"Sweetheart, where are your parents?"
I can't even count on my fingers the amount of times I have heard this statement from a security guard at sporting events. Despite my young age of 18, small stature and chubby cheeks, I have to remind them that I'm not a student, nor am I a lost 12-year old. I am a college freshman, and a credentialed college sports photographer.
It's a funny story of how that came to be. Before I came to the University of Maryland, my grandparents gifted me a Canon Rebel. At first, I was just excited to take artsy pictures of the most beautiful campus in the country, but once I got to College Park, I realized that it was a University completely revolved around athletics.
Note to readers: if you are thinking of attending the University of Maryland, good luck staying away from the sports life. It's a legitimate whirlpool that you will be happily pulled into. Even if you hate sports, that will all change when you come to this school.
So, when I joined the Testudo Times, one of the most popular Internet blogs surrounding Maryland Athletics, I explained to them that I had a camera, and that I could take pictures for the website. And with that opportunity, I became a sports photographer who shoots photos for Maryland football, volleyball and basketball.
At age 18, I have visited multiple press boxes (where I enjoy the free food), befriended Getty Images photographers, met athletes and stood on the Baltimore Ravens' field at M&T Bank Stadium. Yet, I always have to remember to call my mom before I leave for the arena, as well as carry with me my University ID and the key to my dorm.
However, being a photographer is much more than just learning to capture quality shots like the pros or learning how to shoot. It teaches you life lessons, ones that you carry with you for the rest of your life.
First off, you need to live every second with both eyes open. When you're a photographer for sports, you have one chance, one second to capture a touchdown, the perfect dunk or even the spike. Every second of every 60-minute game, your hand must be on the shutter, and you have to press down on it and capture as many moments as you can, including the perfect ones.
Here's a newsflash: most of the time, you miss that "perfect moment," but you can never give up. You need to keep firing, or you'll never get the shot you want. And ironically, you sometimes capture the perfect shot without even meaning to do it, let alone knowing that you did it until you later review your pictures.
Next, as a photographer and in life, you can never achieve perfection, and that's okay. Whether you're living life or sitting courtside taking pictures, i either a hit or miss. You either capture Melo Trimble breaking through the defense and throwing up the perfect basket, or your camera malfunctions and you don't get the shot.
No one is perfect; in photography, there will always be blurry shots, camera issues or even missed moments. But you realize that it's fine, everyone takes different shots, and every person has their issues and flaws. We are not built to be perfect, but we are built to persevere. As long as you give it your all, never give up and say "I'll be better next time," you will be just fine.
What's the last lesson? Anything is possible, and you should make opportunities for yourself instead of waiting for them to knock on your door. No matter what the experience will be, go along for the ride; every single life experience is rewarding, and it will stick with you for the rest of your life.
Before I came to Maryland, many people laughed at a kid like me. I was someone who was too absorbed with writing, someone who would rather live in the world of tackles, slap-shots and slam dunks, rather than hang out with friends or go to parties. This carries over into college, where my ideal Friday night isn't going to fraternity row, but instead, sitting on the Maryland basketball court, shooting pictures of the athletes I look up to.
As a photographer, "a kid like me" gets to talk with athletes, watch games from courtside and even hear and see what's going on in the game without actually playing.
However, the biggest takeaway is the rewarding experience. It's not all the time, but I hear from athletes, or even their parents, who will thank me for all the pictures, praise my work or even use the pictures I take. And that is priceless.
I went from high-school nerd to credentialed sports photographer, and it has taught me more than life than I had ever known before.