Humans of NGU: Steven Guersch
Logan Pinalto, Contributing Writer
Photo by Logan Pinalto
From California to small-town Tigerville, S.C, Steven Guersch tells stories of North Greenville University students through his photography. But how many people at NGU know his story?
Some schools hire photographers simply because they are talented, but NGU has found something unique in Guersch. Not only does he seek excellence in his work, but he is committed to glorifying God through his photos.
“If someone gets exposed to the gospel – and I won’t know this until I get to Heaven – because I took a really good picture of them throwing a baseball, that’s insane!” he said.
Guersch said if he simply wanted to make a ton of money, he could shoot for real estate and be bored. Rather, he finds the stories at NGU compelling, and he sees it as a unique opportunity to be excellent where God has called him to. He said that sometimes, he sees a player on the field that stands out and he thinks, “there’s something different about him for some reason”. When he later finds out that the player is outspoken about his faith, he is reminded that God’s light shines here at NGU. Guersch is thrilled to capture glimpses of that through his photography.
He likes shooting sports photography because all the stories are organic and genuine, and he notes that anything could happen. He admires that he has just a split second to capture the moment, and he is captivated by the challenge.
He said, “You’ve either hit it or you haven’t. How good of a story can you tell in one frame? That’s the most compelling part to me.”
Guersch’s photos include shots of concentrated baseball players sliding to base with dirt spraying up from the ground. He has shots of players, mid-air jumping in celebration with crowds in the distance. He has pictures of swimmers gliding through smooth waters with determined faces and opened mouths, eyes toward the finish line. These are the split seconds he captures that athletes can keep and cherish. The challenge of the shot fuels his goal of excellence.
He strives to do the best work he can with the unique talent that God has given him. He does this, not just for his employer, but for God. He explains how he incorporates his faith into his work here at NGU by paraphrasing an important quote to him that a church said back in California.
He said the quote goes something like, “Because we know and believe the best story [the gospel] we can now tell good stories.”
He said he gets his inspiration from photographers who post for Getty Images who go shoot the Olympics and big events, and he notes that he would someday love to carry this to the Olympics. He tries to replicate what they do on a smaller scale as he notes a strategy that a photographer used while shooting an Atlanta Braves game. He explained that the photographer took pictures from the rooftop, so Steven started going up on the roof to take pictures of NGU sports games. He seeks out the best in the business to replicate what they do. He said his life goal is to shoot for the Olympics, unless God puts something else in his way.
In the Olympics, he imagines incorporating his faith with his fellow photographers. His main goal for the past two to three years has been to establish a working relationship that is built on trust to establish that he is dependable, good at his job and friendly to be around. He believes that a work ethic of excellence is a much stronger way to share his faith than coming up in peoples’ faces.
No matter what career one seeks, Guersch advocates to “do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). He has found joy, passion, and ministry through his calling to photography that should inspire NGU faculty and students to seek excellence through the work that God had called them to. Guersch finds these stories worthwhile because the greatest story of the gospel is worthwhile.
So, next time you think about it, take some time to slow down and ask the person next to you what their story is.
