Student photographers bring HBCU Swingman Classic to life through their lenses

Getty Images and MLB kicked off their second year of collaboration at the HBCU Swingman Classic on July 12 in Arlington, Texas, providing a platform for three student photographers from historically Black colleges and universities to showcase their skills.

The group consisted of Emmanuel Durojaiye of Morgan State University and Marcus Plummer of Grambling State University from Getty Images’ HBCU Photographer Mentorship Program, and MLB intern Jamea “Nadia” Beavers of Spelman College.

Equipped with cameras and training, the creatives documented every moment as 50 athletes from Division I HBCU baseball programs performed on a national stage, aiming to enhance their prospects for the MLB draft.

Emmanuel Durojaiye, Morgan State University

Emmanuel Durojaiye, an engineering major and graduating senior at Morgan State University, became interested in sports photography as an incoming freshman seeking to be active on campus. Since then, he has balanced his engineering studies and sports photography with contributing to the growth of his university’s media department. He helped establish MSU Creatives, an initiative where students intern with Morgan State’s athletics program.

“My creativity thrives in this setting. Upon realizing the minimal sports coverage my university received with only one professional handling all sports photography at the time, Randolph Brent, now the current digital media director at MEAC [Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference], quickly became my mentor,” Durojaiye said. “As he handed me my first camera, a Canon T7, from that moment, I felt compelled to create a larger platform to showcase my peers.”

“This picture shows the athletes running alongside their teammates, coming out of the dugout amidst smoke, lights and music. In this moment, you can hear the players yelling, ‘Yah!’ Being able to capture the camaraderie they had for each other, as well as their love and pride in representing their athletic abilities, felt amazing,” Durojaiye said.

“The band truly embodied the spirit of HBCU culture and history, bringing it to life on such a grand platform. It meant a lot to hear our songs resonating through the crowd, who were ecstatic. Both Texas Southern’s Ocean of Soul and Prairie View A&M’s Marching Storm showcased their schools with pride and passion battling off on the field,” Durojaiye said.

“Captured at the end of the game, this was a moment where players were flipping and dancing in celebration,” Durojaiye said. “I had to crouch low to get these shots, and catching him midair truly shows the level of excitement I feel. You could tell it meant a lot for the players to be there, as this wasn’t just another game for them but a chance to showcase that there is talented athletes at HBCUs.”

Marcus Plummer, Grambling State University

Marcus Plummer, who is pursuing his master’s degree in sports management at Grambling State University, graduated in 2023 with his bachelor’s degree in mass communication. He got involved in sports photography in high school to stay connected to sports after his time as a player.

While at Grambling, he gained experience photographing campus life and homecoming events before moving into university athletics.

“I felt this year’s classic was a great representation for Grambling, with five athletes participating. After having a phenomenal year and becoming the SWAC [Southwestern Athletic Conference] champs in baseball, seeing Tiger Borom walk away with the Swingman Classic MVP trophy at the end was truly amazing,” Plummer said. “Just being alongside these athletes from my school felt great, and I’m proud to represent our athletic department in this creative space as a photographer.”

“In the front is Tiger Borom, with what I believe is his family in the background, posing with a thumbs-up after winning MVP,” Plummer said. “I also love this picture because it shows his support and just the crowd and the youth in the stands who came to watch the players.”

“Ty Jackson has such a great personality that you can see when photographing him. He hit a double and started celebrating as soon as he made it to second base,” Plummer said. “Moments like this in baseball are cherished because they showcase the personality of the game, and the fans loved it. His energy throughout the game was truly something special.”

“[Jose] Vargas pointing to his country’s flag beneath his hat shows the deep love he holds for his roots. I’m glad to capture this on such a stage where he represents not only himself but also his culture, community, Grambling and the name on the back of his jersey. It carries immense meaning,” Plummer said. “Seeing and capturing moments like this is my favorite because they’re often easily overlooked.”

Jamea ‘Nadia’ Beavers, Spelman College

When Jamea “Nadia” Beavers took Advanced Placement art classes in high school, an introductory photography course sparked her interest. Upon starting college, she studied arts with a focus in photography. To gain more exposure and experience in sports photography, she started photographing events at Spelman and nearby universities, which led to a summer internship with MLB, where she was invited to shoot the HBCU Swingman Classic.

“As a growing photographer, I really liked having the opportunity to capture images of individuals who look like me, particularly in environments where diversity among Black and brown people is not as prevalent. This experience was incredibly positive as it allowed me to connect with many individuals, including players, fellow photographers, media professionals and even fans,”  Beavers said. 

She said being the first student photographer from Spelman to shoot the game meant a lot to her.

“Representing my HBCU at Swingman Classic and through this internship with MLB and connecting with Getty mentors was amazing,” Beavers said.

“Before the game, the players stood for both the national anthem and the African American national anthem, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ led by gospel artist Kirk Franklin. It was a great moment to see players look toward the flag with honor,” Beavers said.

“I took a lot of pictures from the ground using a millimeter lens,” Beavers said. “Taking action shots like this was new for me. Quickly I was able to adapt, even with the intense energy between the teams. I could see my pictures getting better as the game went on as it was my first time using this lens.”

“At the end of the game there was a large crowd of people, and I had to get through other photographers from various outlets to capture this photo,” Beavers said. “Seeing this through my lens was amazing. I could clearly see the joy on everyone’s faces, and it felt incredible.”

The HBCU student photographers also participated in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 13. More of their work can be found on gettyimages.com and @MLBDevelops on Instagram.