For the love of sports

Barry Houchin and perfecting the ‘art’ in the run

July 26, 2023 by Ken Leinart

Some nine years ago, Barry Houchin was attending a football game at Oak Ridge High School and noticed the lack of photographers at the game.

Amateur photographers.

Houchin loves sports. He loves the Wildcats (he’s an Oak Ridge High School graduate). He loves photography.

Houchin is an astute individual, very perceptive, the type who notices things happening around him.

So naturally a thought crossed his mind.

“I didn’t see anyone doing it (taking photographs),” he said. “So I asked Mike Mullins if I could get a sideline pass.”

It’s not just taking photos — that’s part of the fun — it’s also being part of the action; it’s the athlete in Barry Houchin reconnecting with the student who ran track at ORHS; it’s meeting new people, learning new things about sports photography (photography in general, really).

It’s about giving back to the kids participating — the current crop of young athletes who give their all for their school, the fans, and their teammates.

And he has fun doing it.

“It’s great, and half the fun is hearing the talk on the sidelines,” he said. “It’s a different perception of what’s going on.”

And he watches everything.

“You keep one eye on what’s going on and one eye on the people,” he said. “You watch the kids, you watch the pep section. It’s just fun.”

Houchin’s favorite sport is track and field — that’s what he took part in while he was at ORHS. But he enjoys all sports.

“I’ve love being on Cherokee Boulevard when there’s a race,” he said. “I love shooting soccer because you never know where the ball is going.”

He loves baseball, but …

“I love baseball, love the sport,” he said. “But I’m not big on shooting it.”

“I’ve met some great people, some real pros, who have helped me,” he said. “I’ve had some good people around me.

“It’s helped me a lot because I’m always asking myself, ‘How can I get better?’”

His photography has grown as he’s gone along. His reputation has reached a point where people reach out to him to ask if he can get pictures of their children.

He said he’s enjoyed so many aspects of sports photography, but his favorites are the kids, the players.

“There are so many players who come through and they all have something, give some much to their sport,” he said. “It’s an honor to get to know them a little, you know, guys like Tee Higgins. They all leave their mark.”

Thanks to guys like Barry Houchin, “leaving their mark” is captured for the future to see.