After photographing the Iowa Corn Growers Association’s incredible Tailgate Party, it was time to head to Kinnick Stadium and experience something completely new for me: shooting college football!
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph professional tennis, World Cup soccer, international rugby, college basketball for ESPN, professional volleyball for Sports Illustrated, minor league baseball, equestrian competitions, and many other sports. But somehow, I had never photographed a college football game. After this experience, I have a whole new respect for the photographers who do it every weekend!
The Cy-Hawk rivalry dates all the way back to 1894, when Iowa State won the first meeting 16-8. Since then, the rivalry has become one of the biggest annual sporting traditions in the state. Last weekend’s game added another memorable chapter, with Iowa edging Iowa State 16-13 at Kinnick Stadium to get the trophy back. Caden Buhr provided the dramatic finish, kicking a 42-yard field goal with just 15 seconds remaining to give the Hawkeyes the victory. It was another incredibly close game in a rivalry that has produced plenty of them in recent years.
Because I was covering the Cy-Hawk Series game for the Iowa Corn Growers Association, the title sponsor, my assignment wasn’t simply to photograph the action on the field. I was there to tell the complete story of the event. That meant capturing the incredible crowd, Iowa Corn hats, the “Captain Corn” mascot, ICGA’s Board of Directors, the marching band, cheerleaders, fans, and all of the excitement surrounding one of Iowa’s biggest sporting traditions.
Of course, I still wanted to capture some football action—and those few opportunities were both a challenge and a thrill! The speed of the game, the constantly changing plays, and trying to anticipate where the action was going made photographing football a completely different experience from many of the other sports I’ve covered.
I came away from the game with an even greater appreciation for the skill and anticipation required to consistently capture great football photographs. To cover the massive scope of the assignment, I used two Nikon Z9 bodies, a Nikkor Z 14-24 f4, Nikkor Z 24-70 f2.8 II, Nikkor Z 70-200 f2.8 II, and Nikkor Z 400 f4.5. It was an incredible experience, and I’m grateful to the Iowa Corn Growers Association for giving me the opportunity to photograph my first college football game!
