2024-25 Rock M’mys: Best Photo - Saint Louis Sports Today

They’re all winners in my professional opinion.

It’s awards season at Rock M Nation, and we’ve got a lot to celebrate from the 2024-25 school year. New faces, postseason highs, incredible individual and team performances… There’s a lot of good things going on in CoMo, and we intend to talk about it.

And because we always strive to do things a bit differently around here, we created our own award, the Rock M’my, last year. Consider it to be part Emmy, part Espy, and all parts love of Mizzou Athletics. (pronounced Rock Emmy)

Once all the votes for each award have been tabulated over the next few weeks, I’ll present a winners list, and that student-athlete/team/coach will win our completely serious award that will undoubtedly be the greatest triumph of their lives thus far.

Voting closes Friday, July 25 at 11pm CST.

Let’s begin!

First up is a brand-new category, Best Photograph! Technically, we could have added this last year when Cal came on staff, but now that we have two photographers, Cal and Mike, on staff (and a third, Sam Simon, who would drop in in a pinch), it seemed like the perfect time for a little competition. I’m no photographer, despite labeling my photos as courtesy of Karen Steger Professional Photography, and I love every photo the two of them take. Since, as I already mentioned, I don’t know much about photography, so here’s what Mike and Cal had to say about what they look for when photographing sports.

Through the lens: What I look for when photographing sports

By Mike Baniewicz

Taking pictures isn’t hard. Making a picture is hard. Allow me to explain the difference.

As a photographer covering sports, part of my job is to document peak action – which I would call “moments.” We all know when peak action happens…after we see them happen in real time. So how do photographers manage to capture these moments and what is going through their mind when photographing?

The answer will be different depending on who you ask, as each photographer has their own workflow that works for them and has a unique way of “seeing” the world.

Outside of the technical factors that go into making a photo, I have two goals for my images to fulfill. The first thing is that my images should capture action at it’s peak, not moments where the person is about to do something or after they did something. Photos at the height of an action can effectively communicate the themes (athleticism, leadership, grit, triumph, etc.) of a scene to the audience.

The second thing I prioritize is that my photo must be visually interesting. There are A LOT of factors that go into determining what is a visually interesting photo. Without going into too much detail, the main things I am concerned about are as follows:

Thoughtful composition— Are there leading lines that guide the viewer’s eyes to the subject in particular? Do you place your subject in the frame in relation to what’s around? Do I include contextual elements that add to a story?
Quality of light— Is the light source from indoor lights or the sun? What direction is the light coming from and how does that influence the shadows casted? Do I want soft light where there is not harsh shadows or more dramatic lighting with super bright areas and super dark areas in my picture?
Perspective— What point-of-view creates the strongest image for this scene? How does shooting at different heights change how the audience will feel or think? Does the point-of-view challenge the audience to focus on something they wouldn’t ordinarily see?
Clean background— Are there any elements in the image that may distract the viewer? Are there things that intersect with the subject(s) that detracts from the image?

When I am photographing, many of these questions are in the back of my mind. When I refer to “taking a photo” versus “making a photo,” the difference between those two is that making a photo requires a mixture of technical knowledge and an artistic voice. Photographers who know the sport well, can anticipate who the playmakers are for possible photos. Images are “made” by photographers who place themself in a certain axis in space and capture moments with the intention of evoking a specific feeling, thought, or idea from the mind of their audience.

Through the lens: What I look for when photographing sports

By Cal Tobias

Sports photography, to me, is all a matter of preparation. Unlike the majority of photojournalism, like a protest, crime scene, or festival, sporting events are played in arenas where everything is the same, game after game, and the photographer can have total control over their domain, whether it be a 100-yard field or a 90-foot diamond or a quarter-mile running track.

When I photograph, I feel I should be good enough to see the moment coming, and place my sights at that moment before it occurs. And when that moment happens, I expect of myself that I can make the best picture possible.

How, though, do I determine what makes that picture? Here are some general guidelines;

FACE & BALL: Any sports photograph for the major sports ought to have an athlete doing something with the ball (throwing, catching, etc) and you ought to be able to see their face. With exceptions for celebration shots, and sports without a ball like gymnastics or track, these two are neccessary for most action pictures.
EMOTION: Pictures should show some kind of emotion. Most commonly, this will be jubilation (“jube” in photog lingo) but it could also be agony, or laser focus, or togetherness.
LIGHT: If you make a great sports picture, but shot it at Boonville High School in 2022 when half of the lightpoles were out, did it really happen? You need good light (hopefully late-afternoon direct sunlight) to make an excellent picture.
UNUSUAL: Something different. The average viewer has seen dozens of pictures of dunks, or of touchdown catches. For the extra point, something should be different. For my Brady Cook picture, maybe he’s going into the end zone upside down!

