Edina native Bryan Singer scores another win in the Images of Edina photo contest. His photograph, Hangin’ Around, earned Best in Show in 2016. Singer, a professional sports photographer, loves Edina hockey and has a couple of buddies who are coaches, along with lots of friends associated with the program. “It’s more of a friendship deal, but it’s always nice to go and see a hockey game,” Singer says.
In this shot, Edina had just scored a goal during a junior gold tournament at Braemar Arena. To celebrate, skater Jack Foley jumped up onto the glass and the spectators clearly loved it. Although pictures of shots on goal are always great, Singer purposely looks for a crowd’s reaction. “I look for what happens afterward, the jubilation,” Singer says, “It’s what gives a photo more personality and flavor.” Singer thinks photos like this also provide a sense of familiarity to hockey lovers, depicting what the game means to them, something more visceral than technical.
When Singer first cropped this photo, it was vertical, showing just the player on the glass. But when he started looking at the whole frame and all of those kids’ reactions, he decided he got more out of a horizontal shot. Singer adds, “I think it’s a unique picture because none of the kids have their cell phones out pointing at the player. They’re actually in the moment.”
