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If you’ve been to a Catholic High sporting event in the last ten years, you’ve undoubtedly noticed David Guidry on the sidelines.

Whether taking photos on the sidelines of the football field or courtside for a Panther basketball game, Guidry is always there, camera in hand, to capture the best moments in CHS athletics.

Beginning his photography journey when his son, Avery, was playing baseball at Catholic High, Guidry said that what started as a volunteer position to assist the coaches turned into a long career as a photographer for CHS.

“I transitioned from helping out the coaches to shooting the games while still being on the field,” Guidry said of how he got his start.

While he might have been in the right place at the right time to become Catholic High’s unofficial sports photographer, Guidry said that his motivation for taking the job came from his own experience playing sports.

“Not having but a couple of pictures of myself from my High School sports activities,” is what spurred on his interest in sports photography.

Guidry photographs almost every sport for CHS, including several that have him braving the elements to provide high-quality images for parents and student-athletes alike to cherish for years.

His favorite sport to shoot is baseball, traveling wherever his son Avery went to take photos and support.

“As my son Avery grew to love the game of baseball, I just followed along with the permission of his Coaches to be on the field and capture the team’s successes and failures,” he explained.

Alongside his son, Guidry has photographed games at several levels, including OLPS Church recreational league, travel ball, Louisiana Legends, Team Louisiana, Catholic High and LSUA Baseball.

Since his son’s graduation, Guidry has remained ever-present at Catholic High. Guidry credits his wife’s patience for his photography for his continued service to the school.

“I don’t really have an answer for that,” Guidry said when asked what made him continue. “My wife, Kim, didn’t mind so I kept going. It was a way to give some of our time to the school.”

In addition to taking photos on the CHS campus, Guidry has also been given the opportunity to travel to several games and events. Some of his favorites include the Superdome in New Orleans, Shreveport for the baseball state championship, Washington D.C. and the Atchafalaya Basin for the annual alligator hunt put on by Attorney General Jeff Landry.

His favorite memory of his travels was the year that the Panthers won the state championship in New Orleans.

“When Coach Brent Indest took the Catholic High football team to the state championship game in the Superdome, I was able to be on the sidelines with the team as well as my son Avery,” Guidry said. “CHS did come home with the state title that year. This was repeated in 2018 but not with the results we were hoping for.”

Guidry enjoys several different types of photography, including outdoor photography and senior features, but said that sports offer a different kind of challenge that he finds enjoyable.

“In my opinion, it’s a greater challenge than just shooting someone standing or sitting there,” he said. “There is so much to consider when setting up the equipment: subjects are moving very fast and there is a lot of action going on. The weather conditions and the lighting or lack of it also play a part.”

Since Guidry spends so much time around Catholic High student-athletes, he also offers private photography sessions and spotlights, though he admits he doesn’t often advertise that service.

“I do offer private shoots for sports highlights but I don’t advertise this activity,” Guidry said. “I have also shot for Senior Banners in the past, I mostly shoot what the school needs.”

Describing his age as “much older than my cameras”, Guidry has years of experience taking photos for Catholic High. When asked how much longer he planned to stick around, Guidry said the decision rests with his wife.

“That’s all up to Kim as she is the one who has given up our time being together,” he said. “She sat through all middle school as well as all high school games by herself since I was on the field doing my thing. Since she would ride with me, we were the first ones there and the last to leave so I could capture the event . She has given up more than people know.”

Beginning in 2014, Guidry has spent countless hours on his craft and an untold amount of money on equipment. Despite the sacrifices he and his wife have had to make at times, he said the time was definitely “well spent”.