FRIDAY NIGHT SIGHTS
The air is somehow crisper at a high school football game. The stadium lights shine off the field and reflect back onto the crowd above. There's a magic to be found in the madness — and in Friday Night Sights, we find that magic.
Friday Night Sights is a weekly photo project at the Columbia Missourian that takes a step away from the field, covering high school football from the stands and the sidelines.
I produced 17 issues of FNS as part of a dedicated team of photo editors. By semester's end, we had dispatched 31 photographers to 18 stadiums across mid-Missouri. We coached newbies and experienced staffers alike, ensuring that they felt comfortable and inspired making photos.
This was especially important to navigate during the COVID-19 pandemic: some teams had stringent restrictions for fans and journalists, and others turned a blind eye to masks and social distancing. A key part of managing this project was making sure journalists felt safe and supported through an unclear and unsafe time.
Marco Postigo Storel was my co-lead on this project, and Jacob Moscovitch was our assistant director of photography. Elizabeth Underwood, Daniel Shular, Tristen Rouse and Blythe Dorrian were other key players in editing and photography work throughout the semester.
RAIN-SOAKED RIVALRIES
regular season — week 3
Photography by Blythe Dorrian, Eva Qian, and Marco Postigo Storel.
TRIUMPHS ON THE HOME TURF
Regular season — Week 4
Photography by Trenton Almgren-Davis, Blythe Dorrian, and Megan Matty.
SIGHTS FROM STATE: ALL OR NOTHING
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS — FINALS (DAY ONE AND DAY TWO)
Photography by Jackson Estwanick, Nicole Gutierrez, Danielle Pycior, Daniel Shular, and Owen Ziliak.
A STRANGE SEASON STEADIES ON
DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS — QUARTERFINALS
Photography by Olivia Anderson, Michelle Gutierrez, Nicole Gutierrez, Jacey Johnson, and Owen Ziliak.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
REGULAR SEASON — FINAL WEEK
Photography by Anastasia Busby, Zephyrus Li, Amy Schaffer, and Daniel Shular.
ANOTHER STEP FORWARD
DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS — SEMIFINALS
Photography by Blythe Dorrian and Daniel Shular.