Love of the lens gives Montana State sports photographer ‘a little part in history’

BOZEMAN - Jack Power has walked the halls of the White House. He has stepped foot onto basketball courts across the U.S. during March Madness. He has crouched at the end of a semi-professional soccer field in Italy. Each he pursues with a camera in hand.

And for his next adventure, he will walk across the stage in Montana State University's Brick Breeden Fieldhouse for fall commencement on Friday, Dec. 12. The senior from Dallas will graduate from MSU's photography program in the College of Arts and Architecture and receive an honors baccalaureate degree from the Honors College.

"I think it's cool to capture a moment in time and share that with other people," Power said. "My perspective on photography has definitely changed since I started, because I was just taking pictures and seeing what happened. I didn't think I'd end up here or end up as a photography intern at the White House. I never thought I'd be on that path."

Power initially questioned whether he could find a stable career in photography, and he was drawn to MSU for its engineering program, then its marketing degree. However, as he photographed football and volleyball games during his freshman year, he realized his passions lay behind the lens, and he "might as well just go all in."

In 2022, he officially joined MSU Athletics' team of visual media interns, now totaling nine students, and had a courtside seat to numerous crucial moments in Bobcat Athletics thereafter.

He photographed the men's basketball team in two March Madness appearances, the 2024 RMISA Skiing Championship held in Bozeman and Big Sky, two Big Sky Championship meets for outdoor track and field, and multiple Brawl of the Wild football games between MSU and the Montana Grizzlies, including when ESPN's College GameDay show visited Bozeman his freshman year. When the football team plays at home, Power said he bakes cookies for the Bobcat Athletics staff - he chose double-chocolate peppermint for a recent game against University of California, Davis - a hobby he has enjoyed most of his life.

During games, he constantly moves around each athletic facility to find unique photo angles, from the rafters of the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse during spring rodeos to the stands among the Spirit of the West marching band in Bobcat Stadium. Power said photography is a mixture of timing and luck - he hopes he is in the right place at the right moment and crosses his fingers that athletes make a striking play. On bus rides or flights back from games, he edits his images for MSU Athletics' social media accounts, often with athletes looking over his shoulder when they notice photos of themselves.

Hands-on experience is important in sports media, where there is pressure to capture moments that can't be recreated and share content with thousands of fans, said Brian Morse, director of MSU Athletics' creative services. He feels that Power has a genuine passion for storytelling that resonates with young audiences.

"Jack has had a major effect on how fans and students experience Montana State Athletics today. Whether they realize it or not, a huge percentage of the excitement, energy and pride surrounding our programs, especially on social media, has come from the content he's helped produce," Morse said. "When you give a talented, motivated student real responsibility and real exposure, they don't just grow - they elevate the entire department."

Ian van Coller, a photography professor who teaches Power's senior capstone class, said Power's motivation to create opportunities for himself will lead to a successful post-college career. He produces photographs that are vibrant, carefully composed and filled with drama, particularly during fast-paced football games.

"To create a good sports photograph is to compositionally make sense of that chaos," van Coller said. "That's where his work stands apart."

Honing his photography skills took years, starting with a sixth-grade photography class in Dallas. Transitioning to high school in Maine, Power captured and participated in several sports like Alpine ski racing, mountain biking and baseball.

This year, he returned to the East Coast to photograph something a bit higher profile - the White House.

"All my raw photos and all of my edits are going to eventually be put into the Presidential Libraries archives, so anyone can search my name and see all my photos," he said. "I have a little part in history."

As an intern working with the White House Photo Office for the summer, he documented several significant events, such as a B-2 bomber plane's flight over the White House on July 4 and the signing ceremony for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which includes guidelines preventing medical use of fentanyl-related substances and implementing stricter sentencing guidelines. Power said being a "learner" was important in working with professional photographers.

He said he is still processing that he received the opportunity, one he earned with help from connections he forged in Bozeman while photographing a political rally the year prior.

Before moving to Washington, D.C., Power was studying abroad during his spring semester through New York University's Florence campus. While taking classes and working on his Italian language skills, he photographed the semi-professional soccer team F.C. Pistoiese and worked with teams across the country that play semi-professional American football in the Italian Football League.

After graduation, Power will set forth on another journey abroad to "the extreme," he said. He and his father will accomplish their goal of setting foot on all seven continents with an expedition to Antarctica. He will also search for a photographer position in collegiate or professional sports or in politics.

"It just goes to show: Don't be scared to choose what you want to do in college, and choose the major you enjoy," Power said.