Want high school senior portraits with a splash? This Delaware Valley HS athlete beats records, so his mom wanted nothing short of powerful and unique, including underwater photography.
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Professional high school senior portraits capture a pivotal moment in a young person’s life, symbolizing the transition from adolescence to adulthood. These portraits go beyond casual snapshots, offering a personalized representation of the student’s personality, achievements, and aspirations.
High-quality photography ensures that the images are timeless, showcasing the senior’s individuality in ways that candid photos often miss. These portraits also create lasting family memories, marking a milestone to be shared and cherished for generations. Investing in professional high school senior photography ensures the legacy of this vital time is captured with clarity, creativity, and professionalism.
Sports in My Life
I’ve done plenty of high school senior portraits already, and sports is one of my favorite subgenre. Perhaps it’s because I got my share of it in youth: the modern pentathlon prepared me perfectly for my underwater photography and running a 10K routine to stay in shape and energized during my daring shoots (fellow runner connections: Garmin and Strava).
By the way, I did my first half-marathon yesterday! Kind of late in the game, but I can still do a marathon before I turn 50 next year!
Pictured below is me with my daughter Veya, who greeted me at the finish line and stretched, too. I just ran in my community, so there are no medals or bibs. 🙂 I did have sneakers, but I knocked them off at the end.
I used to winter swim in Staten Island, NY, and took part in a fun Long Island Polar Bear Club event, New Year’s Day Swim, in 2016. Here I am with the oldest daughter and a story of that day. Regretfully, I’m predisposed to Raynaud’s disease (blood vessels in the hands and feet react too strongly to cold temperatures), so I had to limit swimming to the warm seasons in the past years.
I also do modest workouts with my pre-owned Bowflex Blaze home gym system. Don’t have time for a conventional gym membership for free weight training, unfortunately, but I’m happy with what it gives me. Beats sitting in the office for 12 hours editing and running a business!
Sports Photography
Sports photography is innately powerful and graceful—a coveted field for a creative photographer, particularly for its potential in high school senior portraits. Interestingly, only after I moved to Poconos from NYC did this genre get a boost.
For starters, I did a massive photo marathon for Pike Gymnastics Academy (I never got to blog about it due to heavy workload that season but still hope to). Then, I was invited to do portraits for the young athletes of the DV Warrior Wrestling team. Last year, I volunteered to do team photos for my local Wildcats swim team, and to cover the PMSSL Div A Championship, which my community happened to host that year. I worked with a local personal trainer and boxer Dejare. And on occasion, I get to do young athlete portraits as part of their birthday event packages. There was an Olympian family, too!
Delaware Valley High School Champion
A couple of months ago, Kristen contacted me about her son’s high school senior portraits. It is the same Delaware Valley HS where I shot the young wrestlers. What’s more, Kristen knows our little Veya! Turns out, she was helping with Pike Gymnastics Academy summer camp where Veya once went. Yes, the same academy which students I photographed but haven’t blogged about yet. See, Kristen was a competitive gymnast from age 6 to 14, so the winning spirit runs in the family!
This finally brings us to Tyler Ingraham, ladies and gentlemen. Tyler discovered his passion for swimming after trying other sports, starting recreationally at age 8 and competitively by 10. He’s swum year-round with the New York Sharks since age 12 and has been on Delaware Valley High School’s varsity team since freshman year. Tyler also swam for the Gold Key Gators until age 15 and has spent the last two summers with the 739 Sea Rays, serving as captain and assistant coach.
Certified at 15, he’s worked as a lifeguard for three summers at Conashaugh Lakes and Sunrise Lakes, East Poconos communities.
Tyler has trained with Olympians Tyler Clary and Ryan Lochte. He’s a two-time Times Tribune All-Region Swimmer (2023, 2024), broke all the Sea Rays’ team records, and consistently medaled at districts since freshman year. Notably, he was a silver medalist in the 500 freestyle for three years and became the District 2 champion in 2024. His relay team also won the 400 freestyle relay at the Les Richard Invitational.
As Tyler notes, everyone on the swim team pushes each other to get better and better, so they have that type of competition with their closest friends as well.
His goals include winning races, breaking personal records, reaching states, and setting school records. Looking ahead, Tyler plans to swim in college.
High School Senior Portraits
After long arrangements coordinating my availability with Tyler, his mom, his coach, and all the pools he’s been affiliated with, we finally settled on the date in August. Our goal was a 4-hour shoot in/near the DV high school pool, followed by one hour of a “dry” portrait session, which we also did at the school.
Another curious bump—the manager at the pool recognized me! I photographed her son’s wedding in the Poconos two years ago. Another cool fact—she’s a volunteer firefighter!
For the first part, I used two cameras: one in Ikelite underwater housing and another — over the water. For lighting, I used both Ikelight underwater strobes and Hensel studio lights. The advanced setup allowed for the overhead lighting seen in the opening shot of the series below.
For the final dry hour, we just went outside the pool area and set up the lights in one of the high school corridors. After that, we went outside to get a few conventional high school senior portraits. I asked Kristen to step in for a moment to illustrate that sports family connection and pride.
Final Word
Capturing Tyler Ingraham’s journey through professional senior photography was essential in showcasing not only his athleticism but also his dedication and determination. Through the lens, I see more than just a swimmer in his high school senior portraits—I see a champion who continues to break records, push boundaries, and inspire those around him.
As Tyler prepares for the next chapter of his swimming career, these senior portraits serve as a testament to his unwavering commitment, his victories in and out of the pool, and the champion he is becoming. I wish him typhoon power, confidence, persistence, and success.
And, if your child wishes to express his/her aspirations and achievements in their powerful high school senior portraits, drop me a line. I’ll help.
Behind the Scenes
Here’s an idea of some equipment used that day:
