Behind the lens: Herald photographers on their shot favorite shot

Photographers share how they got the shot.

Have you ever wondered how a photo was taken? As in, do you ever think about why the photographer chose that particular composition, what equipment they used, their choice in lighting, how they shoot fast-moving soccer players in uneven light, or how they find a great subject?

Three photographers from The Daily Herald are here to answer those questions: They each chose a favorite photo and shared the behind-the-scenes of how they got that shot. Read on, and perhaps you’ll be inspired to try out a professional flash or even to dust off that old Nikon in the closet and start clicking again.

KEVIN CLARK

Mountlake Terrace’s Claire August (left) rushes to celebrate Laura Rice’s goal in a game against Archbishop Murphy on Sept. 22, 2022. The Hawks and Wildcats finished the match with 1-1 tie.

Camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

Lens: 500 mm

ISO: 12800

Aperture: f4

Shutter speed: 1/1600

Night soccer — any night sport, really — has been the bane of many a photographer. With the uneven lighting conditions, your circadian rhythm telling you to relax and work less, and the ever-present deadline before the event is even over, night sports on an open field without the big bright lights and a jumbotron is a chore. Sometimes.

Mountlake Terrace was playing soccer powerhouse Archbishop Murphy at Lynnwood High School in Bothell in September. I was sitting on my collapsible stool at the 50-yard-line covering both teams equally when I tracked the ball sail inches over the goalkeeper’s outstretched finger for a goal by Laura Rice. Surprised, I tracked back to where I knew the players would be celebrating and captured this frame. Why surprised? It was not a run at the goal and didn’t look like a designed play. It looked like a random high arching kick to clear or pressure the defense, but lo and behold, GOOOAAALLL! The image looks like Rice was just as surprised as I was. Sometimes it’s a chore, and sometimes — most times — I really love my job.

OLIVIA VANNI

Dana Foy, of AAA Super Clean, buffs a life-size orca fixture in one of the Tulalip Resort and Casino fountains on Sept. 22, 2022.

Camera: Canon 5D Mark IV

Lens: 24 mm.

ISO: 160

Aperture: f2.8

Shutter speed: 1/1000

Having to find last-minute feature photos to fill holes in the print paper is a regular part of photographers’ jobs. While it can be stressful sometimes, I try to keep a running list of potential feature opportunities for when a feature photo might be needed. I was on my way to Tulalip for a different assignment when I saw the life-size orca fountain fixtures were being cleaned. No one was around cleaning them when I was there so I added it to my feature list. The following day we needed a feature photo so I headed back to see if there would be anyone around the second time. That’s when I saw Dan buffing the back of the orca and I snapped this photo.

RYAN BERRY

Tamara Kittredge, of Vashon Island, sits out back of the concession stand and noodles on a mandolin July 13, 2022, at Darrington Bluegrass Music Park in Darrington.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D MK III

Lens: 130 mm

ISO: 320

Aperture: f3.2

Shutter speed: 1/640

When given the time to do so, aimless wandering can be a rewarding endeavor for photographers. And aimless wandering was the name of the game when I helped preview the return of the Darrington Bluegrass Festival this July.

Being two days before the official start of the festival, the crowd at the music park was still thin when reporter Jacqueline Allison and I rolled into town. I clearly wasn’t going to be spoon-fed an A1 photo that day, so I got moving.

While ambling for hours through the summer heat in search of images that exuded “bluegrass,” I at some point turned the corner of a concession stand and was greeted by the notes of a mandolin. Tamara Kittredge was on the ground, back against a red barn wall, plucking away on her instrument to a crowd of zero. Talk about bluegrass. I thanked the photo gods before taking a wide turn to get square with the wall and, with a quiet acknowledgement from Tamara, I got my frame. She didn’t bat an eye at me sneaking into her moment of solitude, hardly even skipped a note. When she finished her song, we exchanged a few words, and I was back on my way, strolling off to the sound of a mandolin.

Sound & Summit

This article is featured in the winter issue of Sound & Summit, a supplement of The Daily Herald. Explore Snohomish and Island counties with each quarterly magazine. Each issue is $3.99. Subscribe to receive all four editions for $14 per year. Call 425-339-3200 or go to soundsummitmagazine.com for more information.