How Shooting Basketball Feels During COVID-19

Photo Credit - Alexa Sandler/The DePaulia

First, I would like to acknowledge how lucky am I to be able to do what I love after being off for 10 months due to COVID-19. Sports photography is my love, and I greatly missed it during the eruption of the pandemic we are still sadly living in. It is kind of crazy to be back - it is surreal.

Being back at Wintrust Arena is no doubt different. Whether it is going through the main entrance instead of the media entrance, filling out a COVID survey, or only being able to sit on the 100 level instead of on the court, the ambience of shooting a game is different. There are no fans creating a graveyard of a game atmosphere. Fake crowd noises are definitely not a sufficient substitute. The benches are spaced out discouraging team celebrations after incredible plays. The teams don't interact unless the game clock is ticking. It feels cryptic.

That being said, I'm still over the moon that I get to shoot basketball. As a senior, this is my final year to shoot DePaul basketball. Reality has hit that I am nearing the end. For a long time, I thought that March 9th, 2020 was my last game. I thought that my sports photography career was going to end short due to circumstances out of my control and it was heartbreaking. But, I am here today happy and fortunate to get a couple more months of sports photography. I don't mean to be dramatic because this is such a insignificant thing compared to the destruction that COVID-19 has inflicted on the world, but, if you know me, you know how important sports photography is to my overall happiness.

Stay safe and MASK UP!