A Day Behind the Lens: Springfield College Event Photography, Swimming & Diving Senior Day.

February 7, 2026 · Springfield College Event Photography · Swimming & Diving Senior Day

This past Saturday 02/07/2026, I had the opportunity to help set up and take photos for an event at Springfield College, where Swimming & Diving alumni were invited to cheer on the current students during their Senior Day face off against Babson College.

This was the third time I visited the Springfield College swimming pool to photograph a meet, and I still haven’t decided whether or not I love capturing swimming events. One thing that consistently bothers me is how difficult it is to balance colors when photographing swimmers. Why do the images always look so orange? Maybe I need to spend more time researching how to better handle pool lighting. Other than that, I really enjoy the energy at these events and am happy to return and keep photographing them.

To add some context, my role that day was twofold. I work as a graduate assistant for the Office of Institutional Advancement, Alumni & Family Relations, so I was there to support the alumni event. Since I’m also a photographer, I was also asked to document the day for marketing and social media. As a GA, I also help manage the Springfield College Alumni accounts, so I later shared the photos there, and they performed especially well on Instagram. I posted a few on my photography page as well.

As for how the event unfolded, I helped Lia with final table setup on Friday, during which I met head diving coach Peter Avdoulos ’85. The three of us moved tables around the viewing area overlooking the pool and brought up a few extras from downstairs. Afterward, I did some tabling for an upcoming program, “An Evening of Student and Alumni Career Networking.”

On Saturday, I arrived at the pool around 9:50 AM. The event started at 10:00 AM. I got there a bit later than I planned since it was snowing and I had to contend with the usual problems snow brings, like clearing it from my car and avoiding slipping through the streets. Once I got into the pool area, I made my way around saying hello to everyone from the office, Lia, Damon, Jim, and Sue, and got straight to work, taking out my Canon R5 mkii with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.

Alumnus Bruce speaking with a student swimmer.

There was hardly anyone in the space we set up for the alumni early on. Bruce, an alumnus I’ve seen several times at other Alumni events, was there. He might have been at Reunion this past summer. I remember him showing me photos from his travels. He’s been to far more places than I have. Regardless, Bruce is always great to talk to, so we chatted between shots as swimmers prepared below and families gradually gathered.

For events like this, honestly for most events, I enjoy being a fly on the wall. It gives me the chance to capture genuine moments, though I don’t shy away from posed images if I’m spotted. Having photographed many Springfield College events, people often recognize me as one of the photographers whose images end up on the College’s social channels, so they tend to signal that they want a photo when they see me. At this event it happened twice. I was above the pool on the balcony overlooking the pool, and there were swimmers below making eye contact with me. I didn’t say anything at all, and if I’m not mistaken they didn’t say anything to get my attention either. I just saw them through my viewfinder staring at me, and I took the photo, giving a thumbs up to let them know I got the shot. Coordinating a photograph without saying a word is always an interesting experience, and I can never get enough of it.

Student swimmers posing for a photo on the pool deck.

This meet was also Senior Day for the swimming and diving teams, a day where seniors are recognized for their dedication and time with the program. It was the second Senior Day I’ve photographed. The first was for my friend Pan during Women’s Tennis, also against Babson. Both teams ended up with overall losses, but thankfully neither appeared entirely defeated, and the atmosphere remained celebratory.

Eventually, the room became electric. People filled the space, spectators watched from above, and the teams lined the sides of the pool as events rotated. I don’t know much about the specifics of each event. I understand that swimmers race and divers perform incredible dives, but I can’t always tell what separates a good dive from a bad one beyond the splash. I also wonder what makes one swimmer faster than another. Is it form, power, endurance? Clearly, it’s a combination of many factors. I can only imagine the level of focus they need to carry into each event.

Springfield families & Alumni watching on as swimmers & divers compete.

I alternated between taking photos from above the pool and on the deck. During my first time photographing here, I hesitated to go on deck and join the crowd cheering on their teammates. This time, I felt much more comfortable. Max Berkowitz reminded me I could move freely to get different angles. I photographed swimmers preparing to enter the water and recorded video of divers executing impressive flips. Since my main focus was the alumni event, I didn’t capture many shots of the teams aside from Senior Day recognition.

I still have some difficulty distinguishing alumni from families. Two of the alumni I recognized were Kay and Natalie, both swimmers who graduated with me last year. They had asked me to photograph one of their meets, and I ended up attending two.

Later, I met an alumnus carrying around a photo. I asked if he knew anyone in the image, and while pointing at different faces, he named nearly everyone and talked about how often he stayed in contact with them. I then asked if I could photograph him holding the team portrait.

There was also a diver, Christian, who called me over to talk about the photos. He asked if I could pull up a shot of him high fiving another student and mentioned that he understood if I couldn’t find it. For context, I took roughly 1,700 photos that day and later shared 109 final edits on Flickr.

We talked about what makes a strong dive photo. I appreciate hearing what a good image looks like from the perspective of the people in it, especially when I genuinely feel like a bit of a fish out of water. While I don’t take every suggestion as a rule, the feedback helps me notice details I might otherwise miss. Christian mentioned that photographing divers from the side and capturing their preparation before a dive can make for more compelling images.

He then showed me an example of a bad diving photo, one that I almost laughed at, not necessarily because of the image itself, but because it had been watermarked by the photographer despite not being particularly flattering.

Senior swimmers and divers pose for a photo.

As I packed up my gear, I found myself appreciating how days like this bring people back together. It’s never just about getting good photos. It’s about the energy in the room, the stories being shared, and the reminder of how much this place continues to matter. Watching alumni return and seniors celebrate their final season reinforces the idea that places carry memories long after moments pass, and photography becomes a way of honoring those connections and preserving the feeling of a meaningful day.

Thanks for reading.