By Emelia Bowie

       During my internship at Stony Brook Athletics Media, I was able to gain invaluable experience and knowledge in the field of sports journalism and photography. Throughout my time there, I had the opportunity to work with experienced professionals in the industry who were more than willing to share their knowledge and expertise with me. My supervisors, Duke Ekblom and Robert Devita, were particularly helpful in guiding me through the various aspects of the job and providing me with constructive feedback on my work.

      One of the most significant skills that I developed during my internship was my camera skills. As a photographer, it is essential to know how to operate different types of cameras and lenses and understand the best techniques to capture the perfect shot. I learned how to set up and operate different types of cameras, including DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

       I also learned how to adjust the settings to achieve optimal exposure, shutter speed, and aperture, depending on the lighting conditions and subject matter. In addition to camera skills, I also learned valuable marketing tactics that are essential for promoting the media presence of an organization. I learned how to create engaging and interactive content such as questions of the day and day-in-the-life videos that could attract more viewers to the football teams websites and social media pages. These marketing tactics helped me to leverage my talents and make a significant impact on the team’s media presence.

        My proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro has allowed me to create high-quality videos that showcase the excitement and energy of various sports events. Using this software, I have been able to edit footage to create highlight reels, add special effects to enhance the viewing experience, and synchronize audio to produce professional-grade videos. My experience with Premiere Pro has also given me a strong foundation in video editing, which I can apply to other projects in the future. This skill has been particularly useful in my new role with the communications department in athletics, where I am responsible for creating and editing videos for social media and promotional purposes. Overall, my proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro has become a valuable asset to my skill set and has opened up new avenues for me in the field of sports media.

        A day during my internship started off by setting up cameras at the football team’s practice field. This task required me to arrive early in the morning in order to set up the cameras in the appropriate positions. The location of the practice field would vary from day to day, which meant that I needed to be flexible and adaptable to get the job done. Once the cameras were set up, my focus shifted to capturing footage of the players. This involved determining which groups and aspects of the team I needed to focus on for the day, and then positioning the cameras accordingly. I had to be strategic in my planning, thinking ahead to the kind of footage that the team and coaching staff would find most useful. Despite the early mornings and the need to be constantly adaptable, I remained dedicated to achieving my goals for the day. I knew that the footage I captured would be crucial to the success of the team, and I took my responsibility very seriously. This dedication helped me to develop a strong work ethic that will serve me well in all my future endeavors.