Nash’s Dash to the Pros

Photo Courtesy of: Jaylynn Nash

You may think Jaylynn Nash got here because of luck, but that is not the case. Rather Nash’s passion for her career and hard work elevated her to the top.

Nash is a sports photographer; whose journey seems almost backward. She photographed professional sports before she focused her lens on collegiate games. It’s clear that Nash has an instinct for the apex of action and the moment, frozen through her camera in time.

Nash, 26 has her pictures featured on ESPN, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and other outlets. Nash has photographed many events including the NHL Playoffs, ACC men’s basketball tournament and the Frozen Four.

Nash’s passion for sports photography did not appear until she attended Minnesota State University, Mankato. While in college, Nash did not have the typical college experience as she focused on fulfilling her dreams.

‘You Just Have to Work Hard’

As a sophomore, Nash landed a graphic design internship with the Taylor Corporation, a printing company owned by Glen Taylor, who as it happens, also owns the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA and Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA.

While an intern, Nash worked with a videographer that worked for ESPN, and he inspired her.

“I saw all his Emmy Awards.” Nash said. “I was like I want to do that, but I want to do that for photo not video.”

That is when Nash decided to ask her boss what she needed to do to achieve that goal. In response, Nash’s boss directed her to LinkedIn, and taught her how to the NBA team photographer for the Minnesota Timberwolves, because of that Nash landed an interview.

That interview took place in a Starbuck’s in Minneapolis, Minnesota, about a 90-minute drive from Mankato. At that meeting, Nash was offered the internship right on the spot.

Nash’s internship with the Minnesota Timberwolves started in 2014, and she jokes that when NBA player Andrew Wiggins, began his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, so did she. As a photography intern, Nash sent the photos the team photographers took during the games to the NBA.

That internship led to another with the Minnesota Lynx. As an intern and full-time student, Nash would attend classes during the day and travel to her internship on nights and weekend.

While the hour-and-a-half commute was boring, she kept herself busy by teaching herself how to rap “Super Bass” by Niki Minaj. Nash’s calendar would seem to be already filled with school and the internships, but she needed to meet other commitments, too.

“Even though my parents are always there for me, a lot of it was on my own,” Nash said. “I still had to pay for a living while I was in school. I had two internships and three full-time jobs just to make a living. Also, to prove to my parents and to everybody that you can make a living being a photographer, you just have to work extremely hard.”

Since Nash was busy, she didn’t have the typical college experience.

“Nights and weekends, I work, and my friends in college they would go to class and then go to their extra-curricular activates or they would go to parties,” Nash said. “Well for me, I was driving to go fulfill my dreams and goals, so I always had to drive to the city and back. I did not get to go to all of those parties.”

While Nash didn’t have those experiences, she made experiences of her own while working.

Nash connected and networked with other professionals, which led to more opportunities.

Nash met the Minnesota Twins team photographer, who asked her to come photograph a Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago Cubs game in order to help him with a project.

Nash took the opportunity, and while shooting the game they placed her in the outfield with a 600-millimeter camera. Nash photographed the hitters and pitchers from a different angle, one she said isn’t typically done in professional baseball.

Nash’s work impressed and included her images in a pitch to Sports Illustrated. The magazine published the story. That, in turn, opened more doors. First, she photographed more Twins’ games, where she met the Minnesota Wild photographer who asked her to shoot NHL action. Minnesota Hockey Magazine noticed her work, and more requests for her photography came soon afterward from that publication, which focusses on youth and college hockey.

While doing all of this, Nash skipped class only twice in her four years. Her art professors had no idea as she rarely skipped class. She did miss a class to shoot a Twins’ game though.

“I was in class Friday because it was a Monday, Wednesday, Friday class,” Nash said. “Friday comes around and my teacher was like oh you missed my class. I was like what did we do? He goes well you know super ironic is I was watching the Twins and he was like I see a girl there and she looks oddly like you. I was like woah that’s so weird.”

Nash's talent as a photographer combined with her skills as a trained graphics artist. She fielded job offers from the Golden State Warriors of the NBA and the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL.

During her senior year, Nash and her friends were on the internet looking up potential job locations. She was impressed by the beauty of North and South Carolina. When her friend pointed out that North Carolina had professional sports and South Carolina did not, Nash and her friends joked that she would end up in North Carolina.

Ironically, Nash received an email from USA Baseball, which is located Cary, North Carolina, and after an interview she was offered a Director of Digital Media position.

Carolina in My Mind

In April 2016, Nash flew to North Carolina. As she was walking through the Raleigh-Durham Airport, the long airport concourse proved the be the path of a new journey.

Just like she did in college, Nash worked hard in North Carolina to fulfill her dreams. She has photographed Duke Athletics, the Carolina Panthers, Wake Forest Athletics, USA Baseball and many more, and in 2019 she achieved something special.

“It has been a dream of mine to shot for a professional team directly, and last year I got to shot for the Carolina Hurricanes throughout the playoffs,” Nash said. “It was not only a dream but a goal. I have always had goals, but I had a few when I was starting out and I surpassed it.”

Passengers running to gates at Raleigh-Durham Airport may pause to see a 24-foot photo Nash took of a packed PNA Arena during a Carolina Hurricanes’ game where fans are waving red towels. Printed on that mural is the phrase; Welcome to Raleigh. How ironic, this was the same place Nash walked by when she moved to North Carolina, three years ago, is now displaying her work.

“I still get excited because seeing a print that massive is a rarity for a lot of people.” Nash said. “When I see billboards, I still take pictures of it. I will always take photos of it. I am not bragging I am more excited.”

To this day, Nash is career driven, and sacrifices to achieve her dreams.

“This Halloween night, I was at a football field,” Nash said. “A lot of my friends were going to parties. It was a big sacrifice, but now my friends understand why I did what I did. They know I am available at different times, and I try to make the sacrifices and do a good blend of everything. It’s all balance.”