Nathan Dunaj’s path in sports did not happen on the field as he would have thought growing up. It started behind a camera.
In November 2024, Nathan received a camera from his grandfather, a photographer who passed down both the equipment and the inspiration to use it. Around the same time, Nathan was a junior varsity soccer player at Oak Forest High School. During one varsity game, he used his grandfather’s camera to capture photos of the team. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a passion.
Nathan always loved sports, yet he never felt he found one where he truly stood out as an athlete. Photography gave him a new way to connect with athletics. Instead of competing in the games, he captured the action and emotion from the sidelines.
A key moment came during a football media day photoshoot at Oak Forest. While taking photos of the players, Nathan realized how much he enjoyed telling the story of athletes through images. That experience helped him see sports photography as something he wanted to pursue with purpose.
To develop his skills, Nathan made a difficult decision during his sophomore year. He stepped away from playing basketball so he could spend more time photographing the basketball program and other sporting events. The choice gave him more opportunities to practice, experiment, and develop his style.
Several people influenced Nathan’s growth. His grandfather sparked his interest in photography. Online sports creators also shaped his approach. Nathan studied the work of BluCutz Film and the sports content group DopeVzn, whose videos and photos capture the intensity of high level competition.
At Oak Forest High School, yearbook advisor Ms. McMahon noticed Nathan’s commitment and invited him to join the yearbook staff. She also provided him with a Canon R100 camera through the program. During his sophomore year, several of Nathan’s photos appeared in the yearbook. This year, many of the sports photos featured in the publication came directly from Nathan’s camera.
Nathan also built connections with professionals in the field. Michael Sanders, the leader of DopeVzn, became a mentor and source of advice. Sanders continues to support Nathan and regularly connects him with opportunities through his sports media network.
Nathan’s work soon expanded beyond Oak Forest. He began photographing high level events across Illinois, including the Chicago Elite Classic and a major basketball tournament at the University of Illinois Chicago. These events allowed him to photograph some of the top high school athletes in the country.
A typical day for Nathan starts after school. He prepares his camera gear and travels to games across Illinois. Once there, he captures warm ups and early game action. During the game, he edits photos and posts them online. Speed matters in sports media. Nate states that the first photographer to post a key moment often reaches the largest audience.
Nathan’s growing reputation recently created a major opportunity. Trey Hall from the ‘Off-Season’ Podcast, who now serves as Director of Media for the Illinois High School Association, noticed Nathan’s Oak Forest football media day photos. After reviewing his work, Hall offered Nathan an all-inclusive IHSA media pass so he could cover events across the state and help bring more attention to Illinois high school athletics.
Nathan will continue building his experience this summer at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference, a six day national program for high achieving students interested in journalism and media careers.
Looking ahead, Nathan plans to major in business while continuing to produce sports media content. His long term goal involves running his own sports photography company while attending a Division I university.
For Nathan, the most rewarding part of the work involves capturing moments that matter for athletes and their teams. He loves to help athletes tell their stories through what he captures!
Nathan Dunaj is someone you should know.