Picture-Perfect: Celebrating a Decade of Local Photography

By Brooke Clifford

In Coronado we are blessed to be surrounded by people from all walks of life with so many different sets of skills and talents to share. Kelley (Kel) Casey is one such resident whose photography has become a staple of the community through her work as a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) credentialed sports photographer for Coronado’s student athletes and at the Coronado Eagle & Journal, capturing memorable moments on the Island. Casey has been sharing her photos with the community for over a decade now and I had a chance to ask her some questions about her work as a photographer over the years.

“When boys lacrosse played Poway in 2014, we were down going into the last seconds. We managed to tie it up, with just a few seconds on the clock. Cade (CHS Lax coach) had Trent Schulte do the face-off, and he came up with the ball, somehow got it in the goal for the win, and we all went wild. In 2019, also during the Poway game, pretty much the exact same scenario happened, and this time it was Trent’s younger brother Devin Schulte, pictured here, who got it in the goal and gave us the win.” - Kel Casey

Have you always had an interest in photography, and what got you started as a photographer and then sports photographer, specifically?

I didn’t really know what I was doing until I was in my 30s, and I’m still learning. My dad always had a camera and was a World War II photographer, but I only learned that recently.

I bought my first SLR film Nikon in 1989, when I lived in downtown Washington, D.C. and was working as a nanny. That was my go-to camera for many years, until I got my first point and shoot digital camera in 2004 or 2005. That camera was pretty rad at the time. It had five megapixels, which at the time seemed pretty remarkable. I took photos of everything, but I’d say my kids were my favorite subjects.

I graduated to my first DSLR, a Nikon D80, in 2006, which was when I really started gaining an understanding of the components of photography.

My kids, two stepsons and my own two kids, all played various sports from the time they were small, so I was always out there with one of the cameras. It was really when my stepson Brennan started playing water polo in 2006 that I took off with the sports photography. I invested in a big 150500mm lens, and asked Coach Randy Burgess if I could shoot the games from the player side of the field, where

the light was better. I think he was reluctant, but he agreed. I owe him a lot, and will always be grateful that he gave me the opportunity. Water polo was really where I delved deeply into sports photography, especially when my daughter Mary started playing the sport as well.

I seemed to have a good eye for the game, and the polo parents seemed pleased with the images I provided, so it just kind of grew from there. I started sending water polo shots to the Eagle on occasion, and Dave Axelson worked to get me CIF credentials so that I could start covering more sports for the Eagle in 2010. Dave and I were a great team, and I’ll always be indebted to him for getting me that start into covering sports and eventually other events for the Eagle, like the parades and the Flower Show.

What is it that you enjoy most about photography and taking sports photos?

The athletes. For me, it’s always been about the kids. I love that they love my images. Sports photography is so much more than a job. It’s personal. I love the games, the coaches, the fans, the parents – all of it. I have the opportunity to meet so many great young people. I enjoy a good rapport with so many players, coaches, and parents. I love getting to know them. When we win, I cheer along with them. When we lose a big game, I’ll cry right along with them.

One of my favorite sports to photograph is women’s volleyball. The pace is a bit slower than the guys’, and it’s mind-boggling to me how they set up those shots, and can anticipate where

the ball is going. But the best part about it is the camaraderie. They cheer each other on, they encourage each other, and just have great energy.

My other favorite photography is close up floral work. I had a beautiful garden with loads of shade-loving plants like fuchsias and columbines, and I would crawl around under my camellias and contort myself to get those shots. It was very zen – the exact opposite of sports photography, and the images were a different kind of breathtaking.

Is there anything you find most challenging about photography and sports photography in particular?

Light is always my biggest issue. Our field and gym have decent lighting, but a few other school sites don’t. The most challenging sports I shoot are men’s volleyball, and maybe golf. In volleyball, the net is in the middle, with the referees standing on ladders right in the middle. The game is very fast, and unpredictable. Golf is a challenge because it’s miles of green, and I have to shoot from a distance in order to be somewhat unobtrusive while the players are trying to focus.

