Photographing the 2026 Doug Wood Golf Classic for Seton Hill University
Every photography assignment comes with its own rhythm, and photographing a golf outing is definitely different from photographing most of the events I typically cover.
This year, I once again worked the Doug Wood Golf Classic for Seton Hill University at Latrobe Country Club. While I’ve been part of the event before, my role this year gave me the opportunity to spend much more of the day out on the course, focusing on capturing the golfers, the atmosphere, and the moments happening throughout the outing.
It was a long day, a lot of time outside, and a completely different pace from photographing an indoor event. It was also a great opportunity to keep learning how to anticipate moments, adapt to a large environment, and tell the story of an event that unfolds across an entire golf course.
Back at the Doug Wood Golf Classic
Working an event for another year is always interesting because there is a sense of familiarity, but no two years are exactly the same. You know the general flow of the day and what to expect, but the people, weather, interactions, and individual moments always create a different experience.
The Doug Wood Golf Classic brings together alumni, friends, supporters, and members of the Seton Hill community for a day centered around golf and supporting Griffin athletics. This year, my primary responsibility was photographing the golfers throughout the day, which meant spending much of my time moving around the course and looking for opportunities to capture each group in action. Rather than waiting for moments to come to me, I had to go find them.
Photographing Golf Is a Different Kind of Challenge
Golf photography has a very different pace from many other sports. There are moments of action, but there is also a lot of waiting, observing, and anticipating what is about to happen. You have to pay attention to where golfers are in their round, where the next shot is coming from, and where you can position yourself without becoming a distraction.
There is also the challenge of covering an event that is spread across an entire course. You cannot be everywhere at once, so part of the job is constantly making decisions about where to go next and how to photograph as many groups as possible throughout the day.
I found myself thinking not only about the actual golf shots, but also about the interactions between them. The conversations while walking toward the next hole, reactions after a shot, groups laughing together, and the quieter moments of the day all help tell the full story of an outing like this.
Capturing More Than the Golf
One thing I always try to remember when photographing events is that the obvious action is only part of the story. Of course, I wanted photos of swings, putts, and golfers out on the course. But I also wanted the images to reflect the experience of the day. A golf outing is social. People are reconnecting, spending time together, and enjoying an experience outside of their usual routines. Those moments matter too.
Some of my favorite event photos are often the ones that happen between the moments everyone expects to be photographed. A laugh between friends or a quick reaction can communicate the feeling of an event just as much as a perfectly timed action shot.
Working With the Environment
Photographing outdoors means working with whatever the day gives you. Light changes, clouds move, backgrounds shift, and you are constantly adjusting depending on where you are on the course.
Latrobe Country Club also provided plenty of beautiful scenery to work with throughout the day. Photographing an event in a setting like that gives you opportunities to create images that show both the people and the environment around them.
For me, that meant thinking about more than simply getting close-up photos of each golfer. I wanted some images that showed the scale of the course, the surroundings, and the atmosphere of the event. Those wider photographs help establish a sense of place and make the gallery feel more complete.
Another Opportunity to Learn
The more different types of events I photograph, the more I realize how much every experience teaches me.
Photographing a golf outing requires patience, awareness, and adaptability. You have to anticipate action while also being willing to wait for it. You have to move efficiently without disrupting play. You have to work with changing light and constantly different backgrounds.
I am still learning every time I pick up my camera, and I think that is one of my favorite parts of photography. There is always another environment to figure out, another type of event to experience, and another opportunity to become better at noticing what is happening around me.
This year’s Doug Wood Golf Classic gave me another chance to practice all of those things while documenting an event that supports Seton Hill’s student-athletes and athletics programs.
Seeing a Familiar Event Differently
Even though I had worked the Doug Wood Golf Classic before, having a different photography responsibility changed the way I experienced the event.
Spending so much of the day on the course gave me a closer look at the event itself and the people participating in it. I was able to see the smaller interactions that happen throughout the day and document parts of the outing that I might not have experienced from one central location.
I think that is one of the interesting things about photography. The camera often gives you a reason to explore an event differently. You move through spaces you might not otherwise visit, notice interactions you might have missed, and experience the day through dozens of smaller moments.
Final Thoughts
Photographing the Doug Wood Golf Classic this year was another reminder of how much I enjoy the variety that comes with event photography. One day I might be photographing a proposal, another day a community event, and another day I am riding around a golf course looking for the next group to photograph. Each experience requires something different from me and gives me another opportunity to learn.
I’m grateful that my role at Seton Hill allows me to combine communications and photography in so many different ways. Getting to document events like the Doug Wood Golf Classic means creating images that can be used to tell the story of the day, celebrate the people who participated, and show the community behind Seton Hill athletics. It was great to be back at Latrobe Country Club this year, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience and photograph the event from a new perspective.