Get to know Amanda Cain and her diverse photography team behind the San Jose Sharks
Image courtesy of Amanda Cain.
For a professional athlete, game day is ultimately a performance in which all preparation is on display during the 90-some-odd minutes of execution. The same work ethic, pressure, and “you-only-get-one-shot” energy is also reserved for a sports photographer. They’re tangled amongst the sweat and action — documenting history, culture, and the visceral energy of a game — and capturing fleeting, iconic moments. The finesse that it takes to see the it all before “it” happens requires serious practice and skill.
That work ethic and skillset is evident within Amanda Cain, who is no stranger to advocating for her space in the sports photography industry, the work and artistry of the discipline itself, and the value of visibility. Cain is the first Black female photographer for the National Hockey League, holding the title of team photographer for the San Jose Sharks. While only 8 percent of sports photographers identify as female, Cain is passionate about changing that — and uplifting underrepresented voices and advocating for diversity in pivotal roles within professional sports. “When I first got into the league, I used to use two hashtags all the time: ‘Hockey is for everybody’ and ‘Movement, not a moment.’ And then I had to realize that, no hockey is not for everybody yet. And we are sitting in the moment currently. In order for a moment to become a movement, there needs to be progression. I don't necessarily see that much of a progression yet, but I’m trying to change things,” Cain said.
“It's been important to me to advocate for people that look like me and continue to advocate for myself. This job is not possible without me advocating for myself — and that never stops”
—Amanda Cain
As she’s built out her own team of photographers, Cain has led by example and paid it forward to those newer in their careers. “That's been my roadmap — going to places that have little representation. And from the beginning of my career, I was more frustrated than anything else. But from a lower-level position, you can't do anything about it. You just have to do what you're told to do. And that's why over time it's been important to me to advocate for people that look like me and continue to advocate for myself. This job is not possible without me advocating for myself — and that never stops,” Cain said.
Coming from a sports background herself — she played soccer and basketball extensively growing up — her work ethic as a creative is clearly injected with an athlete’s mindset, especially as she explains the insights she’s gathered about how to take an impactful shot and what it takes to lead a cohesive team, including taking shots outside of the sports arena. “My mentors have always told me to shoot shoot shoot. And that means not just sports. It's go outdoors, go to the beach, shoot the surfers. Shoot the skateboarders because you're going to get a different perspective of everything. You've got to go outside of it, find that path outside, and then bring it back in,” Cain said.
Cain’s talent in storytelling, grit and emotional intelligence required to be up-close and behind-the-scenes of the League, and knowing what it takes to advocate for your art and yourself in every room, has set her up to be an important leader and mentor in the San Jose Sharks x Adobe Creator Fellowship.
San Jose Sharks x Adobe Creator Fellowship
In 2022, Adobe partnered with the Sharks to create the first-ever Sharks x Adobe Creator Fellowship, in which eight emerging creators had the opportunity to immerse themselves and work alongside the Adobe and Sharks Creative teams for four months: learning and developing skills in the areas of creative design, motion graphics, photography, and videography through classes and hands-on experiences. Cain herself taught an overview class, which included the Sharks game day process and consulted on general best practices for photography.
In order to amplify and uplift the hard work of the 2022 fellows and Cain’s own team of photographers, she had the idea for the first ever Sharks Creator Showcase, and we were proud to be the presenting sponsor to expand on our commitment to support the work of emerging creators.
“The showcase is about storytelling, not just peak moments but a composite of what the viewer needs to see and understand about the season. It's more than actions, it's more than just hockey shots. It is more of an artistic approach, how the photographer vetted the image”
-Amanda Cain
Meet the San Jose Sharks Photography Team
With lightning-quick turnarounds after each game, before puck drop, a press event, or the tunnel walk, the photography team relies heavily on Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom as essential editing tools. Below, we captured riveting soundbites from Cain’s team about how they prepare for game day, their favorite equipment tools, and the tips they’ve learned to nail “the shot” — all skills they continue to hone and refine through Cain’s seasoned guidance and the opportunities gained from taking a chance on young creatives.