I like my images to tell a story. With sports photos, it’s more than just a close up shot of an athlete. Those are great, and I take a lot of those, but my favorite ones are where you can see more context of a game. The fans cheering, other players interacting, the scoreboard, the moments before and after the game.

What have been some rewarding moments for you throughout your time as a photographer?

It is all so rewarding. Most recently, I think getting Alex Crawford’s winning shot during the State Championship game was a favorite. I don’t remember taking it, and had no idea that I had captured it.

Two other absolute favorite moments were during the overtime wins during the 2011 and 2017 CIF water polo championship games. Both games were very close, and went into overtime. The games were intense, and I was having trouble appearing neutral, so I went to sit at the far end of the La Jolla pool deck, so that I was looking toward the goal. In the 2011 game vs. Bishops, we were in sudden death, and Van Burgess made a great steal and passed it down the line to Tommy Grall, who threw it in the goal for the win. I was sitting with my kids, crying, and had no idea I’d gotten the shot. The scenario for the 2017 game was exactly the same, vs. La Jolla, and this time it was my nephew Andy Rodgers who found the back of the net with just 11 seconds to go in the second overtime period. The two shots are almost identical.

Other moments that are personally rewarding are far less dramatic in nature. Sometimes kids don’t get a lot of play time, or are just learning. I love capturing the moments when these kids score their first goal or basket or get their first hit.

I’ve known many of our athletes since they were babies, so watching them grow and mature as players and young adults is really a privilege.

I also do all of the performance photography for San Diego Civic Youth Ballet— I’ve done that since 2011. I’ve been able to watch these dancers grow and mature from 4 year olds to high school seniors, and I’ve had a front row seat, so to speak, to all of it. Dance is another favorite subject for me. It requires so much athleticism, which must appear effortless and graceful. It’s a joy to photograph.

To go along with that, are there any particularly memorable moments you’ve captured, whether it was the photo you got or a story surrounding it?

I will never forget the Charlie Keating memorial service at Tidelands Park, or the procession following his funeral at Sacred Heart. At Tidelands, I was the only still photographer there, and I had a Navy PAO (public affairs officer) as a “handler.” I was a nervous wreck, and the service was emotional and wrenching. I think being asked to shoot it for the Eagle was the highest honor I’ve ever had as a photographer. The processional, which was down Sixth Street past Coronado High School and Village Elementary, was a beautiful thing. Thousands lined that sidewalk with flags and signs, all the way from Orange Avenue down Sixth to where they made the turn to go out of town via 4th Street.

Do you foresee yourself continuing your photography, be it sports or in another direction, for some time to come?

I can’t imagine not continuing my photography. After a busy season, I might take a break for a week or two, but I expect it to be part of my life for many years to come.

As we head into a new school year, be on the lookout for Casey’s work as she captures more of those picture-perfect moments!

Snack Time, Cookie Time!

Cookies, a worldwide favorite, have been around since the 7th century, when Persia (now Iran) began to farm and harvest sugar cane, used in cakes and desserts. In order to test an oven to see if the heat was just right to bake a cake, a small dollop of batter was dropped into a pan and baked as a tester. Voila! The first cookie was invented.

The fact you could hold cookies in your hand and cookies had a longer shelf life than cakes when made with less moisture, they were baked for their own merit. Their popularity grew. In the 1930s Ruth Wakefield famously mixed in bits of chocolate into her sugar cookies, creating the Toll House Cookie, and the chocolate chip cookie took off.

The idea of cookies and milk for Santa also came in the 1930s. During the depression families wanted to instill their children the idea of sharing, no matter how little you had. During World War II, it was common to send chocolate chip cookies to the troops, even though chocolate was expensive. It was thought to bring comfort to our boys overseas. While many manufacture cookies, there’s still nothing like a homemade cookie.

Take a break and enjoy some fresh baked cookies with a glass of milk.