The Michigan Daily’s photographers have had the pleasure of photographing for and including photos in this year’s Women’s Month content. To celebrate Women’s Month and the staff’s efforts, each of the 24 female photographers reflect on the lessons they have learned with their eyes in the viewfinder. The women were asked to explain what photographing women’s sports means to them, as well as highlight their favorite photos over the past school year.
What I have found as a woman in sports photography is also what I observe through covering female athletes — passion, community and strong bonds. However, the need to continually prove oneself and bring more to the table than what is expected of men is similarly consistent for female photographers and female athletes. I am inspired by those around me who rise to this challenge and continue to shine in this industry.
Senior Photo Editor
Grace Beal/Daily. Buy this photo.
As a woman in sports photography, I often feel out of place in a media room full of white male photographers covering men’s sports. However, I am also inspired by the community of women athletes and women photographers and their dedication, spirit and resilience in the work they do.
Managing Photo Editor
Kate Hua/Daily. Buy this photo.
Being a woman in sports photography means resilience, confidence and passion. Standing tall and making a place for myself when I cover any sport, women’s or men’s, ties me to the talented female athletes at Michigan. Giving their accomplishments a platform through photography, accomplishments that may otherwise be overshadowed by the grandeur of many men’s sports here, solidifies the notion that as female photographers, our work matters.
Managing Photo Editor
Anna Fuder/Daily. Buy this photo.
Being a woman in sports photography is about holding your ground. It’s about being confident and certain of my place at each game, match or meet. Our work is to empower female athletes by capturing their performances through our lens as a woman photographer. I hope to meet more women photographers in these competitive spaces and see their work be recognized and celebrated.
Senior Photo Editor
Julianne Yoon/Daily. Buy this photo.
Being a woman in sports photography is something so rewarding yet oftentimes disheartening with both sports and photography being such male-dominated spheres. I hope to share the stories of the empowering women that I capture photos of, and I hope to show through my own story and that of those around me, that women are influential forces in sports media as well.
Senior Photo Editor
Selena Sun/Daily. Buy this photo.
Pushing boundaries is central to the experience of being a woman in sports photography. Every time I’m on the sidelines, I’m proud to take up space not only to prove my skills and gain respect in a male-dominated field, but also to be in the position to amplify the immense talent of the women in the sports I photograph.
Senior Photo Editor
Sarah Boeke/Daily. Buy this photo.
As a female photographer covering women’s sports, I am constantly inspired by the powerful woman whose triumphs, communities and passion I capture. It’s a wonderful experience to have, yet I also find myself searching to prove myself within the sports world, a space often fully occupied by men, to ensure further room for future female photographers.
Assistant Photo Editor
Lila Turner/Daily. Buy this photo.
Being a woman in sports photography means finding a supportive community of other incredible women who share the same passion in a field dominated by men. A community where we celebrate everyone’s accomplishments, no matter how big or small.
Assistant Photo Editor
Jenna Hickey/Daily. Buy this photo.
I’ve never had the opportunity to cover sports photography before The Daily, and being able to be surrounded by so many incredible women on staff every day inspires me endlessly to be a better sports photographer. The other major inspiration for me is the women on the field giving an absolute showing of pure athletic power and team spirit that can be felt even when filtered through a camera lens.
Assistant Photo Editor
Grace Lahti/Daily. Buy this photo.
Being a woman in sports photography means having the opportunity to capture moments of intense female power and ability. It is beautiful to share the same space with these women and be able to portray their moments of success and passion.
Assistant Photo Editor
Riley Nieboer/Daily. Buy this photo.
Covering women’s sports as a woman in sports photography will always be so special to me because supporting women is so important especially in the worlds of sports, photography and journalism. I love having the opportunity to get shots like these that showcase the raw emotion that comes with women’s passion for everything they do.
Assistant Photo Editor
Emily Alberts/Daily. Buy this photo.
Whenever I photograph sports, whether that be men’s or women’s, I am usually the only woman in the media workroom. I like seeing the look on the middle-aged male photographers’ faces when they realize that I am there to do the same job that they are there to do.
