With a camera in hand and an eye for the extraordinary, Anna Scipione is a constant presence on the sidelines, capturing the pulse of each game and the raw emotion of sport with every frame. Scipione is a storyteller whose lens never misses the heart of the moment.
Scipione, the photographer behind Scippix, an online platform, is a familiar face at sporting events. She began to photograph sports when her children first took the field, and her passion carried her all the way to national and collegiate-level events.
“It all started with little kids soccer,” Scipione said. “I took their pictures as they played, and it was a lot of fun.”
As Scipone honed her photography skills, her children grew up and moved on to higher levels of competition, providing her with more opportunities to pursue her passion behind the lens.
“My kids went to Torrey Pines,” Scipione said. “Their friends played sports, so I went to their games. Mostly lacrosse, football, and then it spread to a variety of sports.”
Scipione created her website to share her photography with the community in 2007.
“Scippix is fully run by Ms. Scipione, it’s out of her own time as she is a volunteer, not a staff member for the school,” Paige Stallings (11), athlete on the varsity dance team, varsity flag football team (17-8) and junior varsity girl beach volleyball team (21-3), said.
In 2008, Scipione received a media pass from the Del Mar Times, which allowed her to photograph college games. To further her photography skills, in 2005, Scipione took night school classes at the San Diego Adult School.
Scipione reflected on her goals for her photos, emphasizing her desire to freeze meaningful moments in time.
“I just hope my photos make people happy,” Scipione said. “I just want to spread positivity.”
Scipione previously served as the VP of Technology at Qualcomm, where she specialized in designing digital hardware, before retiring in 2006. Now, she says photography keeps her active and fulfilled.
“I always try to take the great action shot, but then I get carried away with taking other pictures,” Scipione said.
Varsity girls volleyball (28-9) player, Rilyn Morales (12), is one of the many students who have been photographed by Scipione throughout her athletic career.
“She is great,” Morales said. “I always say hi to her, and she is there often … Honestly, it’s amazing and I really appreciate everything she does.”
Morales described how much it meant to have Scipione supporting both her beach and indoor volleyball teams.
“I feel like with the beach volleyball team, it really makes us feel seen since we don’t get too much attendance at the beach games,” Morales said.“It makes us feel more important. For indoor volleyball, regardless of how long a player plays or if they are only in for a short amount of time, she really makes an effort to make everyone on the team feel included, and I appreciate her for that.”
Beyond her behind-the-scenes efforts, her presence is felt on a more personal level by the athletes she supports.
“She always makes me feel welcomed in whatever sport I’m involved in,” Stallings said. “She’s always smiling, taking photos, and creating a fun environment for the teams.”
