NFL Cornerback Mike Sainristil Captured Some Great Photos at an NHL Game
Another professional athlete picked up a camera to try their hand at photography. This time it was NFL cornerback Mike Sainristil from the Washington Commanders, who used a Nikon DSLR to photograph the NHL’s Washington Capitals faceoff against the Philadelphia Flyers.
There is certainly marketing at play here, but it is still exciting to see more people, especially prominent figures, involved with photography. Last week, WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark photographed LeBron James and other NBA players at an Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Lakers matchup. Last December, Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles and Suni Lee grabbed Sony Alpha kits to photograph NFL games, Biles in San Francisco and Lee in Minnesota.
Then, of course, there are the athletes who are not just occasional shutterbugs but very serious, passionate shooters. Baseball Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson are excellent, longtime photographers. Hall of Fame NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been an enthusiastic photographer for a long time, dating back to his professional playing days for the Arizona Cardinals.
It was Sainristil’s first time shooting sports photos, although he did capture video at a Washington Wizards NBA game last year. As Sainristil quickly found out, fast-paced NHL hockey is an extremely challenging place to start.
“It takes a lot of skill for your eye to follow a puck across ice, it’s not like a basketball, it’s not like football,” Sainristil says. “So it’s definitely something I’d be willing to do again, just continue doing it and keep better at it.” ”I think it was really fun. I captured a lot of good moments, in my opinion, so we’ll see how they come out.”
Considering it was Sainristil’s first time shooting sports, he did a fantastic job. Anyone who has photographed hockey knows how challenging it is, and the NFL cornerback captured two goals on camera. He got a lot of good shots, but the goal celebrations are among his best.
“I enjoyed it a lot, it was super fun,” Sainristil says. “I think it’s something I would definitely do again.”
The NHL was a big fan of Sainristil’s work behind the camera, too, saying the up-and-coming NFL star “did not disappoint!”
The Capitals may want to invite Sainristil back very soon, as he proved to be a good luck charm for the team as it desperately tries to make the NHL playoffs. The Capitals beat the Flyers, who sit one point ahead of them in the standings, 6-4.
Image credits: NHL, Mike Sainristil
