The story of this school year is being told by senior Olivia McSpadden, Chief Photographer for the Paoli Media Department, from behind the lens of her camera.
Her career in photography at PHS started during the second semester of her sophomore year when her uncle gifted her a camera during the holidays in 2021. McSpadden started by just taking sports photos, but as Chief Photographer, she is now responsible for covering all school events.
McSpadden admits that taking photos allows her to enjoy games without being around many people.
“Working in sports, most viewers think that sports photography is all about luck, but contrary to popular belief, it’s learning how to manufacture that luck. Sports Photography is not something that came overnight. It took many long hours of practice, review, and critiques to be where I am today,” said McSpadden.
As Chief Photographer, McSpadden is responsible for covering school events and selecting images for all media platforms. She has a team of students called gallerists who work with her, selecting photos to be promoted on the media website and Facebook pages.
“The hardest part of being Chief is not the work; it’s making sure every event has coverage and managing the gallerist staff. While the work can sometimes be tricky, it’s never been necessarily hard. Before the Gallerist staff, after every event or game, I would have to make the gallery and then later post. Having a staff of four students has exponentially lightened the load of galleries, but it also ensures that every event gets posted,” said McSpadden.
This school year, McSpadden has now expanded her photography career as she has begun work with Visit French Lick West Baden, covering community events to promote tourism. The Executive Director of Visit French Lick West Baden, Brandi Ream, reached out to McSpadden about a position covering events for the organization, including the Paoli Fall Festival, Springs Valley Block Bash, and Art on the Green.
“The job at Visit French Lick is nothing compared to my position at the school. For FLWB, covering various community events has allowed me to make connections with members in the community that I would have never made if it wasn’t for my camera,” said McSpadden.
McSpadden has no plans of putting down her camera any time soon.
“After graduating I would love to work for a professional sports team, and cover everything from the game itself to practice,” said McSpadden.
McSpadden was recently accepted to Ball State University, where she plans to study communications, specifically in Sports Broadcasting.
