Team Photographers

Over fifteen years ago, one of John’s buddies in the dorm in college came tearing into his room with a new game for his Sega Genesis game system. “Dude, you’ve got to play this hockey game!” he yelled. They played a game. Then another. Then another. Soon, there were Sega-hockey tournaments being run out of John’s dorm room and he was a devout Rangers fan. A couple years later John was the only guy in his apartment complex throwing a Stanley Cup party when his beloved Rangers won their first Cup in over fifty years.

After moving to the Indianapolis area he took his burgeoning interest in photography to the hockey games. The difficulty in capturing great hockey images drove him to get better and better equipment; at the same time he got to know several members of the Ice staff. John’s relationship with the organization grew as his skill as a photographer grew. In 2005 he compiled the six-photo panorama image that became the USHL’s media guide cover; in 2006 he became the Ice’s team photographer.

In addition to his work with the Ice, John has photographed other sporting events like the Indy 500 and Formula 1 US Grand Prix. Today he splits his time between photographing weddings and families in the spring and summer and the Ice games in the winter. He lives in Greenwood with his wife and fellow photographer, Kelly, and their daughter, Molly. Find them on the web at www.whitesharkphoto.com.

Kelly Wikman grew up in Evansville, a short drive from St. Louis and the Blues. Though not an ardent hockey fan growing up, she knew her way around a blueline and face-off circle. All it took was one trip to an Ice game with John, though, and she was hooked.

When John became the team photographer, Kelly’s intention was to come along to a few of the games as a fan. But then she saw that John got to sit inside the penalty box, and she just had to have a go with the camera.

Now Kelly is an integral part of the Whiteshark Photography duo. “We’re lucky; we’re one of those few couples that actually enjoys working together,” Kelly says. Last season Kelly traveled with the team to their playoff game in Iowa and captured some remarkable images of the playoff run.

The Wikmans’ next task is to bring a new generation of fans to the game—namely their daughter, Molly. At two, she attended her first game and dropped the ceremonial first puck. Now she has her own hockey stick and spends the summer asking when she can “go see the hockey guys and watch the Zamboni smooth the ice” again.

Email: john@whitesharkphoto.com