CNO Sports...
Knoop setting a new bar
I’m passing the torch
By George Starks  

February 8, 2012 

GREENVILLE - It was July 2007.

 The event was the Annie Oakley Shoot-Out, featuring the best of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) at the Darke County Fairgrounds. My job was to cover and shoot the event for, what was at that time, the only real news source for Darke County. 

At my side, as usual, was my then nine year old grandson, Dylan Knoop. 

For three years, Dylan had been attending sporting events with me. On several occasions, he would go to Eldora because racing was huge to him. On this day in July, the young Knoop would ask me a question that would totally shock me. 

“Papaw, can I take the other camera and shoot the motorcycle races with you?” 

At that time, I was using a D-100 that was provided to me and my D2H. I gave the D-100 to him, set it up and told him to have at it. 

Little did I know. Not only did he get some great shots but I published several of his photos in the newspaper with his byline on it. I was very proud. 

Knoop didn’t ask very often to shoot but when he did, my answer was always yes. Today, he is a 15 year old freshman at Greenville. He never asks to shoot when he goes out with me, he just picks up the camera, puts on the flash and shoots. 

“When I first did this, I never thought a lot about it,” Knoop said. “I just thought it was fun because I watched my papaw and others doing it. The camera fascinated me because of all the buttons on it.” 

A typical response for someone that was looking through nine year old eyes. Now, his perspective has changed.

 “Now I see the quality of the picture,” Knoop said. “I enjoy the excitement of trying to get the right shot. You are up close to the action and I like that. As the photographer, you see more because you are right there.” 

To date, Knoop has shot several sporting events including basketball, motorcycle races and tractor pulls at the fair. 

“I really want to shoot the races at Eldora when I’m old enough to get down to the infield,” Knoop said. “Right now, they won’t let me down there because I’m too young to be there by myself.” 

While some never get the knack of using a camera for sports, Knoop went out and did it with a little help along the way. Even though he gets great shots most of the time, he has his days like the rest of us. 

“I don’t get everything right but I’m learning,” Knoop admitted. “I think I have a good teacher but I have a lot to learn too.” 

In a very short period of time, Knoop has learned three big things when it comes to sports photography. 

“You have to know your camera and what it can and can’t do,” Knoop said. “Shooting with the D2H is easy but the lens we use is not very good. Once we figured what we could do with it, then things got much better. I still don’t know how to get the adjustments right with the camera and the flash yet but I’m getting better. Another thing is timing of a shot. I love it when I get a great shot of a dunk in a basketball game. Sometimes, that shot tells the whole story. If the timing isn’t there, then you don’t get the shot and you have nothing. It’s hard for me sometimes to be able to keep the focus right. I hate it when I get in a hurry and the picture is out of focus because I wasn’t ready.” 

Knoop said his favorite thing to shoot so far was the tractor pulls.” 

“I love being on the track because it’s loud, dirty and even a little dangerous,” Knoop said. “All sports can be dangerous and that’s what makes it exciting. When I was little and going to football games, you (me) would make me stand behind you so I wouldn’t get hurt if a player came too close to us. Now, I’m bigger and I’ve seen everything up close and I know more what it’s about. It’s really hard to explain but it is exciting to me. I’ve watched you do it for so long and I’ve seen how you do it. I think that drives me to want to do it. It’s not as easy as it looks, though.” 

I remember the first time Dylan picked that camera up and had his work published, he was very excited... as was I. Now, his reward comes in another way. 

“I see these people with cameras walking around taking pictures and I look at some of what they publish and I think, I can do that good,” Knoop said. “I’m not saying I’m the best there is with a camera because I know there are many that are better than me. I also know that compared to others, my stuff is better and when I’m out here, people in the crowd see a 15 year old kid doing this. I think that’s funny because they can’t believe a 15 year old is doing this. I know people are looking at me, I can feel it, especially when those looks come from other photographers.” 

After high school, Knoop wants to go to college to major in design engineering and wants to design roller coasters. As his papaw, I can say that I am very proud of Dylan and the fact that there’s something in my life that I can pass on to him. 

Who knows, he may be the next great photo journalist of his time. Maybe even a Pulitzer Prize winner... who knows? 

“I never saw myself ever doing this,” Knoop said in closing. “I have learned a lot from what you taught me.”

 Regardless, he is the next generation of journalists.