Not everyone in the stands at a game is just watching. Some are working, and for a certain U of M computer science student, that work means showing up with a camera to capture moments words cannot.

Third-year U of M student Sudor Wilson Naleerabari Clever has been building a photography portfolio that spans multiple Bisons sports and, most recently, the 2026 U SPORTS track and field championships. His journey into sports photography started long before he ever set foot at a Bison event.

After moving to Canada, Clever continued photography. “I saved up enough money to buy my own camera,” he said. “I’ve been freelancing ever since.” The jump to sports photography made sense for him personally. A former high school athlete, he found a way to stay connected to sports even when he was not competing. “I can’t play basketball, but I like to see people play. So, since I can’t play, I can take photos.”

He started with photographing Bisons basketball and quickly found something meaningful in it. “[The Bisons athletes] are very nice. They are approachable. And photos tell you everything that happened in just one shot.”

For the track and field meet, he mentioned he volunteered through CBC News Sports to gain access to the event. One moment stayed with him long after. Clever recalled photographing a track and field athlete who dropped from first to third place and said he could see the sadness in the athlete’s eyes when he approached him after the race.

The athletes have noticed Clever’s work. After posting and tagging them, the responses have been enthusiastic. “Most times I post a photo and I tag them, I don’t really expect them to repost and tag me, but most of them repost it.”

For any U of M student thinking about picking up a camera, his advice is simple, “I started by taking photos on the phone, I borrowed a camera, [then] I bought my own,” he said. “You just need to learn how to take a good photo and edit it.”

Clever also opened up about the struggle that goes unseen, “People say taking photos is easy, honestly it’s not easy because you had to take the photo, look for a good one, set the lights in and edit it and upload it.”

Despite all the current projects on his plate, Clever has a dream to follow. “I’m hoping that one day I’ll be able to take photos for the NBA,” he said.

For now, the arena is Clever’s stage and, through his lens, every photograph tells a story worth a thousand words.