My Favorite Shots of the Year (October-December)
And just like that, we've reached the final trimester of 2025. I hope that you've enjoyed this more in depth look at a few of my favorites from 2025. For this last trimester, there were, yet again, a lot of photos to sift through (747 to be exact). This three month spread actually had the most of any this year, owing mostly to all of the Michigan State athletics pictures. That made choosing a favorite extemely hard. Unfortunately, that means that I'll be cheating just a little bit this week. Instead of having just one favorite, I've only narrowed it down to five. But I promise that when you see each picture, you'll understand my plight in picking a favorite. The first picture is Passion.
Passion (taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 24-70 mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm, 1/400 sec, f/2.8)
Shooting my first MSU hockey game was truly a wild experience. It wasn't the first MSU hockey game that I had ever been too, as I had been to several the year before. It wasn't my first time being in the student section, as I had been in the student section during every other game that I had been to, but something about being on the ice level as a photographer made everything seem that much more passionate. And passion makes for some outstanding photographs. The very first photo hole assignment that I got was for a hole inside the student section, and it was a lively atmosphere to say the least. Kneeling at my spot on the glass, I was the only person not standing, cheering, or doing something to make the electric atmosphere what it was. It was loud, it was raucous, and it was awesome.
I think that just before puckdrop is when this energy is at a reliable peak, and this game was no exception. Having lost to New Hampshire the night before, the home fans were expecting a bounceback performance. There is a tradition during the announcement of starting lineups for everyone to turn on their flashlights, which you can see in this shot. The flashing lights in an otherwise dark stadium certainly make for a unique atmosphere. But the clear and obvious subject of this shot is the fan screaming, full of passion. The fans are what make high level sports so energetic, and it's passion like this that makes the fans so meaningful.
The second picture is That Winning Feeling.
That Winning Feeling (taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 86 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8)
Volleyball is admittedly a sport that I don't know that much about. I know the basics, but I've never played and, before this year, had never been to a game in person. However, I've come to realize that it is a pretty awesome sport to watch. There's a lot of action packed into a game, and there's some truly outstanding athletic ability required to be good at it. There's also a surprising amount of team tactics that come into play. With all of this info that I've learned about volleyball, I've actually really enjoyed attending the games that I have been to. The best game that I attended this year was hands down the game that this picture was taken at.
In spite of a perfect 10-0 start in out of conference play, MSU volleyball spent much of this season as an unranked team. They struggled in the BIG 10, finishing with an 8-12 record in conference. However, that wasn't without some noteable wins. Heading into their matchup with #20 Indiana, the Spartans hoped to secure their first ranked win of the season. They did that, and more. MSU played to a dominant three sets to none sweep; their first sweep over a ranked opponent since 2017. After the final point of the game, the Spartans gathered as a team to celebrate, showcasing that winning feeling for all to see. The emotion was palpable. The go green and go white banners, in addition to the band in the background add even more to this picture. Definitely my favorite non-hockey picture of the year.
The third picture is Catch!
Catch! (taken with a nikon z6 & Nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8)
This picture has a little less fanfare and emotion to it than the previous ones, and the ones to come after. However, it is my favorite action shot from this three month period. On first glance, there isn't all that much going on. It's a pretty routine glove save. However, the movement of a glove save is something that I, and a lot of others, have always found to be pretty aesthetically pleasing. In addition, if you look closely, the puck is in Trey Augustine's glove, with a Spartan head clearly visible. How is that for good timing? It might be simple, but Catch! is still pretty darn cool.
The fourth picture is Rapture.
Rapture (taken with a Nikon z6 & Nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 150 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8)
There are certain hockey games where it seems like a goal will never come. You're not getting the bounces even if you're getting the chances; it seems like nothing is going your way. The second game of this year's series against Wisconsin in East Lansing was like that for Michigan State. Despite controlling the pace of play for much of the game, MSU seemed to be heading towards a 1-0 defeat. That was until the final minute. With an empty net and an extra attacker on, MSU would finally score their first goal of the game to force overtime. The scene that followed was rapture.
Screaming fans, celebrations on the ice, the whole nine. From my vantage point across the ice, I was able to capture the elation of the goal from the players and the fans behind them. Adding to the scene, a dejected Wisconsin player skates away from the MSU celebrations. Scoring a clutch goal in hockey is a feeling that is hard to match, and this picture puts that on full display.
The fifth and final picture is Hail (sorry to all my fellow MSU fans!).
Hail (taken with a nikon z6 & nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8)
Any time that the University of Michigan and Michigan State University meet in a competition, no matter the type, the rivalry is fierce and heated. Hockey, with its propensity for physical aggression and violence, is perhaps one of the best displays of this rivalry. Going into their first series of the year against each other, Michigan and MSU were ranked first and second in the country, respectively. The stage was set for a clash of titans. The first game of the series was at Munn Ice Arena, home of Michigan State. Anticipation before the game was at an all time high. The atmosphere around the building was the most alive that I have ever experienced, and the opening of the game did not disappoint. Michigan State dominated play for the first few minutes. With the Wolverines on their heels, it seemed that the game was headed towards an outstanding result for MSU. That was until a little over five minutes in.
Against the run of play, Michigan capitalized on a great opportunity and netted the first goal of the game. Setting the tone for the rest of the matchup, the Wolverines and their visiting fans celebrated with intense passion, leading to the shot that you see above. Michigan would go on to win the game 3-0 (it's worth mentioning that MSU got the last laugh, beating Michigan the next night 3-1 at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor). Seeing the picture that I captured, I (regrettably) couldn't help but think of that famous refrain from the University of Michigan fight song: "Hail! to Michigan".
Choosing a favorite, as you can tell, was hard, hence going for five instead of just one. Hopefully, though, this larger list of selections made for an entertaining and insightful blog post. I certainly had a fun time writing it! Next week, on New Year's Eve, I will have a special post that looks at my whole year in review. Instead of looking at parts of the year, I'll take you on a journey through my whole year of 2025, but that's all that I'll say for now. Until next week!
