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About Sheena N.'s work:

Photo Theme:

Story behind the photo: A view from the bench

Photo Story:

Sometimes, the hardest battles in sport don’t happen on the court — they happen in silence, on the sideline.

This photo captures a moment that many athletes know too well: the waiting. The longing. The in-between. A young female basketball player sits alone, watching the game unfold without her. Her body is still, but inside, the fire burns. She’s dressed, ready, willing — yet all she can do is watch.

But this moment isn't about being benched. It’s about becoming.
It’s about the lessons learned in the quiet.

In the background, teammates run the floor. The crowd buzzes. The ball bounces, sneakers screech — the symphony of the game plays on. But for her, the real growth is happening in this pause. She’s not just waiting for a substitution; she’s learning patience, resilience, humility. She’s building hunger. She’s listening to the rhythm of the game so that when her number is called, she’s not just ready — she’s unshakable.

This photo reminds us that greatness isn't only born in the highlight reel.
Sometimes it’s born on the bench — in the moments no one claps for.
The real work isn’t just in the hours of practice; it’s in the mental game:
the discipline to stay focused, the courage to stay hopeful,
and the belief that your time will come — and when it does, you'll be unstoppable.

This is more than a photo. It’s a tribute to every athlete who shows up, suits up, and keeps their head up — even when they’re not in the game.

Because hard work beats talent… especially when talent takes a break.

How long has Sheena N. loved photography:

While my creative journey began with video editing at the age of 10 or 11, my love for photography developed more recently. I’ve always been drawn to visual storytelling, but it was in 2024 — while taking photos at my former high school’s basketball games — that I truly fell in love with photography. Capturing those frozen moments, full of emotion and movement, sparked something new in me. It became more than just a creative outlet — it became a way to preserve the heart of a moment in a single frame.

How they discovered their passion for photography:

I discovered my passion for photography in 2024, while covering basketball games at my old high school. I was already immersed in videography — capturing plays, editing highlight reels, and shaping stories through movement. But when I began snapping stills of the game — a player’s quiet focus on the bench, the raw celebration after a buzzer-beater — I realised that photography offered a different kind of storytelling. It allowed me to freeze emotion in time. That’s when I knew photography wasn’t just something I could do — it was something I needed to do.

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