Seeing Through Bruce's Eyes, Many Cowboys Fans Do

Bruce Waterfield has a lot of folks dream job in taking pictures of Oklahoma State Cowboy and Cowgirl sports. Listening to him, you can tell he is not wanting to trade occupations.

STILLWATER -- I write this story and my hope is out good friend Pat Kinnison will know that here at Pokes Report that we appreciate our chief photographer every bit as much as Oklahoma State athletics does theirs. Pat is our guy and I know you all appreciate his pictures that capture so many moments that we all love and want to relive. Pat is on the sidelines of every home football game and also at selected basketball and baseball games. However, it is Bruce Waterfield that is at every football game, home and away. Waterfield makes so many other events as the official photographer for Oklahoma State University athletics. 

"We can't get everything, but it is a dream job and it is just unbelievably fun," Waterfield said to me during a radio interview. "You and I were hear at OSU (in school) at the exact same time, so our OSU roots run pretty deep. Just to be able to have the best seat in the house at every event is an amazing experience. It's funny you led off talking about baseball, because I'm really missing baseball right now."

Waterfield said he had marked off his calendar for baseball well into May and June expecting to be in Omaha for the College World Series. Instead, we all have missed the entire Big 12 Conference season, the opening of the brand new O'Brate Stadium, and the celebration that was going to be with President George W. Bush coming to throw out the first pitch.  

As the official photographer, Waterfield would have been right there to take pictures of Bush and his attempted sequel to one of the greatest ceremonial first pitches in baseball history. Bush threw that famous strike after 9-11. 

Waterfield would have been spot on with that photo, but his baseball pictures that amaze me are the ones he takes in the middle infield. You know when the pitcher is going to pitch and you know there will be action with the hitter. However, having your camera aimed and ready for a play at second base or a glove gem at shortstop is hard to guess and hard to get. 

"I love baseball," Waterfield said adding that his boss, Kevin Klintworth often tells him that he doesn't have to be at every game. "I tend to focus there at shortstop and second base because that's where the (best) plays happen. I get some, but I miss a lot of them too. There's nothing worse than a fantastic play there at second and you're back focused on a guy in the outfield."

That doesn't happen often. Waterfield is usually in focus. He says wrestling is a sport that is hard for him to shoot because it is hard to anticipate those take downs. Also, so many times when you have action in wrestling the athlete's faces may be pointed the other way. Waterfield seems to love all the sports as they each offer there own different lure. Even though he did not shoot a lot of studio or portrait shots, he has grown to appreciate doing that. He says it is about 60 percent of the job. He also shoots those pictures you see so much of on social media like Twitter of recruits dressed up in Oklahoma State uniforms.

Of course, one of the sports that gets the most attention is football and wide receiver Tylan Wallace and running back Chuba Hubbard are athlete's that almost naturally pose in their actions on the field. 

"I've got a lot of good photos of both of those guys and there was another good player a few years back, Charlie Moore, he was another reciever that always seemed turned in the right direction," Waterfield described. "You know, you have the crowd behind him and he makes the catch and he's turned toward you and the light is right. Then there's other guys, like Dillon Stoner. He makes a lot of plays all over the field and it seemed like two years before I got a good photo of him."

When you are getting that great shot, the one that will draw the admiring of fans you want to get the eyes. The eyes are key.

"Chuba is a good one to shoot," added Waterfield. "The trick for photographers is getting the eyes. When Chuba is running at you, you don't want to focus on the facemask and there are so many things you camera can focus on. Chuba gives you a really nice opportunity to get a crisp photo of the eyes."

Oklahoma State fans are fortunate in that they have a lot of talented folks with the eye to capture the memorable moments. We like our Pat Kinnison and we recognize the talent of Bruce Waterfield.