Visual storytelling is an integral part of what we do. Photos taken by Boris Tsang ’21, The Sun’s photography editor, have appeared in over 700 articles at The Sun. His photos have also been featured in ESPN, CBS News, and the Cornell Chronicle. The newsletter team interviewed Boris on what it takes to capture those perfect moments.
1. How do you capture the winning moment of a sports game?
Most of it comes down to keeping up with the game and staying focused. Photographing a sports team is a bit like playing against one, in the sense that you’re constantly trying to anticipate the next play, so it definitely helps to be familiar with Cornell’s teams and the different sports in general. I try to get as much practice as I can and to follow our sports section’s coverage of the teams so I can get a better idea of what to expect during those crucial moments of a game. Beyond that, it’s mostly a matter of staying on my toes and keeping my cool behind the camera.
2. What photo are you most proud of and why?
One of my favorites is a photo I took last year of the women’s hockey team piling on top of defenseman and captain Micah Zandee-Hart ’20 after her game-winning goal in the ECAC semifinals against Princeton. Cornell had managed to force the game into double overtime after recovering from a 2-1 deficit, and everybody in Lynah was on edge after eighty-plus minutes of play. When Zandee-Hart finally scored, I had a good view of her teammates and their huge smiles as they poured onto the ice and surrounded their captain. It was one of the greatest moments I’ve witnessed as a photographer, and being able to capture the entire sequence made it all the better.
The Cornell women’s hockey team piles on top of defenseman and captain Micah Zandee-Hart after her double overtime goal in the ECAC semifinals against Princeton at Lynah Rink on March 9, 2019. The 3-2 comeback victory sent the Red to its first ECAC championship game since 2014.