Here are the nominees for Best Photo

“Are you not entertained?”

PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: As soon as Missouri beat Mississippi State in an incredible back-and-forth game in the SEC tournament’s second round, my first thought is, find the players and photograph their celebration. After they had all left to the locker room, my thoughts turn to the coach, who will no doubt be relishing in his win. Sure enough, I found Dennis Gates pumping up the few Missouri fans who made the 6.5-hour trek to Nashville. My favorite part about this picture? I was on that floor with Getty, AP, and USA Today, and they all missed out on it. Rock M Nation is the only one who captured this moment.

Mitchell & the Mob

PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: I’ve been a part of two field rushes as a Missouri student photographer; one in 2023 for that Kansas State football game, and 2024’s big win over Kansas. In a field rush, the photographer has one job: Run as fast as possible to the center of the court, as close as you can to the winning athletes, and stick a wide lens into their face. Here, I got my job, sticking a wide in Mark Mitchell’s face as the fans surround the big man. (You wouldn’t know it, but I actually cut one of his fingers off with my frame! Go ahead and count them if you don’t see it.)

Inside Out & Upside Down

Brady Cook flips upside down into the end zone

PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: In football, I’m ALWAYS trying to guess where a play will be, much like a defensive coordinator or a middle linebacker. If I predict a play on the left or right, I’ll run over and shoot on that side. On this play, I guesed poorly, setting myself up on the right side of the end zone when Brady Cook’s touchdown run went left. Usually, righty quarterbacks tend to favor their right (strong) side and take attacks from their left (weak) side. But, in the end, it made a great picture nonetheless, one which was picked up by popular Twitter photo-aggregator, Art But Sports.

Queen of the Beam

PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: For the beam on gymnastics, I tired of shooting from down on the floor. It just doesn’t work; you get a low angle with poor light, and never see a face. Therefore, for this March meet, I elected to move up to the Hearnes Center stands and work from there, with a straight shot to the beam. It ended up working very well, as you’ve got Hu with her face clear, striking a great pose. The only risk I assumed was being out of place if she were to score a perfect 10. And with Hu, I knew this was a distinct possibility. But in the end, I played the odds and won.

Euphoria

PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: This was a case of poor planning working out well. I shoot with two cameras, one with a wide lens and one with a long lens. Had I been watching the clock, I would have known Grace Slaughter’s last-ditch shot was for the win. But I thought there were still a few seconds left when she hit what ended up being the game-winner. When the team jumped up to celebrate in the manner that they did, I was as suprised as anyone. But it still made a pretty superb picture.

Kroenke Keep Away

Missouri guard Averi Kroenke (21) looks for an open teammate during Missouri basketball’s matchup against Southern University on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024 at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. (MICHAEL BANIEWICZ/ROCK M NATION)

CAMERA SETTINGS: Aperture – f/3.2, Shutter Speed – 1/1600, ISO – 2500

PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: There’s plenty of physical contact made in basketball that most fans don’t get to see because of where they sit in the stadium. For this particular photo, I wanted my camera down low and angled up towards Missouri guard Averi Kroenke. Pointing the camera up does two things for this photo. First, it presents a feeling of dominance or strength in the athletes. We, as the viewer, are seeing these women loom over us as they fight for the ball and that shows the nature of the game.

The second thing shooting low does is that it allows the roof of the Mizzou Arena to fall behind the players backs and heads. This creates a nice clean background for the viewer to digest the information in the scene. We can clearly see each player is silhouetted by the dark ceiling and the vibrant colors of the players’ jerseys contrast nicely with the black and grey tones of the arena ceiling. We see the Southern University player attempt to scrape her hand against Kroenke’s in an attempt to steal the ball. Her finger bent just slightly, as her body is physically pushed up against Kroenke’s illustrates a clear tension between the players. Kroeke’s facial expression is notable as well – her brows are furrowed, jaw clenched, and body twisted at the waist. This body language heightens the stakes and shows the viewer the desperate effort Kroenke is making by frantically protecting the ball while also trying to pass it off.

