by Hope Cruz “…the sculptor has nothing more to do than remove the superfluous, and reveal the living figure that is within.” — Ascanio Condivi, Life of Michelangelo (1553) For Michelangelo, becoming wasn’t about adding but removing, and a block of marble was never blank because it already held a figure waiting to be set free. Design follows the same path. Every sketch, every prototype, every moment of resistance is part of the chiseling away until the final form emerges undeniably clear. Few people understand this better than Joe Hanssen, Think Tank’s lead designer. His career has been shaped by...

All in the Details by Isaac Wasserman I’ve always been a perfectionist. I pore over little details for hours. My mouth puckers, and I furrow my brow. I lose sleep over those perfect details — I am a great sleeper. As a sports photographer, perfectionism can be both a blessing and a curse, but mostly, it’s been a gift. As an NCAA Photo intern, I covered the NCAA DI Wrestling Championship. I knew I wanted a remote camera angle from above. Weeks ahead of the event, I was already thinking through everything: the color of the mats, their layout each...

Making More with Less by Tyler McFarland Over the last five months as a photography intern with NCAA Photos, I’ve learned the value of subtraction. Clearing distractions, packing light, and creating space to focus have become essential to how I work. When I graduated in May 2024, I chased "more," believing it would make me a more valuable employee. Every pitch, putt, and jump had a place in the story, and I was determined to be there, camera in hand, for all of it. At the time, I believed packed schedules led to stronger galleries and satisfied clients. While I’m...

by Hope Cruz I want to live where soul meets bodyAnd let the sun wrap its arms around meAnd bathe my skin in water cool and cleansingAnd feel, feel what it's like to be new — Death Cab for Cutie, “Soul Meets Body” (2005) These opening lines from a Death Cab for Cutie song tap into something many of us feel deeply, something that speaks to our shared humanity. It’s the longing to feel something real, to know we’re grounded in something true, and to be changed by the experience. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), that...