The Lookbook: The 2026 Big South Indoor Track and Field Championships
- Ricardo Tejeda
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
The Lookbook is a photographic journal featuring galleries of our more extensive client work and projects.
In late winter of 2026, I was contracted by the NCAA's Big South Conference to photograph their indoor track and field championship weekend, held in Tryon, NC, an hour away from where I'm located in Asheville. It was my second time working directly with the Big South, and my second time photographing a track and field event. I was booked to stay on the premises at Tryon International and shoot for two full days, covering the preliminary rounds and the finals.
Being a sports fan myself, having chances to cover a variety of college sports has been some of the most exciting and rewarding work I've had the honor to document. I'm able to get a front-row seat at the culmination of the dedication and hard work these young people have put into their craft, and, by virtue, I capture the pure elation of victory or the earth-shattering heartbreak of defeat. It's difficult not to cheer for such pure devotion and discipline towards a singular goal that's been a primary focus during these athletes' college careers. You have to balance the assignment at hand with being a fan of 100% genuine competition, and I find being on those sidelines during these contests thrilling.
Below, check out my favorite shots from my weekend coverage of the 2026 Big South Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Day 1
Some photos might be cropped by the gallery settings and are best viewed in expanded mode by clicking on the gallery
Day 2
Some photos might be cropped by the gallery settings and are best viewed in expanded mode by clicking on the gallery
After not being able to enjoy fall or take place in Explore Asheville's Fall Color Hunter series in 2024 due to Hurricane Helene, it was such a monumentously refreshing opportunity to get outside during this fall season and explore freely. I enjoyed some new locations and captured some of the most magnificent golden hour photos of my career. This was a much needed reminder of what makes the mountains of Western North Carolina so special, and how lucky I am to be able to photograph them for a living.
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