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.
Over the next several weeks, we're going to take 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 began with No. 10 earlier this week and will continue with No. 9.
"87 and Gloving"
Game: Week 7 at the San Francisco 49ers
The Subject: Tight end Travis Kelce grips his helmet while sporting a pair of custom gloves
Taken By: Steve Sanders
Camera Model: Canon EOS R3
Focal Length: 200 mm
Exposure Time: 1/2,500
Aperture: f/4.5
Steve Sanders' Thoughts:
Q: Why did you decide to include this photo in the collection?
Sanders: "Travis has very specific, custom gloves with his number on them," Sanders said. "This was during pre-game, and with this being in the Bay Area, we had the benefit of some 'California light.' That west coast light is something that I miss from when we used to play in San Diego every year. The light is always really nice, it's vibrant and it's just a different color tone than what we get here at home. Additionally, I just thought that Travis' gloves were a neat detail that we hadn't highlighted very much. He was just standing there – he didn't even know I was there."
Q: It's easy to get caught up in the craziness of an NFL Sunday, but in your opinion, how can tight, detailed images like this tell a larger story?
Sanders: "This would be something that you could use if you were doing a feature on Travis down the road," Sanders said. "This image works because you know who we're talking about without any further explanation. This is Travis Kelce, and these gloves tell a story by themselves. You have to try and capture those details, because the football game is just the central event – there are plenty of other things going on around the game itself. You have to keep an eye out for the smaller stuff, too."
