Like Father, Like Son
Joyce H.
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"Look! Davin is cheering for Dylan too!" It was Summer Far Westerns 2022, the championship meet of the season. Dylan Tambuwun was swimming his 200 breast finals, hoping to achieve a personal best. Feeling the weight of the camera body against my hands, I adjusted the lens to focus on Coach David Tambuwun in the background, cheering for his son Dylan. In a split second, I envisioned a picture in my mind where they were both in frame: Dylan swimming past Coach David. I anticipated that moment. A little boy appeared next to Coach David and began cheering enthusiastically for Dylan. The boy was Coach David’s younger son, Davin, cheering for his older brother in the pool. I positioned the camera and pressed the shutter button, hearing a familiar and satisfying click. I breathed a sigh of relief. The moment was captured! Looking back on the image, although taken a year ago, the depiction of Coach David and Davin cheering for Dylan as one, evokes a sense of fondness in the viewer; seeing the passion of swimming radiate off of Dylan, Coach David, and Davin, as the 8-year-old follows in his father’s footsteps of cheering. This image illustrates not only the enjoyment of a sport, but also the importance of support from one’s family. In this case, a representation of the sacrifices a coach–and parent–makes for their athlete–and son’s–success. A story of progress and accomplishment, drawing the viewer into the exhilarating moment of a timeless capture.
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Creativity is all about perception. Over the past year, I focused my photography skills on competitive swimming. To the average person, a race is just a race. But to me, I see it as a collection of emotions and effort just waiting to be perceived and deemed worthy of capture.
