Alumni Q&A
Ben Solomon (Class of 2008), a freelance sports photographer, sat down with  Lindsay Paulen, The Hatchet’s culture editor. Solomon recounted his experience shooting at the Australian Open last month and how his time as a photo editor at The Hatchet set him up for success.
How did you get involved with sports photography?
It’s a bit cliche, but The Hatchet is how I got started in sports photography – shooting games at the Smith Center and up on the Vern. Then when the basketball team would get hot in March, traveling to Atlantic 10 championship games and NCAA tournament games. Gaining the experience to shoot collegiate games for a school newspaper gave a very solid foundation to what I’m doing today. Shooting alongside some of the best sports shooters in the D.C. area, editing and being on deadline, all of those things gave me a very solid footing.
Who has been your favorite player to photograph and why?
It’s a tough one to answer, but I’m going with Roger Federer as the favorite to photograph. But my reasons probably aren’t what most would guess. Yes, he’s a legend, and yes he’s got one of the prettiest backhand shots, but he’s my favorite to shoot because of the challenges that exist when shooting him. The first challenge is that most times when he hits a forehand, his eyes are either closed or he looks extremely bored. Couple that with his stoic demeanor, trying to make him look not bored can take a full match.
The other major challenge that exists when he’s on court is trying to come up with something different. As a photographer, you’re sitting next to potentially hundreds of other photographers all shooting the same exact thing.
Was there a moment during the Australian Open where you felt you missed an opportunity? If so, what was it?
Yes, I’ve definitely missed my fair share of moments. I can’t pinpoint one specific instance because there’s so much going on during a grand slam that there are moments constantly around the grounds. Being a sports photographer is as much about anticipating as it is shooting. Knowing the matchups and the styles of play, knowing what the sun and lighting are going to do throughout the day, all play into setting yourself up to be in a position to potentially capture one of those epic moments.
How did you get the opportunity to take photos at the Australian Open?
Networking and more networking – and putting yourself out there and taking a risk – that’s the main way to progress in this line of work. Someone took a chance on me a while back before I had established myself in the sports photography world, and I took that opportunity and ran with it.
What will you be up to after the Australian Open?
After I head back home from a month of tennis, I jump right into college basketball where I’ll end that season shooting March Madness for the NCAA and prepping for the Major League Soccer season, where I’m the team photographer for the New York Red Bulls. Never a dull moment.
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Princiotti (Class of 2016) covered her 
