Sponsor profile: Meet Sports Photographer Adam Shrimplin

By Mike Pilosof

Garden City, KS-At any moment in a time, a shift in the action means that Adam Shrimplin is changing directions, faster than his finger can firmly push down on the shutter or quicker than a blitzing linebacker blowing through an a-gap. For a moment in time, the competition comes to a halt. Light funnels through a piece of glass towards the camera's sensor, mapping out artistic mastery; constructing an image that outlasts eternity; an aesthetic memory that the veteran photographer only has one chance of capturing.

Welcome to Shrimplin's world, one that's ever evolving. Gone are the days of disposable cameras, 35 mm film and photo labs with giant machines that turned dark rooms into archaic pieces of history. Even the digital labs, the ones spearheaded by FUJI and Kodak, are considered dinosaurs in an age where instant gratification replaces the need to stop at your local supermarket and drop off your memory card for those can't-miss prints.

"Things have really changed since I first started in this business," Shrimplin said.

That takes us back to 2004 when Shrimplin was a junior at Garden City High School. At that point, he was a novice, cutting his teeth as a photographer for the school newspaper: The Sugar Beat, one of the longest running student publications in Kansas dating back to the 1930's. It was there, where he fell in love with sports photography, covering football, basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball.

"His images blow you away," Director of Athletics, Greg McVey said. "I've got several blown up in my office, and they are unbelievable. I mean, Adam is the real deal."

It wasn't long before his work caught the attention of Garden City Community College, earning him a full scholarship to work for the award-winning Silhouette under the direction of former department director Laura York-Guy. There he served as a staff photographer and editor, eventually leading him to Kansas State's student media department as a freelance photographer for the Collegian.

"Each stop that I've had, I can say I learned a ton of what to do and what not to do," Shrimplin explained. "There are a lot of talented people in this field, so it's ultra-competitive."

Since college, Shrimplin has made the rounds, traveling across the country to shoot sports, weddings, portraits and real estate. In 2008, he photographed Mike Huckabee's Presidential campaign. More than a decade later, the San Francisco Chronicle hired him as a freelancer on a story about Spearville-native and basketball star Willie Cauley-Stein, who had just signed a free-agent deal with the Golden State Warriors. In between, there were trips to New York, and Las Vegas where he's photographed "Ground Zero" and professional conventions. But all of those travels pale in comparison to Dec. 3, 2016.  

"That was just an unbelievable shot," assistant athletic director, Colin Lamb said.

The photo he's referring to is Mike Hughes' all-out dive for the end zone during the second quarter of the 2016 National Championship Game in Yuma, AZ. As the former All-American and current Minnesota Vikings' defensive back was sprawled out in midair, Shrimplin stood about 70 yards away, on the opposite sideline, with a piece of glass that captured the historical levitating lunge in breathtaking detail. Every pixel of that image encapsulated more than 70 years of football, one that slammed right into Broncbuster immortality.

"You talk about moments in history, and that one will live on forever," Lamb added. "You're talking about the biggest stage with the best photographer. I see that picture everyday it seems like."

Shrimplin, who works full time as a GIS Technician for Finney County, is also an entrepreneur, starting his own Photography business in 2008 when he returned from Kansas State. At the same time, he's served as the official sports photographer for Garden City Community College and Garden City High School.

"Not a lot of colleges at this level, have someone as experienced and professional as Adam on their staff," McVey said. "We are very fortunate to have him as a partner."

In addition to being one of the best sports photographers in the Sunflower state, Shrimplin is a family man. This year, he and his wife, Breckan, are celebrating seven years of marriage. In 2017, they welcomed their first child, Callen, who definitely keeps the family on its' toes.

"He has us running in all different directions," Shrimplin said.

And that's just how he prefers it, chaotic, yet justified, because there's no regularity when it comes to photography. That's what makes that once-in-a-lifetime shot so incredible. To get it, you have to think outside the box; better yet, outside the universe, something that Shrimplin has specialized in for more than a decade. Here's to five decades more.