What a strange yet somewhat normal day. It was strange because the Little 500 was in May instead of April. It was strange because both races were on the same day. It was strange because the stadium was devoid of fans and eerily quiet – so much so that I could hear riders talking to each other on the track over a constant hum of cicadas. Yet it was kind of normal. It felt normal to go somewhere in real life. It felt normal to make pictures. It felt normal to work with my colleagues as a team. I would imagine this sentiment is common as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it struck me how profoundly odd the day was.
The Little 500 is arguably my favorite thing to photograph at Indiana University. I’m always drawn to the action, the moments and especially the vibrant colors of the event. As a student, I photographed the race (poorly) a few times and always wanted another crack at it after college. This year marked my fifth year photographing the race for IU – the first one I had captured since 2018.
