Photo Assignment 7: Stop-action Photography

An SMU student goes up for a layup on the outdoor basketball court behind the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. The photo was taken for a composition assignment, using natural light to emphasize motion and frame the fraternity pavilion and outdoor furniture in the background. (Photo by Johnny Crowley)

I didn’t realizhow hard it would be to freeze a moment until I actually tried to take a stop-action photo. In my head, I thought you just click at the right time and boom — moment captured. But You have to know when the rhythm peaks. I found myself watching more than shooting at first, just trying to understand the timing of the play happening in front of me.

The lighting was another thing I struggled with. I was shooting outside, and the light kept changing every few minutes. Clouds rolled in, shadows shifted, and suddenly my exposure was off again. I had to slow down and stop rushing the shot just to get something. I learned to breath, adjust, and try again. It taught me that photography is as much patience as it is creativity.

Trying to capture Jake in motion while playing basketball was honestly chaotic in a funny way. He wasn’t staying still, obviously and every time I thought I had the angle, he’d drive right past it. I was chasing the shot, more than shooting it. It made me realize how much the background matters too. If the environment behind the subject is messy or distracting, the moment loses its power. So not only was I watching him, I was watching everything around him too.

There were moments where the action looked staged because we repeated it so many times. And that bothered me. I didn’t want the photo to look like a setup. I wanted something real, something that actually felt like being there. The best images came when I stopped trying to control everything and just let the game happen. I learned to be ready instead of forcing the moment.

In the end, this assignment humbled me a little. It reminded me that photography isn’t just “take picture and go.” It’s waiting, observing, reacting, and trusting your instincts. I walked away feeling like I had learned how to be more present. And when I finally caught the shot — the exact split-second where everything lined up — it felt earned.