2019-20 Photos of the Year: Lon Horwedel
Michigan Athletics and Michigan Photography present the 2019-20 Photos of the Year! Starting July 21-24 and running through July 27-30, you will see what eight photographers from Michigan Photography deem to be their top images covering Michigan Athletics events in 2019-20, a year shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the words of the photographers, you'll read what can go into getting that perfect shot and just why they consider these to be the best of the best. Freelance photographer Lon Horwedel continues our Photos of the Year by sharing some of his best images from the past year. Enjoy!
BEAMING WITH PRIDE
“I shoot a lot of sports action, but sometimes great sports photos come from places other than the playing field. Here, former Michigan women's basketball standout, Stacey Thomas can't hide her happiness as she and her family and friends watch video highlights of her outstanding career during last November's Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor induction ceremony.”
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JUST DEW IT
“They don't call the first golfers of the day ‘dew sweepers’ for nothing, as Patrick Sullivan proves while walking down the sixth fairway early in the morning during a qualifying round over Labor Day weekend. I loved the way the carts and footprints left behind trails in the dew, so all I had to do was put a human in the frame to complete the photo. Sullivan was lucky enough to be the first Michigan golfer to stroll down the hill on the sixth hole.”
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THROWING IT DOWN
“Every year, I have a favorite player to photograph on the Michigan men's basketball team. Usually, it's the guy who is the most animated. This season, that guy was Isaiah Livers. Unfortunately, his season was cut short -- first by a groin injury and later by the coronavirus, which ended every team's season prematurely -- but when Livers was playing, he certainly put on a show.”
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OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE?
“The Michigan men's basketball team always invites young fans to stand with it while the national anthem is played before every home game. On this particular night, a large American flag was unfurled on the court, which certainly caught the attention of the young man wearing glasses. His curiosity, in turn, caught mine!”
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MAKING ‘HAY’
“Shooting Michigan ice hockey at ice level is fun, but shooting through an 8-inch hole cut in the glass can get exhausting after a while, and the amount of action you can cover is fairly limited. That's why I try and shoot at least one period every game from a higher vantage point where I can shoot down over the glass and cover the entire rink from goal to goal. It also allows for cool compositions like this one of Jacob Hayhurst putting a shot on goal against Penn State.”
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TAKING TO THE AIR
“Lousy weather can make for a miserable gameday experience for probably everyone in the stadium except the players. But it also can make for some pretty dramatic photos. Since Michigan Stadium no longer has natural turf, mud shots are out of the question, but when it rains at night, the stadium lights make the rain easy to see and add a nice visual touch. In this case, Hassan Haskins tries to break away from a Notre Dame tackler in a downpour.”
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IN THE DARK
“The pregame introductions at a Michigan men's basketball game have taken on other-worldly proportions the last few years. Although I'm not a huge fan of all the glitz and glamour, it does make for some interesting photos like this one of Isaiah Livers silhouetted against the colored fog prior to the Wolverines' game against Penn State.”
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LEGWORK
"While sitting in the north end zone during a time out at Michigan Stadium during football's season opener with Middle Tennessee State, I looked down the sideline and couldn't help but notice that one set of legs on the Michigan dance team was unlike the others. That set of legs belong to Brendan Ryan, the only male dancer of the team. I really liked the composition of the legs all in a row, and Ryan's hirsute legs made it even better."
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WALKING WITH PURPOSE
“First-year men's basketball head coach Juwan Howard was a fun guy to photograph. A good foot or two taller than his predecessor, John Beilein, the former Fab Five great towered over referees (and some of his players), and his youthful look made it seem like he was just another player on injured reserve. In this frame, he stalks back to the bench, necktie a flying, after arguing with a referee during their game against Penn State.”
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LAYING OUT
“Not even a pair of eights could catch this pass during the Wolverines' game against Army early in the season. Michigan's No. 8, Ronnie Bell, tried valiantly but came up empty handed as Army's No. 8, Javhari Bourdeau, trailed on the play.”
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