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Inside “Ike,” Midco Sports’ top end live trailer during the NSIC Tournament.
Inside “Ike,” Midco Sports’ top end live trailer during the NSIC Tournament.
Two replay crew members watch up to eight feeds to play back at any given time throughout the broadcast.
Two replay crew members watch up to eight feeds to play back at any given time throughout the broadcast.
Northern State women’s basketball bench reacting during the NSIC Tournament.
Northern State women’s basketball bench reacting during the NSIC Tournament.
Tipoff between Augustana and MSU Moorhead during the NSIC men’s semifinals.
Tipoff between Augustana and MSU Moorhead during the NSIC men’s semifinals.
Augie’s bench getting into the game.
Augie’s bench getting into the game.
Sometimes the images I capture resemble pro wrestling more than basketball (yes, a foul was called).
Sometimes the images I capture resemble pro wrestling more than basketball (yes, a foul was called).
Behind the scenes look at the pre- and post-game set at the NSIC Tournament.
Behind the scenes look at the pre- and post-game set at the NSIC Tournament.
Elaina Lanson worked as Midco Sports sideline reporter throughout tourney time.
Elaina Lanson worked as Midco Sports sideline reporter throughout tourney time.
Action during the NSIC men’s championship caught in mid-air.
Action during the NSIC men’s championship caught in mid-air.
A still from a time lapse of the Denny Sanford Premier Center filling up for the USD vs SDSU Summit League men’s semifinal.
A still from a time lapse of the Denny Sanford Premier Center filling up for the USD vs SDSU Summit League men’s semifinal.
The pre- and post-game set at the Summit League gives Midco Sports a chance to interview folks that help make the tournaments possible. Here, Brian Shawn interviews Summit League Interim Commissioner Myndee Kay Larsen.
The pre- and post-game set at the Summit League gives Midco Sports a chance to interview folks that help make the tournaments possible. Here, Brian Shawn interviews Summit League Interim Commissioner Myndee Kay Larsen.
Midco Sports producer extraordinaire Josh Munce operating the 24-foot jib camera.
Midco Sports producer extraordinaire Josh Munce operating the 24-foot jib camera.
USD’s Boogie Anderson getting his teammates and the crowd fired up with a late game slam sealing a quarterfinal win for the Yotes.
USD’s Boogie Anderson getting his teammates and the crowd fired up with a late game slam sealing a quarterfinal win for the Yotes.
USD’s women’s bench and fans behind them erupt in celebration.
USD’s women’s bench and fans behind them erupt in celebration.
USD’s Hunter Goodrick and SDSU’s Alex Arians caught in mid-air with the whole Yote student section looking on.
USD’s Hunter Goodrick and SDSU’s Alex Arians caught in mid-air with the whole Yote student section looking on.
SDSU’s Douglas Wilson finishing one of his signature dunks.
SDSU’s Douglas Wilson finishing one of his signature dunks.
Tipoff to the Summit League women’s championship between USD and SDSU.
Tipoff to the Summit League women’s championship between USD and SDSU.
USD women’s basketball bench celebrating a big shot.
USD women’s basketball bench celebrating a big shot.
Senior Tylee Irwin for SDSU surveys the court.
Senior Tylee Irwin for SDSU surveys the court.
USD’s women celebrate following their championship win.
USD’s women celebrate following their championship win.
Confetti was new this year and provided extra color in the celebration photos.
Confetti was new this year and provided extra color in the celebration photos.
SDSU’s Zeke Mayo hits a jumper with 51 seconds left in the men’s championship game to put the Jacks up by three over NDSU.
SDSU’s Zeke Mayo hits a jumper with 51 seconds left in the men’s championship game to put the Jacks up by three over NDSU.
Celebration time for SDSU men’s basketball.
Celebration time for SDSU men’s basketball.
The 2022 Summit League trophy.
The 2022 Summit League trophy.

Tournament Time

Mar 16, 2022

This column has been almost exclusively dedicated to outdoor and nature related photography. This month that changes. I have good reason to do this. First, I haven’t been able to get out into the great wide open much over the last month and second, I HAVE been able to get back into a couple of our premiere conference basketball championships held in Sioux Falls and fire off thousands of photos. Part of my job at Midco is to support the Midco Sports crew and one of my favorite aspects of this is to document the team pulling off their superb live coverage of both the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament and the Summit League Conference Tournament. The team pulls out all the stops for this coverage including upwards of 30 staff each session, a pre-game and post-game show, extra cameras (like the one attached to a 24-foot jib) and special graphics.

In addition to shooting time lapses of the venues to be used on air and behind the scenes photos and video of the hard-working crew, I also get to capture action photos to support player shot charts used on air and Midco Sports’ overall social media presence.

From my grade school days through college, basketball was first and foremost on my mind. As soon as I couldn’t play anymore, I started learning to take action photos. When I lived in Mitchell in the 2000s, I started a side hustle before side hustles were a thing, taking photos of high school athletics and providing images to parents who would rather enjoy the game than bother with pictures. From that gig, I learned all about wrestling, hockey, volleyball and soccer, all sports of which I had very little knowledge. But my first passion has always been, and likely always will be, basketball.

Over the years, I have learned a few pointers to get better action imagery. First, bench celebration shots usually make the best photos. They are fun, full of passion or angst and really tell a story, particularly the bigger the game gets. Generally, a photographer tends to think that the better action photo is getting as close to the action as possible. I fall into that rut as well. However, I’ve often had to relearn that shooting wider, particularly in the biggest games, tends to be the way to go. For example, late in the Summit League Championship game between North Dakota State University and South Dakota State University, Zeke Mayo, a true freshman for SDSU, drove baseline and floated a high arcing jumper over the defense. The Jacks were up by one and needed to score to stave off a hard-fought Bison run. When shooting this play, I stayed wide enough to see the bench about to react and the crowd watching intently to see if the bucket would go in. It did, by the way, but capturing that frozen moment of intense anticipation is something that helps cement why we love the drama of basketball around these parts come March. I’m already excited to do it again next year.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he's not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

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