Staff Photographer
Emma Mati/Daily. Buy this photo.
I take so much pride in being a woman in sports. I feel so lucky to have had so many amazing opportunities over the last three years of my life working with and for Michigan Athletic teams. I am very excited to see where this takes me in both my career and my life.
Staff Photographer
Gabby Ceritano/Daily. Buy this photo.
As a woman in sports photography, I feel extremely empowered and lucky to have the opportunity to photograph women’s and men’s Division I sports. Being able to grow in my passion throughout my college career has been such a meaningful experience. I have loved capturing the emotions and relationships of athletes on and off the court.
Staff Photographer
Sophia Afendoulis/Daily. Buy this photo.
I am always so excited to photograph women’s athletics for The Daily. Not only are the games so incredible to watch, but the atmosphere in the stadiums is always electric. I am inspired by the passion for teamwork, the dedication and the strong bonds formed between teammates. I am so lucky to be able to capture those things in a photograph and share them with the community!
Staff Photographer
Maria Deckmann/Daily. Buy this photo.
Sports were a big part of my life growing up and it was always so frustrating to see all of the attention go to male athletes. As a photographer now, it brings me so much joy to be able to capture women in sports through my work and aim towards closing the gap and supporting female athletes all through the lens of a female photographer.
Staff Photographer
Hannah Torres/Daily. Buy this photo.
Covering women’s sports as a female photographer brings me so much joy. Capturing the team camaraderie reminds me of my own female friendships and former teammates.
Staff Photographer
Tess Crowley/Daily. Buy this photo.
The opportunity to cover women’s sports is one I cherish deeply. We live in a world where women athletes do not get the coverage or support they deserve, and getting the chance to correct that game by game is so important to me.
Staff Photographer
Sydney Hastings-Wilkins/Daily. Buy this photo.
To be a woman in sports photography means to be able to capture and record exceptional women. It is empowering to see women in sports in practice, and the amazing photography produced by my female peers in traditionally male dominated fields.
Staff Photographer
Ellie Vice/Daily. Buy this photo.
As a woman in athletic and sports photography, I feel empowered when I step into the field and photograph female and male athletes. When photographing women as a woman, I feel even more inspired showcasing and documenting the pure joy the sport brings them. Specifically, documenting such a raw and emotional sport like women’s gymnastics allows for some very deep and emotional images that make you feel something when seeing the final outcome.
Staff Photographer
Alyssa Shea Mulligan/Daily. Buy this photo.
As a woman in sports photography, it is such an amazing opportunity on the sidelines to capture these strong women and their athletic accomplishments. It is an honor to witness the breaking of gender barriers and continue to share these moments through the lens of a young woman.
Staff Photographer
Ashley Grey/Daily. Buy this photo.
As someone new to shooting women’s sports, I see an opportunity to build a stronger presence for women in the media. From a place of connection and empathy, it is exciting to see how women can benefit each other even from different fields of the professional world.
Staff Photographer
Sarah Bayne
Being a woman photographer who used to play sports and is now covering women sports is so amazing to experience. I get to paint the picture of the devotion, hard work, friendships and triumphs of such amazing female athletes.
Staff Photographer
Bela Fischer/Daily. Buy this photo.
Being a woman who covers sports means being trusted to shed light on female athletes and support them just as much as I want to be supported as a photographer. Making sure that both men and women are honored in photos equally is something incredibly important to me while being a photographer in a male-dominated industry. It’s special to exercise my passion alongside athletes that are doing the same.
Staff Photographer
Abby Sheridan/Daily. Buy this photo.
Grace Lahti/Daily. Buy this photo. 
Jenna Hickey/Daily. Buy this photo. 
Kate Hua/Daily. Buy this photo. 
Grace Lahti/Daily. Buy this photo. 
Anna Fuder/Daily. Buy this photo.
Senior Photo Editor Grace Beal can be reached at gbeal@umich.edu.