Juniors Chloe Chen and Nathan Zhou and freshman Sharise Cho are three up and coming student sports photographers who participated in the Sports Media and Entertainment Internship offered by Anaheim’s Innovative Mentoring Experience (AIME) over this past summer. Through this experience, they gained professional sports photography knowledge and mentorship that they have showcased in their striking snapshots documenting Oxford Academy’s fall sports teams.

Over the course of four weeks, the internship students (high school students coming from schools across the district) explored the art of sports photography, videography, social media, and broadcasting. After the summer session, their new skills culminated into a year-long photography and social media branding project, building an online sports photography portfolio. 

“At first, I kind of applied for the money at first. But I also wanted to apply to learn more and improve my photography skill,” Cho said. 

Along with the paycheck of $1500 — $299 over the summer and $599 each school semester — the Sports Media internship exposed students to the media industry, introducing them to everything from the fundamentals of a camera, the broadcast production process, and soft skills involved in the professional career field.

“The most useful skill I learned was talking to adults, learning how to be more formal. I think that’s really important, and being professional in general,” Zhou said.

According to the three photographers, favorite memories from the internship included speaking with a professional broadcast producer, bonding with other students, and shooting photos for Western High School’s football team. 

With Oxford’s own fall sports starting their season, Chen, Zhou, and Cho eagerly attended and shot as many games as possible, keeping lessons from the internship in mind. 

“I learned through shooting during the internship that something that helps with these sports games is definitely knowing the sport. I also pay attention to specific interactions and plays that coaches call so that I can follow the action and capture it all with my camera,” Chen said. 

Furthermore, Cho advises familiarity with the camera system to maximize its potential. Zhou also mentioned the importance of communicating with referees during games and establishing clear boundaries on the playing field. 

All three sports photographers strive to increase the awareness of high school sports and the level of competition and spirit they bring. As their online presences as media professionals grow, they actively work to highlight high school athletes and their efforts.

“When I take photos, you can definitely see [the athletes’] excitement, especially because you can definitely see the work each team has put into their sports,” Chen said.

As successful participants of the Sports Media and Entertainment internship, Chen, Zhou, and Cho encourage students to apply for the opportunity. 

“The internship will make you so much more confident in how you portray yourself in front of a camera and your own creativity. As a sports photographer, you should always take every opportunity that you can get. There’s always an opportunity to go out and practice,” Cho said.