Winning 40+ state championship titles across the years, the Green Hope athletics program is nothing short of extraordinary. With so many moments etched in history, people often turn to the unsung heroes of such journeys to relive these memories: the photographers. Senior An Vu (‘26) is one of the more prevalent figures in Green Hope sports photography today and has made quite a name for herself in her four years at the school.

Vu has always been fond of camera work, much of which she credits to her father, a prolific photographer himself who, according to Vu, “always carried a camera with him everywhere, so I have a well-documented childhood.” In addition to the hobby itself, Vu also chose to adopt her father’s style of photography, aiming to “capture true emotions,” a theme that reoccurs throughout much of her portfolio.

Shooting on a Sony A7c with 55mm, 35 mm and 70-200mm zoom lenses, Vu is a testament to the fact that equipment doesn’t make a great photographer, but rather the passion of the person behind the lens. Given that photography is currently just a passion project for her, Vu hopes to continue photography as a hobby and eventually benefit from it as a “side gig” in the future.

In her time at Green Hope, Vu has found herself especially fond of shooting the various athletic programs. She says, “I love sports photography and especially a sport I understand, like soccer or football, because it’s easier to predict what’s going to happen next and how that moment will look.” Utilizing her knowledge of the game, Vu finds it easiest to get into the perfect spot to capture the story that each and every game tells. After capturing so many moments, Vu said that it is rather difficult to choose a favorite, but ultimately recalls the 9-0 mercy rule victory in round three of the 2024-2025 boys’ soccer championship as being a particularly memorable event.

Knowing that her time at Green Hope is soon coming to an end, Vu shared that “I hope athletes can look back on my page and be reminded of a good time.” With such a large portfolio amassed throughout her tenure, athletes of all kinds of sports are sure to have something to look back upon. To leave the next generation of Green Hope photographers with a piece of advice, Vu said, “Start with whatever camera you have, learn how to shoot manually and edit photos. The best camera is the one you have.” Regardless of one’s experience or equipment, Vu encourages anyone with a passion to do whatever it takes to reach that goal.