An AP photographer catches an Orioles celebration from high above the action

BALTIMORE (AP) — Rookie AP photographer Stephanie Scarbrough joined the company in June, shortly after completing a 10-month photojournalism internship in Washington, D.C. Currently based in Baltimore, Scarbrough covers everything from sports and daily life to breaking news and presidential happenings.

Why this photo?

A combination of injuries and a prolonged hitting slump plagued the Baltimore Orioles, who had lost three games in a row before facing the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, Sept. 19.

The game was tied 3-all in the top of the ninth inning after the San Francisco Giants’ Casey Schmitt hit an RBI single. When Orioles designated hitter Anthony Santander stepped into the batter’s box, there were already two outs. With Gunnar Henderson on first base, Santander fell behind 0-2 against Giants reliever Ryan Walker. Tension in the ballpark rose as fans (and I) prepared to go into extra innings. After four more foul tips, Santander finally connected with a slider and it was “going, going... gone!” A home run.

Cheers erupted from the stands as Santander made his way around the bases and the Orioles’ dugout cleared to greet him with plenty of water. His two-run homer gave Baltimore the win and ended its losing streak.

How I made this photo

Because this was the last regular-season game with a 1:05 p.m. EDT start time that I was scheduled to cover, I wanted to take advantage of the interesting afternoon light. After shooting from in the photo wells next to the dugouts until the end of the fourth inning, I went all the way up to the 300-level section of Oriole Park at Camden Yards (upper deck) in search of the long shadows cast on the field by the 3 p.m. sun. I brought my Sony A9 III attached to a 400mm lens, supported by a monopod, which allowed me to capture game action despite being so far away from the field.

I had to crop this specific frame very tightly, because in the unedited version, the wire from protective netting slices through the picture and creates an eyesore. It was a bit hard for me to crop everyone out, but once I did I thought that it made the moment feel more like a story than an evanescent second in time.

Why it works

With its unusual composition, this photo works because the empty center places emphasis on the action that is happening in the corners of the frame. Because we naturally read from left to right, the viewer is guided from seeing Santander, second from left, approaching his excited teammates. The longer stream of water that is being poured directly toward Santander, whose expression is the most visible, provides the context that he is the person being celebrated in the photo. The clean background of grass eliminates any distractions, which further allows the viewer to quickly understand what is happening in the photo.

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Stephanie Scarbrough, The Associated Press