A photograph can be powerful. It possesses the ability to capture the raw emotion of a singular moment and preserve an otherwise fleeting snippet of time, all while telling a story in the process.
Over the next few days, we're going to take a look back at 10 of the best photos from the 2024-25 season along with commentary from Chiefs' Director of Photography Steve Sanders.
Here's what we've covered so far:
We'll continue with No. 3:
"The Block Off"
Setting: Week 10 vs. Denver
The Subject: Linebacker Leo Chenal blocks the Broncos' go-ahead field goal attempt as time expires to win the game for Kansas City.
Taken By: Sam Lutz
Camera Model: Cannon EOS R3
Focal Length: 400 mm
Exposure Time: 1/4,000
Aperture: f/3.2
Steve Sanders' Thoughts:
Q: I'm not sure this photo needs much of an introduction, but for the sake of consistency, why did you include this photo in the collection?
Sanders: "This was such a big moment, and such a great play by Leo. You can see the guard is on his back, and the ball is right on Leo's hand. You know, for sure, this kick isn't going to make it through the uprights," Sanders said. "It's just a peak moment. This picture may be worth 2,000 words."
Q: These sorts of plays are incredibly rare, so what does it say about Sam that he was ready and shooting just in case something happened?
Sanders: "You can never give up on the play. You have to stay focused when you're looking through the lens, no matter what. You can't get distracted by the enormity of the situation," Sanders said. "I'm sure, in Sam's mind, he just thought he was shooting a field goal that was going to win the game for Denver, but this turned into such an epic moment."
Q: What was your reaction when you saw this photo?
Sanders: "One of the first things Coach Toub said to me was, 'Man, I hope you got a picture of that.' I hadn't seen it yet, and then when we got into the photo workroom, I saw it was already on Instagram," Sanders said. "I asked our group who took it, because right away, I wanted to find them and tell them what a great shot it was."
