Claire Komerak — Columbus Crew Photography, CBS Sports Design & When Two Crafts Make Each Other Better
Messi. Quiet moment. Black and white. Claire Komerak saw it and knew. Photo Credit: Claire Komerak Photo. Used with permission.
Claire Komerak picks up a camera the way a designer reads a room. She shoots the Columbus Crew and designs broadcast graphics for CBS Sports, and those two disciplines don’t just coexist. They sharpen each other.
In this episode Claire traces her path from disposable cameras at the zoo to an MLS Championship sideline, and breaks down how color, brand, and light all have to speak before the viewer even processes the image.
Why It Matters
Most photographers think about what they’re capturing. Claire thinks about what the image says before anyone looks closely at it. That’s a design instinct applied to photography, and for anyone trying to make images that work for a team, a brand, or a client, it’s the difference between a good photo and one that actually does a job.
About This Guest
Claire Komerak is a sports photographer and broadcast graphic designer whose work spans collegiate athletics, professional sports, and network broadcast media. She shoots the Columbus Crew in MLS and designs graphics for CBS Sports, bringing brand thinking to every frame she makes. Her approach, building images that communicate team identity before the viewer consciously processes what they’re seeing, is the result of two disciplines informing each other over years of deliberate practice.
Claire’s Bonafides
“
I want the brand and the team to speak to you before you can even really process what that image is.
”— CLAIRE KOMERAK, COLUMBUS CREW PHOTOGRAPHER AND CBS SPORTS BROADCAST DESIGNERHear This Episode
Episode Timestamps
Your ZoomPod — Exit Ticket
After this episode, you'll know:
- Why design thinking makes you a better photographer before you ever raise the camera
- How color choices in sports photography reinforce brand identity without the viewer realizing it
- What mirrorless cameras teach beginners about exposure that DSLRs never could in real time
- Why curiosity and hunger to learn matter more than gear or credentials at the start of a career
Gear & Affiliate Links
Trick out your kit, and your wardrobe. Both Adorama and SmallRig are having sales right now. Or wear your photography mood, grab a ZWOF set-wear tee shirt. If you use a ZWOF link, we may earn a small commission that doesn’t increase the price of your item.
Claire shoots with a designer’s eye already doing the work before the shutter fires. That’s what it means to really see before you shoot.
Stop Shooting From the Stands →BUILD NOTE: Full transcript pending paste-in from Buzzsprout.
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