Behind every creative action, emotion, and context shot, one of Castaic High School’s own Coyote hides behind the camera.

Seniors Kera Ochoa, Ian Nguyen, Mykella Talosig, Dylan Tran, junior Madison Lamb, and sophomore Beckett Wilder are some of the few independent photographers from Castaic High School that have created their own name in the playing field of local sports photography.

Kera Ochoa

For Ochoa, a self-taught photographer, her passion began to flourish when she was gifted a camera in middle school. She continued her hobby into high school when she joined Good Morning Castaic and was surrounded by upperclassmen that were delving into sports photography, specifically Castaic alumni, Jeanelle Estrella.

“Seeing her go out to a game whenever she wanted, sending [her] photos to coaches and players or getting paid for [her] work and having fun set a great example for me,” explained Ochoa.

For photography, she uses a Canon EOS Rebel T61 with a 18-55mm lens and a Canon EOS 6D with a EF 70-200mm lens. While for videography, she shoots on a Canon XA70 in order to track the players well.

Her proudest moment was when she photographed the celebration of a senior football player’s second to last game, as well as the first touchdown of the game.

“It felt good to send the photos out to him, his family and teammates,” stated Ochoa. “It felt rewarding being able to capture this high school memory for the player.”

While capturing sports might be intimidating, Ochoa states that there is no need for deep understanding of the game.

“As long as you can spot the camaraderie and energy around the sport, you will do just fine.”

During matches, capturing the high-intensity moments can be difficult and anxiety-inducing. However, over time, Ochoa has perfected her ability to spot when and where the players will end up.

“It can be extremely disappointing when you miss a ‘perfect’ shot, so I’ve learned how to anticipate when those moments will be,” explained Ochoa. “Some sports are easier to track, but for the more sporadic sports, I get all the general [or] basic shots I want, then I’ll wait in the location I know the players will end up again [to prepare for the next shots].”

Ian Nguyen

When Nguyen was gifted a Sony a6400 for Christmas during his junior year after taking Video Production, his love for sports photography took off.

As an athlete himself and big sports fan, seeing others take pictures of sporting events on social media platforms, such as TikTok, really encouraged him to begin capturing the moments of the Castaic Coyotes.

“I had this camera and I went to a bunch of games, as [many] as I [could], especially soccer [and] just took pictures when I [was able to]. That’s how I really fell in love with sports photography,” explained Nguyen.

Nguyen takes shots that capture the intimate moments of the sporting world –capturing every celebration and disappointment with the camera as his second pair of eyes.

“For me, I feel like anyone could take pictures, but to really see and capture the exact moments you want to express and show to other[s] is the [thing] that really matters.”

While Nguyen only views photography as a hobby and not a long-term career, he is always looking for ways to improve his skills. He has attended nearly every football game since picking up photography, continuing to shoot for CHS’ sporting events.

“This is something I love to do, and I know that if I don’t get [a specific photo], there’s probably a hundred more photos that you can take or you have [already] taken that really speak out,” concluded Nguyen.

Mykella Talosig and Dylan Tran

Self-taught photographers, Talosig and Tran, work together to shoot photos for Castaic High School’s football team. While they both take pictures, Tran does all the editing on the editing platform, Adobe Lightroom.

Their inspiration stems from the volleyball cameraman, Maddox Paras and Nekoba Visuals, as well as from Castaic Alumni, Estrella.

Their process when choosing what photos to post comes from their own experiences of being a sports player.

“Being a prior player of many sports, I kind of know what shots that people want,” explained Tran. “So based on that, I make my judgment.”

When planning for action shots, knowing when and where the players will move to help them get those specific shots they look for.

“This is where your sports knowledge really comes in hand. Knowing how certain football plays work, you’re able to predict where the play is going,” expressed Tran.

Being recognized for their work has been their biggest accomplishment so far. While they don’t see this as a long-term career, as time passes, they continue to practice and look for ways to improve their skills.

Madison Lamb

Lamb began photography as a fun way to make memorabilia, but was also encouraged by her upperclassmen friends to start photographing different sports teams.

While Lamb has taken some video classes and is also a part of Good Morning Castaic, she is mostly self-taught, learning new techniques as she goes.

She shoots on a cannon t71 and usually spends around 30 minutes editing her photos to as close to perfection as possible.

“I love taking photos to capture [a] story. I love reactions, celebrations, and detail shots,” elaborates Lamb.

To those looking to start up this compelling and adrenaline-filled hobby, Lamb’s biggest piece of advice is to “practice, practice, practice.”

Beckett Wilder

For Wilder, sports videography is his future. With his dad’s help, he grew a deep love for sports; and with an interest in making films, he combined them to form a hobby including the best of both worlds.

He uses a Panasonic AG-UX180 to shoot his videos, with his number one goal being to fully immerse those watching.

“I like to tell the full picture, not just show what happened in that one moment,” explained Wilder. “[In] football and basketball…[it] isn’t just about one moment, it’s about the whole game, the whole story.”

Although Wilder prefers to shoot videos, he claims it is harder than it seems. While a loss can be covered up with good photos, making a recap video for a bad play is difficult without highlighting the mistakes of the team.

Nonetheless, Wilder enjoys capturing the entire game in his videos, regardless of the score.

The 2025-2026 school year marks the first year that Wilder passionately began this hobby.

While he regrets not starting sooner, the positive reactions he has gotten through his Instagram account has not only boosted his confidence, but encouraged him to continue his craft.

To most, a simple click of a button is enough to call it a shot; but for these creative Coyotes, they become one with their cameras, allowing them to truly capture the beauty and passion of the Castaic High School sporting world.

For those interested in their work:

Kera Ochoa @kerascaptures on Instagram

Ian Nguyen @capturedbyiann on Instagram

Mykella Talosig and Dylan Tran @myka.media on Instagram

Madison Lamb @madzz_media on Instagram

Beckett Wilder @shotsbybeckett on Instagram