250 views since Apr 17, 2025
katiepark
What does it truly mean to be an elite athlete beyond physical performance, and how can visual storytelling capture the emotional and mental strength behind the game face?
I chose this topic because I’ve always been fascinated by the mindset of high-level athletes—the focus, the intensity the internal battles that often go unnoticed by fans. As a photographer with access to so many Gator events, I realized I had the opportunity to reveal something deeper. With “Gator Game Face,” I wanted to go beyond action shots and show the raw, emotional side of NCAA athletics—what competitors feel in those in-between moments. My hope was to not only tell their story, but to make others feel the emotion and mental resilience these athletes embody.
To bring this project to life, I spent months capturing moments from 11 different Gator sports, plus a unique experience abroad in Spain with Gators Experience. I sorted through thousands of photos and selected 263 that best told this story. The sports that are included are lacrosse, baseball, women's basketball, men's basketball, women's golf, men's golf, gymnastics, football, volleyball, women's tennis and track and field. The mosaic design was a huge part of my planning process—I didn’t want this to be a traditional gallery. I wanted the audience to be immersed in it, to feel surrounded by the emotion.
The biggest takeaway from this project was realizing just how much of the game is mental. The “game face” isn’t just a look—it’s a moment of transformation. It’s where nerves, focus, self-talk, and pressure all collide.
What surprised me most was how vulnerable some athletes are, even in moments of strength. Some stare into the distance, mentally rehearsing. Others scream or cry out loud. These aren’t just expressions—they’re glimpses into the internal dialogue that drives elite performance.
Another insight came from the diversity of emotion across sports. Football players might look fired up, while a golfer’s intensity is quiet and internal. A gymnast’s expression right before a routine is incredibly focused. Even the athletes I traveled with to Spain carried their mental discipline abroad—it was fascinating to see that consistency.
At the start, my goal was simply to tell a story through photos. But what I ended up capturing was an emotional journey—across sports, across cultures, across personal highs and lows.
In the end, creating my capstone project taught me how to connect visuals with emotion, and how powerful photography can be in revealing what words often can’t express. I gained a deeper appreciation for athletes—not just as performers, but as humans constantly battling pressure, doubt and expectation as a NCAA athelte at UF.
