

According to Pérez-Lawrence, some locations where he takes photos cause problems for the editing process.

“A lot of places that I have done recently, the lighting isn’t great, so editing can be hard, and sometimes in the gym the lights are bright so it is difficult to bring out the people,” Pérez-Lawrence said.

Due to poor lighting and other factors, editing plays a big role in the photography process. Sophomore Chris Chen said he helps Pérez-Lawrence edit photos in sets of 10-20.

Pérez-Lawrence said sometimes they have to change their approach depending on if players have a request.

“We use Lightroom, but for the people that want the photo to have specific things, we add some style, and then we try to mimic what they want,” Pérez-Lawrence said.

Another important part of the editing process is following photography rules. Pérez-Lawrence and Chen said they follow the rule of thirds, which divides an image into thirds to ensure the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the subject, usually directly placed on a line.

Pérez-Lawrence said taking photos is a source of joy and fulfillment for him, as he can see people’s reactions when receiving pictures.

“It’s pretty satisfying seeing people’s reactions [when] they are surprised, like ‘Oh wow, that is really good,’ and it makes me feel great,” Pérez-Lawrence said.

Sophomore Eric Bardon, a member of the track team, recently received photos from Pérez-Lawrence.

“The whole team enjoyed seeing themselves and the action photos as David is a great photographer, and he was able to capture the beauty of the moment on the track,” Bardon said.

Appelbaum said that Pérez-Lawrence has learned valuable lessons through photography.

“David has created a better relationship with Chris and stuff from working with editing, and he has learned a lot of new skills, like how to work with friends and take interesting photos,” Appelbaum said. “He is happy with the pictures he takes and the reactions he sees when people receive them, which is amazing.”