AIC student receives first place honors for sports photography

May 12, 2021 | Carolyn Noel
cnoel@thereminder.com

CHICOPEE/SPRINGFIELD – Chicopee resident and American International College (AIC) senior Kelly Shea has received first place in the sports category of the 2020 College Pictures of the Year photography contest sponsored by the Boston Press Photographers Association (BPPA). The winning photo featured an overhead shot of a Hartford Wolf Pack game against the Providence Bruins.

Shea majored in visual and digital arts at AIC and said that her passion for photography stemmed from an introductory course she took. She started photographing various AIC sports teams for practice, which immediately piqued her interest. Shea said she then decided to run with it.

“It kind of just went from there. I started networking, I worked with our athletic director, they got me involved to be our athletic department’s actual staff photographer and then I started with the Thunderbirds and now the Wolf Pack,” she said. “I thought I was pretty good at it off the bat and it was something I loved to do.”

Shea said that sports photography is her ideal form, but she also wants to start her own business where she photographs weddings, portraits, families and events.

“I really like how raw sports is, so that’s kind of what drew me to it,” she said.

Shea said that she found out she had won the award about two weeks ago. The photo that won wasn’t one that Shea originally considered submitting, but she is glad that she did.

“I was a little on the fence about submitting it and I was talking to some family and I had said ‘what are your thoughts on this?’ and my family seemed to really like that photo, so I was like okay let’s submit it and see what happens,” she said.

After finding out that she won the award, Shea said she immediately called her photography professor.

“I wouldn't be where I am in my career if it weren’t for him,” she said.

Shea said she was extremely happy and honored that she won the award.

“It meant a lot that some of the best photographers in the area thought that my work was good. I was beside myself. It was just such a great way to end my senior year of college,” she said.

With her college career coming to an end, Shea said she is hopeful that she will land a job working as the photographer for a professional sports team. She also said that those interested in photography and pursuing a career should practice as often as they can.

“Photography is one of those career paths where you can be the top of your field in it, but you can always get better. That constant practice and looking at your work to see what could I have done different... it’s a lot of just try, check and revise. You have to be kind of critical of yourself,” she said.

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