Gaylord College Takes on the NFL

Current journalism student Caitlyn Epes certainly had the internship of a lifetime this past summer, when she served as the photography intern for the National Football League. Gaylord College’s Student Experience Fund allowed Caitlyn to travel to Culver City, CA where she stepped behind the camera and snapped some extraordinary images.

JayMac sat down with Caitlyn to get the inside scoop on what it takes to intern for the NFL.

Q: What was it like interning with the NFL?

A: This summer, I was the only photo intern at the NFL Media office out in Culver City. I worked directly under and with the director of photography for the NFL, Ben Liebenberg. I was assigned to multiple different shoots, from action to portraits. I photographed athletes for digital ads for the new NFL Fantasy App commercial featuring athletes like Jerry Rice, Saquon Barkley and Deandre Hopkins. My photos from that shoot were used in digital ads on websites and social media. I also got to photograph behind-the-scenes of a Verizon digital shoot with Drew Brees, Saquon Barkley and Deshaun Watson.

I learned portrait work from Ben and used new lighting systems to photograph people like Kyle Van Noy and Miles Sanders. For action, I was able to go to three different training camps: The Dallas Cowboys, LA Chargers and LA Rams. I was also able to travel to Canton, OH, for the Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend and game. Finally, I traveled to Arizona my last week as an intern to photograph Kyler Murray’s first preseason game with the Cardinals!

My photos were even posted by athletes and NFL accounts throughout the summer as well as on NFL.com, which was really cool to see. Seeing “Caitlyn Epes/NFL” online was awesome!I learned portrait work from Ben and used new lighting systems to photograph people like Kyle Van Noy and Miles Sanders. For action, I was able to go to three different training camps: The Dallas Cowboys, LA Chargers and LA Rams. I was also able to travel to Canton, OH, for the Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend and game. Finally, I traveled to Arizona my last week as an intern to photograph Kyler Murray’s first preseason game with the Cardinals!

My photos were even posted by athletes and NFL accounts throughout the summer as well as on NFL.com, which was really cool to see. Seeing “Caitlyn Epes/NFL” online was awesome!

Q: How did the student experience fund help you secure your internship?

A: When I first received the call inviting me out to LA, I was scared to try and figure out my housing situation. I knew California was expensive, and I figured it would be impossible to try and find affordable housing. Gaylord’s student experience fund allowed me to focus on preparing for my internship instead of worrying about housing costs. It really took a lot of weight off of my shoulders!

Q: Who or what pushed you to apply for this opportunity?

A: My experience photographing football for the OU Daily has trained me for the past two years in football. During internship season, I was searching for sports photography internships online, and I stumbled across the NFL photo internship. I applied in November thinking it was a long shot, but I got the call around April and the rest is history!

Q: Do you have any post-grad plans with the organization? If not, we’d still love to hear what your plans are!

A: So far, my post-grad plans depend on what opportunities arrive in the spring. I am hoping to apply to NFL seasonal internships or jobs. My dream is to continue working with the NFL in some capacity, but it just depends on what opportunities are out there! My ultimate dream is to have my photo on a Sports Illustrated cover.

Q: Do you have any advice to give to current students regarding internship opportunities?

A: My biggest advice to current students is to build a portfolio and share it on as many platforms as possible. Also, don’t be afraid to apply or reach out to internships even if you think you won’t get them! You never know what people will think of your work. I learned so much from this summer and I’m proud that The OU Daily and Gaylord could help me continue to follow my dreams!

We loved cheering you on from the sidelines as you followed your dreams! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish in your future endeavors. In the meantime, you can check out Caitlyn’s work on NFL.com or on their Instagram!