Mike Connell, Photographer Extraordinaire
Mike Connell is a Huntington guy. He graduated from high school here, lives here, works here, sends his children to school here, is active in the community here and pitches in whenever he can.
One way in which he gives back to the community he loves so much is by taking photos at Huntington High School sports events and other school functions. Mr. Connell's photos appear in exclusive Huntington School District website galleries and are posted alongside related articles. The photos are very popular with athletes, coaches and parents.
"Mike's work is superb and it has really enhanced our website," Superintendent John J. Finello said. "Everyone looks forward to checking out the website and looking for one of his galleries. The kids themselves absolutely love those photos."
Among his many "assignments," Mr. Connell chronicled the Blue Devil boys' soccer team's playoff run last fall. His son, E.J. was Huntington's goalie and the photos captured the excitement of a great year.
"When E.J. was young, I started taking pictures of his games at the YMCA," Mr. Connell said. "Over the years I upgraded my camera and after 12 years of taking sport shots, mostly of soccer, and learning by trial and error, I now find myself waiting for a game day to take shots."
Frequently contacted by the folks who operate the district's website, Mr. Connell rarely disappoints them. When he's not at his desk at MA Connell Funeral Home on New York Avenue or otherwise occupied with a family or personal obligation, odds are when the phone rings he's ready to head over to a game.
A 1979 graduate of Huntington High School, Mr. Connell studied at SUNY College at Oswego before enrolling at SUNY Farmingdale to study mortuary science and funeral directing.
Mr. Connell typically takes hundreds of photos at a game and then carefully reviews late at night them before depositing a file of shots into a shared Dropbox folder and notifying the district's website operators that they are there.
This year Mr. Connell covered a wide range of varsity teams, snapping photos during all three sports seasons. "We really appreciate Mike's work," said Georgia D. McCarthy, Huntington's district director of athletics. "His photos tell their own story. He's highlighted our athletes in a special way and really enhanced our Blue Devil program."
Mr. Connell's colorful photos are among the Huntington website's most popular galleries. Many gain an even wider audience when they are sent on by the district to local newspapers for use with Blue Devil sports stories. He's been known to branch out, too. For example, Mr. Connell was on the scene plying his craft at Woodhull School's recent field day.
"We're fortunate Mike's a member of our Huntington school family," Mr. Finello said. Blue Devil athletes and fans would readily agree.