All Eyes and Ears

Missouri volleyball head coach Dawn Sullivan talks with her team in a huddle during their matchup against South Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 at the Hearnes Center in Columbia. (MICHAEL BANIEWICZ/ROCK M NATION)

CAMERA SETTINGS: Aperture – f/4, Shutter Speed – 1/640, ISO – 8000

PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: In this image, we can clearly see volleyball head coach Dawn Sullivan talking with the team on the team’s bench. Even a person who didn’t know who Dawn Sullivan is, would be able to take away that she is important in this scene. Why? Because every single athlete in the picture is looking directly at Sullivan. This also helps the image because the eyes of the athletes facing Sullivan guide the audience to look directly at her as well. This is an intimate moment between the coach and the team, but the picture places the audience so close to the athletes – the combination of including players out of focus in the foreground invites the viewer into the space rather than make the viewer feel disconnected. Even though this isn’t of the sport being played, we still see peak action— Sullivan is clearly talking out loud with her eyes facing the players, her hands are outstretched to in a gesture, and she is squatting to communicate with the team in discreet.

Fake Punt

CAMERA SETTINGS: Aperture – f/3.2, Shutter Speed – 1/1600, ISO – 4000

PHOTOGRAPHER NOTES: The beauty of sports is that there will always be moments that are unpredictable or catch you off guard. This was one of those moments. With 1:22 left in the first quarter, Oklahoma found themselves at 4th and 7 at their own 47 yard line. During a fake punt, Bauer Sharp was left wide open to receive a pass from punter Luke Elzinga at the Missouri 45 yard line. When I captured this particular moment, I was placed on the 17 yard line watching Sharp hurdle Burden at the Missouri 14 yard line. I mostly place myself on the sideline for football and that situation worked perfectly for this moment. This particular frame is one of six photos I have from that hurdle sequence (all within two seconds). I choose this one because Sharp is framed by the players around him and his white jersey provides a nice contrast against the Mizzou fans in black.

In the Silence

Missouri junior Thomas Joswiak competes during the men’s 1000 freestyle during Missouri’s swim and dive meet against Texas A&M on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia. (MICHAEL BANIEWICZ/ROCK M NATION)

CAMERA SETTINGS: Aperture – f/5, Shutter Speed – 1/4000, ISO – 800

PHOTOGRAPHER’S NOTES: Photographers LOVE good light and this was a gimme shot. I noticed the ray of light peaking through one of the windows at the Mizzou Aquatic center. The rest of the facility did not have strong light, which worked well because with high contrast, photographers can make really dramatic and moody photos. High contrast happens when there is a stark difference between the shadows and highlights of an image. This happens a lot with bright sunny days that with no clouds blocking the sun. I chose to expose my photo for just the highlights instead of the shadows. I crouched by the lane closest to me and waited for the next swimmer to pass through this small corner of sunlight. I chose this picture because the audience can see Joswiak’s face and the logo clearly illuminated in the sunlight.

Young Tigers

Millie Delin, 6, reaches out to high five the Missouri women’s basketball team as they enter on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. (MICHAEL BANIEWICZ/ROCK M NATION)

CAMERA SETTINGS: Aperture – f/3.5, Shutter Speed – 1/640, ISO – 4000

PHOTOGRAPHER’S NOTES: For this photo I wanted to illustrate the importance of role models and how the visibility of female athletes is important for young women. It’s no doubt that attention to women’s sports in recent years has increased significantly. Since 2019, women’s sports media coverage has tripled after remaining stagnant for three decades at 5 percent to 16 percent in 2022, according to research from Wasserman’s The Collective. This statistic relates back to this photo because we see the theme of leadership and the women’s basketball team serving as role models. Millie Delin has her hand proudly outstretched waiting to high five the athletes running in. I wanted to focus on Millie because of the pink ribbon on her check. Not only does the color match with the team’s pink shirts but it connects back to the larger theme of why it’s important to support young girls who want to participate in sports. In fact, a research report conducted by the Women’s Sports Foundation found that girls who are active in sports during adolescence and young adulthood are 20% less likely to get breast cancer later in life. The same organization cites that a lack of visibility of positive role models as one of the factors that influence girls’ sport experiences. This image is my way of localizing coverage of a national issue to the Mizzou community.

Time to Vote!