Kavin Mistry | Team Photographer | Game day coverage for the San Jose Sharks
Images courtesy of Kavin Mistry.
On the action-before-the-action:
“As a game-action photographer I know that the historical aspect of any given game or photo can be huge. I’ve learned from so many photographers that moments are not just the action or the puck going into the net or the crack of the bat for a home run or the game-winning shot. It encompasses everything around that moment. The play leading up to it, the reaction by the players, the reaction by the bench, the fans losing their minds.”
On proper pre-game research:
“For each game I first look at anything historical that we know might happen that night, players closing in on NHL or personal records. Then we look for any new players that need photos, or any players we are lacking action shots of. Then since I also upload my in-game photos for Getty, I look at our opponent to see who I should keep my eye on to grab photos of, or any star players I know the league or other team would want action photos of.”
Andreea Cardani | Team Photographer for San Jose Barracuda and San Jose Sharks
Images courtesy of Andreea Cardani.
On evolving style:
“My style is action but with a portrait-esque twist. I enjoy taking sports photos but taking portraits is intriguing because you get up close with a player to see their scars or missing teeth that occurred during a game. A style of editing that I fell in love with is black-and-white portraits; I find it can tell a million different stories without any words.”
On Amanda’s influence:
“After shooting my first Sharks game, Amanda and I sat down to discuss my editing technique, and then she showed me how she edits for the Sharks social media. Immediately I saw a difference of the pop in certain colors or how adding a little bit of clarity creates [contrast and a sharper photo].”
On equipment favorites:
“I love using my 70-200mm to capture ice sprays, or when a player comes to a jolting stop and ice sprays from the player’s skates. After the game, I use Adobe Lightroom and I find it to be very helpful when editing. Two things I love most is the Sync Settings feature, to make sure all photos have the same edits, plus how easy it is to navigate.”
Meredith Williams | Photographer and photo archivist
Images courtesy of Meredith Williams.
On getting to experiment:
“Being on the same team as Amanda is exactly what I need as a photographer right now: from letting me borrow equipment to try out, to showing me how I can make a photo stronger with just cropping, to critiquing my work and letting me know how I can improve. My eye has also evolved to look at sports through a fine art lens.”
On breaking tradition:
“My favorite piece of photo equipment is a Sony A1 or Sony A9 Mark II. These are both borrowed pieces of gear that I wish to add to my camera bag one day. If you know me, this is a little shocking considering I have shot with Canon since I was eight years old. The sharpness, ability to focus quickly on subjects, and rapid-fire shutter helps me achieve that millisecond moment.”
Panayiota “P” Good | Photography assistant: fan and venue focus
Images courtesy of Panayiota “P” Good.
On visibility, leadership, and women in sports:
“It’s one thing to work in the sports photography industry — a world historically spearheaded by men. Working in sports photography on a team led by a woman brings to it a level of pride that I never knew I would need coming into this business. One of the first things Amanda said to me when we met was that she has an affinity for aspiring young women like myself who want to break through this glass ceiling of sports photography. She and I both knew that I had a lot to learn, that I had barely taken any action photos, when she took me under her wing. In just a year and a half, I have gone from never shooting a hockey game nor participating in a photoshoot to running both an entire game and an entire photoshoot by myself. Each time I feel I am improving, Amanda challenges me to see my subjects with a more dynamic viewpoint than before. Her tough critique pushes me to find more creative angles no matter the subject or style.”
“Working in sports photography on a team led by a woman brings to it a level of pride that I never knew I would need coming into this business.”
—Panayiota Good
On unforgettable shots:
“Amanda actually showed me this buzzer-beater image of Kawhi Leonard from Mark Blinch. This particular wide image captures the shooter, Kawhi Leonard, his shot, and the very beginnings of a reaction from surrounding crowd members during the game winning shot of Game 7 of the NBA Playoffs. I love using this picture as inspiration because it is one of those photos that is hard to stop looking at. Those are the kinds of photos we as photographers live for.”
Adobe and the San Jose Sharks continue to create opportunities to support and amplify the work and stories of local creators, we're excited to announce the 2023 Adobe x Sharks Creator Fellows.
