Nick Bentlage

I'm a sports and event photographer, now based in the St. Louis metro after building my practice in Dallas.

I grew up around cameras. My dad photographed just about everything, and I spent most of my childhood watching him work. A camera has never felt like a foreign object in my hands.

The other half of my background is competition — four seasons of NCAA Division I volleyball at Grand Canyon University.

Knowing where a play is going before it develops is what made me useful on the court. It's also what lets me catch the frame most people miss by half a second. When I'm shooting volleyball, or football, or anything fast, I'm not reacting to the moment. I'm already there waiting for it.

I also shoot senior portraits, families, and events with the same laid-back approach. Outside of paid work I shoot wildlife, which takes a different kind of patience and keeps the reflexes honest.