There are plenty of ways to tell a story - by word, by mouth, by sight. With this new feature, Story Behind the Shot, we wanted to take a blended approach.
Every week, from now until whenever the 76ers' season ends, we'll release to you across our social media feeds and website our latest photo of the week, snapped by one of the several talented photographers we're fortunate to have on staff.
Each installment in this series will be contextualized with commentary from both a primary subject in the photo, and the photographer who took it, thereby bringing to you the Story Behind the Shot.
Again, be on the lookout out for fresh photos weekly. We hope you enjoy!
STORY BEHIND THE SHOT
WEEK OF 12/23 - 12/30
Furkan Korkmaz
76ers
"I think as a team we were really feeling it in the Milwaukee game, like everybody just making threes. We just made it rain, you know? In the third quarter, I felt I was one of those guys, and on this play, I just let it fly. As soon as I got the ball, I was just thinking to let it go because I was really feeling it. As soon as I made the three, I saw the bench reaction - Jo, Ben, Al, all those guys. It makes me feel much, much better after that. Of course the fans and the crowd was so exciting, so that was a really valuable position for me."
Maggie Zerbe
Studio 76
"So much of sports photography hinges on timing. Being ready for big, unexpected moments is crucial in order to use imagery to tell a story. Another key aspect is positioning, which truthfully is sometimes due to luck. In the 76ers' Christmas Day victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, I had the good fortune of being on the floor directly across from Furkan Korkmaz when he hit a huge 3-pointer over Giannis Antetokounmpo and was fouled. His reaction was fantastic - as it should have been. That three, in addition to the seemingly endless others poured in by other members of the squad, set a record - and for Furkan to have hit that shot over the reigning MVP? It had to have felt incredible. Capturing fleeting, yet meaningful moments is what makes this work so interesting. Photography is, by nature, aesthetic. Some images are aesthetically pleasing because of the lines and shapes, others are about contrasting colors. But documenting raw emotion is different. It’s unpredictable and serendipitous and when done right - conveys a story. This photo of Furkan’s 3-pointer tells the story of a shot worth celebrating."