If you’ve attended a high school athletic event in the last few decades, it’s quite likely that you’ve noticed the same photographer wandering bystanders trying to get the perfect shot of the action, and the next day Lima News. Open and see photos Spattered on the front page of the sports section.
Richard Parrish has captured the moment with his camera since 2008 when he was hired by Lima News as a photographer. Parrish is so familiar to sports fans that he is now regarded as an important part of the structure of the high school sports scene in our area.
After graduating from Lima Senior High in 1986, Parish naturally fell in love with photography. “I remember my dad having one of the old Polaroid cameras and always using it to take pictures,” he says. “He actually took some very high class pictures, I just didn’t recognize it at that time.”
Parish began his college career while studying computer science at the University of Rio Grande. He didn’t play sports in high school, but he created a basketball team as a walk-on. Parish earned a degree from the Debris Institute in Columbus and worked as a Time Warner cable installer when Shutterbug bit him. “I was basically self-taught. I bought a Nikon 4300 camera, a small point and a shooter and started taking thousands of pictures. I also read every book I found in the pictures and many educational videos. I saw it, “he says. Thirteen years ago, on a whim, Richard called Lima News about potential employment and was hired as a stringer. It was the beginning of his successful photography career.
Parrish is best known for his action sports photography, but his work is used in all sections of the dissertation. The photo on his first front page appeared shortly after he was hired. “I was driving on Market Street after midnight and there was a drive-by shooting that caused a car accident,” he says. I took a picture of a red jeep sitting next to me. The next day, I opened the paper and found a photo on the front page. I felt great. “
It took time for Parish to hone his skills. “I think it took me four years to really get good at what I was doing,” he says. “I learned how to anticipate action, get closer to the scene, and get closer and closer to the subject I’m shooting.” The basketball game offers him his favorite shot. “Basketball has more action and more opportunities to take great pictures.”
Parish talked about taking perfect pictures. “Anyone can take a picture of someone shooting basketball, but the best thing to do is to look at the eyes and facial expressions the moment you release the ball. Be in the right place at the right time. You need to expect and have the right equipment to do that, “he says.
The best example of what Parish is aiming for is a spectacular photo he took at the finish of the Lima Senior High-Lima Central Catholic Basketball Game in January 2016. Both teams were undefeated and were the most anticipated game to date. Two rivals. Ohio’s Mr. Basketball that season, Xavier Simpson, won a dramatic buzzer victory to give Sparta a victory. Taking the plunge, Parish decided to put it on the other side of the court and use a telephoto lens to capture the final play. When Simpson scored, he quickly turned around and began sprinting to the other side of the court, with his enchantingly happy teammates joining him directly into the lens of Parish’s camera. Richard was in the perfect place at the right time to capture the essence of the moment. This is an old photo.
Parrish currently uses both great cameras, the Nikon D-5 and D-850, but he’s looking forward to getting the new Nikon Z-9. “The Z-9 can take 30 to 120 frames per second,” he says. “Photographing is all about timing, so the more shots you take per second, the more chances you have to capture the right moment. With so many frames, you won’t miss the perfect moment.”
Parish also named himself on the other side of the camera. He is a great athlete. A few years ago, while filming Gas McCarner’s summer basketball tournament, Parish, then in his mid-40s, was teased by young players of his age. Richard walked, picked up the ball, dipped it in a basket with a slam dunk, slackened the young people, and expressed new gratitude to the elders.
Parish has a good reputation in the bowling world. He got the game just eight years ago and already has seven 300 games under his belt.
Bystanders and bowling alleys, Parish is always looking for the perfect shot.
Lima Senior’s Xavier Simpson was attacked by his teammates and others after winning against Lima Central Catholic during a match at the LCC in January 2016.
Richard Parrish has been photography of Lima News for over a decade.
Contact Bob Seggerson at [email protected]
