2022 Photo Contest: Nicolas Polo

With 34.4% of the community vote, Nicolas Polo was the winner of the ‘Soccer Fandom’ category in our 2022 Photo Contest. After his win, we caught up with Nicolas to chat about his unexpected foray into the world of film photography, which eventually led him to capture one of this year’s winning photos. He also shares the story behind everything that went into snapping that photo. 

Let’s start all the way back. How did you get into photography in the first place?

I actually started because of my dad and my brother. My dad was always the one who would take pictures as we were growing up in Bolivia, and I have really fond memories of looking back at those special family moments through the photos he took. My brother eventually picked up that camera, and I – being the younger brother – wanted to pick it up too. I was intrigued, and I loved using it, so I decided to try and buy one for myself. One day, I found one online that was listed for $20, and I just thought, ‘Wow, who sells a camera for 20 bucks?’ I messaged the guy and we met up at a gas station. I thought it was digital and that I was getting a steal. Turns out it was a film camera, and I had no idea what film was back then. 

How did you figure out film from then on?

I went to a local camera store and asked if they had any film for my camera. I put a roll through it and the rest is history. I continuously progressed until I just decided to completely drop digital because I loved the slow, tactile process of doing things with film. That’s how I learned the essentials of photography. I learned about light, shutter speed, aperture, and all of that right at the beginning because it’s such a manual process. It also helped me slow down and be more intentional with my composition, which I found hard with digital. 

What type of photography were you doing with that first film camera?

You could call it street photography, but I was just shooting everything. A mixture between color and black and white, but I really began to love seeing the world in black and white. Color can sometimes distort and take away from a great photo. When it’s black and white, you’re only enjoying the composition and the lighting situation. The more I shot in black and white, the more I knew that that’s what I really wanted to get into. I respect those who can tell a story with color, it’s its own art. 

How did you get into shooting sports?

I started early on with my local crew when we would play pick-up at George Mason University. However, it got serious when I shot my first boxing match last year. It was incredible to see what sports can look like through film. I was captivated by that, and I wanted to tell the story of not just the sporting event, but the culture around the sporting event. For this boxing match, for example, people would dress up as if they were going to a wedding – people were looking fly. It was a pretty cool experience, and it was a super low-key boxing match in the middle of nowhere. But I just enjoyed the beauty that was within the sporting event. It was a culture within itself with a ton of character.

It makes sense then that you would jump over to soccer. How did that work?

I’d gotten in touch with DC United and the Spirit, and I remember one day they reached out to me a few days before the Spirit home opener to see if I wanted to come out and shoot. I cleared up my weekend, and I had no idea how it would be to shoot a soccer game, but I just went out and tried it. It was an unreal experience to get to be on the pitch – as a soccer fan, but also because you get to see the fans in a more intimate way. Instead of watching the game, you’re also more focused on the details of the atmosphere itself. The Spirit had just come off winning the championship, so it was pretty cool to be part of that.

It’s great that you mention getting an intimate perspective of the fans because that’s kind of what your winning photo was able to do quite brilliantly. Walk me through what it was to capture that moment.

If I’m not mistaken, that was my first time shooting a football match for the Spirit. It was the home opener against OL Reign. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. It was golden hour, and it was my second time shooting soccer, so I was a little bit more prepared. I was just trying to find a bunch of different angles, so I was going to the sidelines, and also going up and down the rows of seats. I was walking in the seat section closest to the field, and there was no one there. Then I saw the father and daughter, in their own world enjoying the game. From afar, you could already see the joy and the intimacy between them – it was like nothing else mattered. They were talking to each other, and the dad was kind of explaining what different situations look like on the field. The only thing I could picture in my head was that that’s how I used to be growing up with my dad. I also thought of what it would be like for me to have kids one day and share that type of moment with them too. 

But in terms of shooting that photo, I actually forgot to change my exposure settings. I was just learning that you have to be very cognizant of going back and forth while you shoot sports, especially with a film camera that is only in manual mode. I didn’t change my setting when I went up to the stands, so I overexposed those shots. The negative was totally blown out, but thankfully you can salvage it with some scanning, so that’s why the photo also has a lot of grain.

It’s been great to hear the different reactions that people have about your photograph. From your own perspective – as the person who snapped the photo – how do you feel when you see it?

It’s like when Andy in the office says, ‘I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them.’ That’s exactly how I feel about this picture. It’s one of those moments where it’s just two individuals in a special moment. Then you grow old and reminisce about those beautiful small moments. 

I also like that soccer can be so many things at the same time. It can be a large crowd of fans going crazy, or it can be like these two fans. At that moment, soccer was about teaching and passing down something you’re passionate about. It’s one of those quieter moments in soccer that sometimes get overlooked, but I think those types of moments are the most integral when it comes to fandom.

With such a great year behind you and a few games covered in 2022, what’s next for you now in 2023? What are some goals you have looking ahead?

I’ve been reflecting on that a lot, actually. I still don’t know how things are gonna play out, but I want to continue doing photography for the reason that I got into it in the first place – getting to meet incredible people. I started because it was a passion that I had, and maybe I got stuck on just producing content and losing a bit of that passion in that pursuit. So I would say my goal is to truly go back to shooting just because it’s something that I love and nothing else.

What’s some advice that you might give someone who is just starting out with photography?

Take the time to fall in love with photography. Find the true meaning of why you want to shoot, and always keep that in your mind. I like doing street photography and capturing intimate moments because it reminds me a lot of when I was growing up. I’ve also noticed I like to photograph families because family is one of the most important things in my life. But find the meaning behind your photography and follow it just because it’s what makes you happy. Also, don’t be afraid to mess up. That’s another piece of advice. I remember I was terrified of developing my own film at first because I was scared I was gonna mess it up. But that’s part of the process. You mess up, but then you learn and continuously get better. Don’t let your fears dictate how you progress.