From there it was a quick sprint to the BT Basketball Women’s Cup Final between the University of St Andrews and Glasgow, where the hosts took the win 60-53. Indoor sports like basketball bring their own obstacles, including harsh artificial lighting that often complicates colour balance and exposure. After some trial and errors with ISO and white balance, though, the rewards were worth it. Basketball offers so many cinematic moments to the photographer, like a player leaping for a rebound, a clean three-pointer, or, if you’re lucky, a slam dunk frozen mid-air. 

Equally, the proximity of the court to the crowd adds an exciting atmosphere to the photographs, with emotions spilling across the sidelines. Then, the morning’s fixtures were done, and lunch doubled as an editing sprint to get ahead on delivery. The afternoon took us outdoors, where strong Scottish winds and rain greeted the ICG Women’s Hockey Trophy Final between St Andrews and Edinburgh. Still, St Andrews showed incredible play ending in a 3-1 win despite the weather. Photographing in those conditions was a match in itself. When the wind literally shifts your balance mid-shot, every frame is hard earned.

Additionally, the unique low-ball play in hockey meant that you as the photographer equally had to get on lower levels to capture clean, symmetric angles, often while dodging a wayward strike. By the end of the hockey match, the crowd outside had grown, with anticipation clearly building for the day’s headline act: the Men’s Rugby Cup Final between the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier. The winds had not calmed and the temperatures were still uncomfortably low, but the energy was electric nonetheless. For 80 minutes, both teams displayed fantastic athleticism and determination until the University of Edinburgh finally sealed a 26-17 victory.