By Jarrett Petto
April 24, 2019
Originally, I thought that taking pictures at college sporting events would be a good way to get really good seats for free. Once I started, however, that all changed. I emailed a bunch of different athletic directors for colleges in the Boston area asking if I could come and take pictures at some of their hockey games. I emailed BC, BU, Providence, Northeastern, and Harvard to start. I said that I was a high school student from the area, that I was interested in photography, and that I was hoping to be able to come and practice by taking pictures at an upcoming game. They all answered pretty quickly saying they’d love to have me.
BU vs. Syracuse Photo by Jarrett Petto
The best experience I’ve had as a photographer was shooting a BC football game. I showed up about an hour before the game to figure out where to go and what I was actually allowed to do. The workers at the will call office gave me a media pass and a shirt to wear on the sideline. I wasn’t even expecting to be allowed on the sidelines, so that was a welcomed surprise. I ended up standing next to all the players around the heaters. I took almost 1,000 pictures during the game and almost got hit by a ball during one of the plays, which was pretty scary because I thought I was going to get hit by a player trying to defend the pass. It was a surreal experience that I’ll never forget.
BU vs. Merrimack Photo By Jarrett Petto
BU vs. Harvard Photo By Jarrett Petto
The first hockey game I ended up going to was BU vs. Harvard. When I showed up, I felt really out of place and like I was being judged. I walked up to will call and told them that I had a media pass waiting for me, which resulted in a bunch of funny looks from the guys working there. Once I showed them all of the emails from the media department, they believed me and handed me my media pass. I entered the arena and moved right next to the glass, trying to find a good spot. Once the game started, I took as many pictures as I could without really knowing what I was doing. I was just there trying to get better. I just knew it was really fun being able to go to all of these games with incredible access.
Another interesting thing that I’ve was able to do while on this journey is to sit in on actual press conference after a BU game. I was with a bunch of actual journalists and professionals in the media room, which was a really cool experience. I asked for tips and good questions to ask for future opportunities like this and they were all extremely helpful and nice to me. All of these opportunities have propelled me into the world of journalism and photography. I plan to keep doing this as long as I am able to.
BU vs. Merrimack Photo By Jarrett Petto
Meet the Writer!
Meet the Writer!
Jarrett Petto
Jarrett Petto
Jarrett Petto, class of 2019, is a sports writer for the Dedham Mirror. Jarrett plays baseball for the high school and is involved in the National Honor Society and New England Math League. Outside of school, Jarrett loves to play basketball with friends, listen to music, and go to Red Sox games as much as possible.
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