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 weeks 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. 8:
"Hopscotch"
Game: Week 10 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Subject: Wide receiver Kadarius Toney hauls in a pass and hops down the sideline for his first touchdown as a member of the Chiefs.
Taken By: Andrew Mather
Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Focal Length: 142 mm
Exposure Time: 1/5,000
Aperture: f/3.5
Steve Sanders' Thoughts:
Q: Tell us what was happening in this moment?
Sanders: "Kadarius caught this pass near the sideline, and he was all by himself, it's like the defense completely forgot about him," Sanders said. "He caught the throw, and then he just hopped on one leg all the way into the end zone. I think it was eight or so yards that he jumped into the end zone for his first touchdown with the Chiefs. It was a big moment, the crowd went crazy, and you can see off in the distance that the whole team was watching him hop in for the touchdown."
Q: Andrew Mather, who took this photo, had to be in the right place to capture this. Can you speak to how his preparation met an opportunity here?
Sanders: "[Photographer] Andrew Mather was in the perfect spot," Sanders said. "I always tell my photographers to line up on the sideline so that they can capture that nice lead-in to the photo. You can tell that he's going into the end zone with the pylon right there, and the sideline itself draws your eyes to Kadarius. This moment is something that we prepare for, because you want to be lucky that the play came your way, but you also want to be prepared for it when it does. Andrew was ready for this."
