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From the Glass: Favorite shots of 2021-22 season from Sharks photographers

Posted on by Maddie Dutra

The 2021-22 San Jose Sharks season was not what any of us wanted. Plagued by injury, losses and inconsistency, it was a rough season, culminating in the team missing the playoffs for a third consecutive year — the first time in franchise history.

But man, did we get some good images out of it.

The Sharks had an incredibly talented team of photographers on their side of the ice this season, including Amanda Cain, Kavin Mistry and Meredith Williams. Honestly, there were multiple points in the season where I waited (im)patiently to see what shots of the team they had to share next. Now that the season has officially come to a close, I’d like to showcase their work and give credit where it is due.

I had originally drafted this piece with the aim of highlighting their mid-game photos, but the more I dove into their candids, I quickly realized that I just couldn’t leave those out. Thus, here we are!

Behold, a collection of photos that I just couldn’t take my eyes off of this season:

Practice Portraits

You see, I’m kind of a sucker for goalies (and clear shots of their masks). I’m also a sucker for crisp edges around the subject (and little peekaboos from Matt Nieto too, apparently).

Bench Shots

During a game, it’s pretty easy to focus on the action on the ice rather than what’s going on over on the bench. Matched with the super close shots, it’s a new angle on some familiar faces. Also, miss you, Cogs, hope you’re thriving in Colorado!

Season Opener

Home openers never fail to make me smile, and this is a great collection of photos that summed up the night well — especially that shark head entrance shot. Come back, Eklund!

The Greatest … Showcase?

Hockeys in hats, Mario doing his best Hugh Jackman impression and smiles all around. Who could ask for anything more?

Monochrome Monday

I am not immune to the Monochrome Monday trend, nor do I want to be. Each one of these shots has a very different feeling to it, it’s lovely.

Welcoming Bordeleau to the Show

I’d be remiss to not add these and you know it. Overhead shots are insanely cool, but also give credence to my fear of heights.

Season Finale (at home)

Not the ending we wanted, but perhaps the one we deserved. The bokeh effects are satisfying, and Kahkonen’s entrance is equally so.

James. Reimer.

Dynamic expressions are without a doubt my favorite part of sports. This captures it perfectly.

(P.S. Please don’t take notice of any particular theme in my selections.)

Sawchenko’s First NHL Start

All the intricate details being shown as a result of a very crisp focus just continue to amaze me. Vibrant teals and borderline fluorescent oranges really cap these off.

(P.P.S. No seriously, I mean it. Please. I just think these are cool.)

Sawchenko’s First NHL Win

See? I like seeing goalies, and I like seeing them succeed even more. A great collage to celebrate a great achievement.

My Favorite Genre of Goalie Photos

Something about this one really resonated with me. Maybe it was the fact that it was a goalie, maybe it was the water splashing, we’ll never know, but it doesn’t make me love this any less.

Reimer Goalie Hugs

Nobody can hate goalie hugs, and if you do, I don’t trust you. Close framing makes this even better, more heartfelt.

Middleton’s Farewell

I can only hope he had a blast with Minnesota, it’s the only thing that makes losing him feel worth it.

Reimer and Top-Down

High-up shots are dope. So is James Reimer. I rest my case!

(Overtime losses, however, are definitely not.)

Win No. 1100 and Goalies Supporting Goalies

Again, disregard a theme. This is purely coincidental. I also really like the way these photos are arranged together with that little bit of overlap.

Rookies Rule

Did I mention I’m also a sucker for bursts turned into stop-motion sequences? Seeing that it was Jasper Weatherby’s goal made it even better, personally. The kids are doing alright.

Again, this is just a very small selection of everyone’s photos — you’ll have to find the rest of their hidden gems by yourself! Amanda, Kavin and Meredith deserve so much support and hype for the wonderful frames they’ve brought us since the season started, and I highly recommend checking out their various socials for the full scope of their work.

Amanda Cain

Twitter: @grafikAmanda
Instagram: @amandajcain

Meredith Williams

Twitter: @merelyakin
Instagram: @mere_wphoto

Kavin Mistry

Twitter: @kavinm95
Instagram: @kavin_mistry

Amanda, Kavin, and Meredith — thank you all for sharing your talent with fans this season, and I think I can speak for everyone when we say we can’t wait for next season!

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