Who we are
We are the official photographer for the University of Minnesota Marching Band. We're proud to say that all members of our team are volunteers and University of Minnesota Marching Band alumni. Participation includes those just recently graduated who are beginning their photographic careers, members who marched in the 1970's, and all ranges of experience in between. Our talent also includes recruited band members working as Student Photographers and Editors. Together, our combined years of service surpasses 100 years, and we're thrilled to serve each and every season!
The road we take to achieve our goal each season is intensive, exciting, and trying at times.
It challenges us all to become stronger photographers and develop the fortitude to create powerful imagery in every frame
But most of all, the road is rewarding — both professionally and personally — for each member of the Gopher Photo staff.
What we do
Slideshow
Our ultimate goal as photographers for the band is to produce a high quality,
45-minute multi-media presentation for the members of the University of Minnesota Marching Band and their friends and family.
Each season, a small group of students volunteer as a Slide Show committee. These students are responsible for selecting the images and music that are used in each show. In a 6-week period, this group meets weekly to develop the soundtrack, filter through the season's thousands of images, and build a memorable show at each year's Marching Band Banquet.
September 9, 2015 — UMN Marching Band marching around TCF Bank Stadium (now Huntington Bank).
IMAGE SALES
Our images are available for viewing and purchase at our gallery page. View from over 100,000 images spanning nearly 20 years. Sign in with your email to save a series of images as "your favorites," and order whenever you're ready. Once you've ordered, our professional print shop partner will print your images with premium archival materials and ship them directly to you. You can rest assured your prints will look fantastic for years to come.
We also want you to know, because we are a team of volunteers who do not have monetary support from the University, image sales help offset our expenses incurred throughout each season. These expenses range from producing the slideshow, maintaining camera and computer equipment, editing software, website, server storage and utilities, archiving, and a multitude of other small but significant expenses. We strive to keep our prices reasonable and well below professional market standards. We do not drive them up for the purpose of making a profit. Instead, purchases you make help us recover some of these lost expenses so we may continue to provide memorable images for our favorite group of musicians, the University of Minnesota Marching Band. Thank you!
SOCIAL MEDIA and COMMUNICATIONS IMAGERY
As a result of the social media boom of the last decade, our roles have further expanded into creating our catalogs with communications and social media in mind. We work closely with the Marching Band Social Media Coordinator as well as the University of Minnesota School of Music, providing images for both digital and print communications, website use, and social media use to further advance the recognition of the Marching Band and its achievements. We have also provided imagery for University Relations and the University of Minnesota Foundation among other University entities. Please, follow the band on their social media channels, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @UMNmarch.
Do you have an idea or want more content on the social media channels? Let us know by sending our social media team a message on Facebook or Instagram @UMNmarch or email the band at mnmarch@umn.edu! Or just say hi, and let us know how we're doing. We'd love to hear from you!
DOCUMENTING, ARCHIVING, AND SLIDE SCANNING
We aim to capture the spirit of the band and share its story for years to come. The photography staff archive approximately 8,000 to 11,000 pictures each season including any post-season trips. Each of these images are available for viewing at our gallery page.
Beginning fall of 2022, members of our staff will be undertaking a monumental slide scanning project in collaboration with the marching band, volunteer students, and the Band Alumni Society. Prior to our transition to digital photographic equipment, the photography staff worked with E-6 slide film. More than 30 years of slide film exists in the marching band collection, and we now begin the process of digitizing and archiving these catalogs so they may be available for the next 100+ years.
September 12, 2009 — Inaugural game in TCF Bank Stadium (now Huntington Bank).
OUR industry experience
Our volunteer team comes from a variety of photographic backgrounds. Many have worked or continue to work as professional and semi-professional photographers in a diverse set of disciplines. We also include those just beginning their photographic journey. Some of these disciplines represented include:
- Editorial and Photojournalism
- Wedding and Engagement
- Headshot and Portrait (Newborn, Senior, and Family)
- Marketing and Lifestyle
- Wildlife and Landscape
- Fine Art and Hobby
If you wish to learn more or inquire about work, please contact us.
