Rising sports photographer and Colorado State University alumna Abbie Parr (’17, communication studies) hit the equivalent of a home run in photography by earning a spot in TIME’s “Top 100 Photos of 2018” with her photo of Seattle Mariner Mitch Haniger watching a home-run baseball sail over the wall at Safeco Field.
Parr’s photography career started her sophomore year in college when she accepted a job with the Rocky Mountain Collegian as a sports photographer. The following year she became head photo editor, managing a desk of 20 student photographers while also working as a photographer for CSU Athletics.
As editor, Parr prioritized hiring other student photographers who shared her drive to go “above and beyond.” This drive led Parr to seek out opportunities to shadow and learn from industry professionals while continuing to apply her skills to CSU sporting events. Her senior year, Parr won a Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalism for “Best Breaking News Photography” out of college newspapers in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico.
In early 2016, Parr was hired as an assistant team photographer for the Colorado Rockies. She spent a season and a half learning how to photograph major league baseball, including how to shoot from different perspectives and with unique lighting. After graduating, Parr leveraged her national sports coverage experience to earn an internship with Getty Images Sport in New York City.
Over the eight-month internship, Parr was mentored by world-class photographers such as Al Bello, Elsa Garrison and Bruce Bennett. After her internship ended, Parr moved to Seattle, Washington, where she continues to freelance for Getty Sport.
In addition to covering the Seattle Mariners, Parr also photographs other Seattle-based sports teams, including the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders. Parr’s work has been featured in The New York Times, New York Post, Sports Illustrated, USA Today and other publications.
Parr credits the experiences she was given at Colorado State University to her success in her photography career so far, especially her work with the Collegian and CSU Athletics.
