Behind the scenes in Marauders sports photography

We’ve heard about the teams and the athletes, but what is it like being on the sidelines for games getting the shots that end up on social media?

Behind every great photo is a great photographer. Although McMaster University athletes earn their poise through good performances on and off the field, media personnel are those that are responsible for publication of their success to the wider audience, such as the students.  

One of the main individuals that can be praised for creating a good image of McMaster sports is Kevin Lassl, a fifth year materials engineering student, who is also one of the primary photographers for varsity sports at McMaster. Being mostly responsible for volleyball and soccer games, Lassl is very passionate about photography and enjoys his job.  

“Photography to me is a hobby, it has been something that I’ve been enjoying for a long time, so this job came around as a very handy opportunity. I remember seeing the job posting some time ago and decided to go for it, turns out it was such a good decision,” said Lassl.  

Something that the wider public doesn’t know about photography with the Marauders is that the employees get full flexibility with their work and can arrange in advance which games they’d be available for.  

“My supervisors are very lenient flexibility-wise. Sometimes it can be hard for me to attend some games due to school related instances such as labs and midterms, but they always understand. It’s important for me to let them know in advance so they can allocate me to another game when I am free. I am also able to be assigned to a few sports to follow throughout the season, which in my case are men and women’s volleyball and soccer teams,” explained Lassl. 

Another aspect of working as a photographer for the Marauders is the freedom to produce any photograph the employee wishes, with very limited restrictions. The freedom of range is significant, enabling creative confidence and allowing unique visions to flow. 

“The great thing about the Marauders is that I don’t get commands on how I can take my photos. This means that I get to pick the angles, how to edit the photos and how many I can take during the games. This definitively makes the job a lot less stressful,” said Lassl. 

Although Lassl has been chosen as one of the primary photographers for the Marauders soccer and volleyball teams this season, so far, he has only done his job at home games. Although away games would create intrigue, the home soil is where Lassl has spent his time this season.  

“Over the past semester, I had the great opportunity to take photos at the Ron Joyce Stadium and David Braley Athletic Centre (DBAC), among other places. All these games were hosted by McMaster, so I still didn’t have the opportunity to go to any away games so far. Certainly, if my schedule allows it and I get a call up from the supervisor, it can be a possibility that I go to an away game soon.” said Lassl.  

Photography is not an easy job, there is always a lot of pressure lurking on getting that one right shot that can be published around the school. More often than not, individuals focus on the athletes rather than the ones who help them achieve the publicity they deserve. Lassl is certainly one of those that has helped the soccer and volleyball teams through his great photography this season.