Table Series: Sam Mironko
“The photography journey has also been an identity journey”
© Photos by Philippe Nyriimihigo - 2023
As we kicked off this session with MIRONKO, I asked him how he started and his response was refreshing. He was on a quest to find out how he got HERE, a question he had been asking himself. But as a kid, all he ever really liked was football and sports.
“The photography journey has also been an identity journey,” Sam said. He continued: “To what extent do you tie yourself to the thing that you do? When the Argentinian players won the World Cup, nearly all of them said this was something they had dreamt of.” However, the photography opportunities and spaces he’s found himself in aren’t things he foresaw.
Growing up in South Africa with educator parents, Sam was surrounded by photography and filmmaking from an early age. He discovered a passion for video production in high school, often spending hours editing and tweaking his projects. Although football was his first love, winning awards for his films in school motivated him to pursue filmmaking further. In college, while studying liberal arts, he worked in sports photography, inspired by a friend who had done the same, bringing his high school ambition to fruition.
This was also the moment his personality, social lifestyle, and extrovert character would start fusing with what he did daily. When we say “one thing led to another”, it’s truly emblematic of who Sam is and the journey he’s been on. What started as documenting some pick-up games at a small college turned into documenting pick-up games at Harvard University, which led to NBA trainers noticing him, which led to documenting NBA players' summer pick-up games, leading to relationships and friends amongst the elite of basketball in the NBA.
© Photos by Philippe Nyriimihigo - 2023
Following that same path of one thing leading to another, Sam through a friend of a friend, would connect with Slam magazine, starting with high school gigs all the way to documenting the Boston Celtics. Building relationships along the way has been instrumental to his success. From the security to the trainers to the staff and players, Sam makes a point to get to know the people who make it all work. Sam’s relationship with people is as important as his photographs.
If you’ve been following lately, you’ll notice that Sam managed to unite the two worlds he loves most, photography and football, with a recent collaboration with the #VisitRwanda Campaign and Arsenal. Sam stars in a mini-documentary talking sports photography with Arsenal Chief Photographer, Stuart Macfarlane.
The sky is no limit for Sam, it’s been a joy to watch him grow his craft literally, week by week. Sam also plans to use his voice more, he wants to give back as much as he can.
Be sure to give him a follow to follow his amazing journey!