Capturing a Moment in Time

If you’ve attended an athletic event on campus over the last four years, chances are you’ve seen Stephanie Graffin ’25 on the sidelines, camera in hand.

The communication studies graduate spent her entire college career working with the athletics department as a sport information photographer. But photography wasn’t always her chosen career path.

“It’s funny, I originally came here for the Physician Assistant program,” she said. “But in high school, I started to get interested in sports photography and I became more passionate about that.”

Graffin decided to pursue a communication degree with a business minor—something that would come in handy when she launched her own photography business, Graffin Media, while studying at DeSales.  

“The business minor has given me more insight into management, economics, and the money side of things,” she said. “I had to take Intro to Business, which really gave me a look into a business proposal and what all goes into creating a business.”

Her fascination with photography started early on, and, at a young age, she began carrying a camera around. For Graffin, part of that fascination is being able to capture a moment in time, something that takes a great deal of skill when it comes to fast-moving sports games.

“It’s really knowing your settings and the framing of everything,” she said. “You also have to be paying attention to the sport itself. You can’t be watching it, but you have to know where everything’s going.” 

All told, Graffin covered nearly 400 games during her time on campus. She credits Pat Jacoby ’13, assistant sports information director, with being a big mentor during that time. Going forward, Graffin plans to expand her business, branching out from sports to family and newborn photography. She’s always loved kids, and she babysits for supplemental income. In her spare time, she’s also become an advocate for mental health awareness.