A photograph can be powerful. It possesses the ability to capture the raw emotion of a singular moment and preserve an otherwise fleeting snippet of time, telling a story in the process.
In the days leading up to training camp, we're taking a look back at 10 of the best photos from the 2022-23 season along with commentary from Chiefs' Director of Photography Steve Sanders. Unlike in previous years, this isn't a countdown of Sanders' top images, but rather the story of the Chiefs' championship season told through some of his favorite photos.
We'll continue with No. 4:
"Superman"
Game: Week 14 at Denver
The Subject: Tailback Jerick McKinnon dives into the end zone during the Chiefs' Week 14 matchup vs. the Denver Broncos.
Taken By: Sam Lutz
Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
Focal Length: 123 mm
Exposure Time: 1/6,400
Aperture: f/2.8
Steve Sanders' Thoughts:
Q: Why did you choose to include this photo in the collection?
Sanders: "This was such a crazy game, and McKinnon was having a great day, but I really loved this particular picture. It's like he's floating in the sky. He's completely horizontal," Sanders said. "I like how you can see [tight end] Noah [Gray] watching Jerick fly into the end zone and give a little fist bump, too. It looks like [offensive guard] Joe [Thuney] just wants to just carry Jerick into the end zone, as well. This shows such athleticism, and for McKinnon to be this high off the ground was incredible. He's five feet off the ground here, it's just amazing. I just thought it was a really fun picture."
Q: Can you speak to the difficulty of navigating these shadows as a photographer?
Sanders: "The light couldn't be hitting him better. He's all lit up, but there is some great contrast of shadow behind him," Sanders said. "If he's just two feet lower, he's in complete shade. Being at that height and depending on the time of day, you're going to get streaks of sunlight in different places, so you just have to be prepared. If you were exposed for the shadow when you took this photo, it would be completely over-exposed. You have to know what you want to get, and Sam did a great job of being prepared for something to happen in the light. He guessed perfectly. The football and photo gods worked together on this one."
