Braedyn Martinez ‘23 only started sports photography in January of this year, but his dad worked in television production, so he grew up in an environment similar to photography. This influenced him in trying it out, he said. Being in the LTTV class has also helped him with the basic skills and knowledge of photography.

“I love being close to all the action in the game,” Martinez said. “It’s cool just to see what can be captured in a lens instead of your naked eye.”

Martinez first began shooting basketball games when he received credentials through online applications for court access. He has had the opportunity to shoot for many different colleges, including the University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota, and Miami University basketball teams. Along with these opportunities, he has taken photos and media videos for LT football and basketball.

“Getting credentials for the Iowa basketball game has been one of my favorite moments of my career,” Martinez said. “I grew up an Iowa fan and it was pretty cool having that special access, something the normal fan would not have.”

When he shoots bigger games, Martinez usually writes follow up articles about the game and includes a couple of photos. He posts on his own Instagram, @braedyn_flicks, as well as features on Hoops Schoop Media, a website and Instagram page.

“I’m not sure I necessarily want to go into photography in college, but I want to major in sports communication or journalism to have a feel for it all,” Martinez said. “For now, it’s more like a hobby than a serious interest.”

A fellow sports photographer, Liam Bruederle ‘25, also started sports photography at the beginning of this year. He started out shooting basketball games, but expanded more into shooting baseball, lacrosse, and football. He also has been able to shoot for Mount Carmel High School and Loyola Academy football–IHSA 7A and 8A football champions from this season.

“My favorite part is getting to be on the field and watch games from up close,” Bruederle said. “An unforgettable experience was [Dan Montesano ‘24]’s interception when LT played Hinsdale Central and the LT fans stormed the field.”

With the bright stadium lights from night football games, Bruederle finds challenges with capturing the right shot, he said. Though he is looking to upgrade his equipment and buy a better lens in order to get over this challenge and improve his photos. However, as the basketball season begins, he won’t have to worry about the stadium lights anymore.

“I’m excited for the upcoming basketball season, because that’s what I started off shooting for,” Bruederle said. “We have a really good team and should make a deep playoff run, and I am ready to capture those moments.”