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Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Depth Of Field: Week 16 at Carolina
Exploring the 2024 game against the Panthers through the lens of the Cardinals team photographer
By Caitlyn Epes Dec 23, 2024
Photographs By Caitlyn Epes

DARK DAY IN QUEEN CITY

A cold day in Charlotte ended in a loss of hope for the Cardinals as the team was officially eliminated from the playoffs.

The show must go on, and the game turned into a lemonade-from-lemons scenario with the photos I was able to get.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

The walkway to the locker room provided a some blue lights and the perfect backdrop for long-shutter flash photos:

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Zach Pascal (0) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas (20) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

It was definitely chillier than Phoenix, represented by the visible condensation appearing with every breath.

I thought this was a funny visual though with Krys Barnes still rocking short sleeves:

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Krys Barnes (51) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

The early morning sun was creating unique shadows on the turf and equipment:

Footballs during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I loved the harsh contrast that was being created in the tunnel area with streaks of light hitting everything in front of the dark background:

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Roy Lopez (98) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Roy Lopez (98) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

It was made even cooler with the icy white uniforms:

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Zach Pascal (0) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins (25) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

The theme of pregame was definitely finding the nice light, and I favored the same direction so that the sun would be shining towards the subject:

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Dante Stills (55) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darius Robinson (56) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

When the sun was behind the subject, it showed a starburst effect on the helmets:

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

With Paris Johnson Jr. out this week, Hjalte Froholdt took the lead in the big man huddle.

He made sure to say "get in tight, I won't punch you guys like Paris does."

Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt (72) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt (72) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Dante Stills (55) and Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darius Robinson (56) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

Even in the low temperatures, Naquan Jones needed a cool-down:

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Naquan Jones (96) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Naquan Jones (96) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Naquan Jones (96) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I went into the locker room before some of the rest of the team so I was able to catch a couple portraits:

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals linebacker Julian Okwara (58) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I noticed a couple new frames this week in the locker room, from Elijah Higgins juggling against a wall to Kyzir White giving me the staredown:

Arizona Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins (84) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Garrett Williams (21) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White (7) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I skipped the tunnel introductions since I had gotten similar shots earlier in the day. I really liked the light that was happening in the end zone for some pregame prayers:

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Milo Eifler (48) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter (22) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (4) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

Surprise surprise, I also liked the light during the National Anthem.

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darius Robinson (56) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Rodgers during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas (20) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

The direction of the light and the camera's position affects the image, as you can see in this photo of Kyler Murray shot during the same time as the above photos, just from the opposite way:

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

The Cardinals started off being backlit in the first half, which is hard to expose for in-camera.

With the right settings and some slight editing, I still created some nice images:

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Dante Stills (55) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I did think the giant panther eyes were a cool background. It's definitely something different that sets this stadium apart:

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

It was interesting to see the way the light moved throughout the day, even within the same play.

Using my 400mm lens on this first James Conner shot, there is much more contrast to when I had to switch to my wide angle lens as he came closer:

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

When we switched sides for the second quarter, the photos were drastically different due to the sun's direction:

Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas (20) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas (20) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I liked using my 70-200mm as the team got closer so I could capture a lot of different contrasts in one frame:

The Arizona Cardinals during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I stuck with that lens for James Conner's touchdown:

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (4) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

But, for DeeJay Dallas' touchdown, I had to use my 400mm since it was all the way across the end zone from me.

The shade and obstacles made it hard to get a perfect frame of the celebration:

Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas (20) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas (20) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas (20) and Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt (72) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I wanted to try getting some cool shots of the players running back out to the field after halftime. It was a tight squeeze to get a clean frame, but I got a couple of nice looks:

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Julian Okwara (58) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Naquan Jones (96) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I turned to the bench area in the second half to get some detail shots:

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Roy Lopez (98) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

Despite the end result, there were still some moments of celebration throughout ...

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Naquan Jones (96) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

... even after Joey Blount got injured and hyped up the crowd on his way out:

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Zach Pascal (0) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals safety Joey Blount (32) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I was in the perfect spot for Kyler Murray's touchdown run, even catching some sideline celebrations in the background:

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1), Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum (68) and Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Isaiah Adams (74) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

The late afternoon sun was creeping in towards the end of the game ...

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

... and at one point was perfectly framing General Manager Monti Ossenfort:

Arizona Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I'm glad I didn't stop shooting this sequence after it looked like Trey McBride wasn't going to catch the ball.

Looking at the individual photos, you'd never know he actually secured it after all this:

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

Chad Ryland kept us in Charlotte a little bit longer with his game-tying field goal:

Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland (38) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland (38) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

It also gave us more time for good photos:

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White (7) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman L.J. Collier (91) and Arizona Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White (7) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

I stayed near the Cardinals sideline to capture some emotion, whichever end of the spectrum it would turn out to be:

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Roy Lopez (98) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Dante Stills (55) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

Unfortunately, it ended up being the not-so-happy end.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

While everyone was rushing onto the field and the photographers were flocking towards the Panthers celebrating, I focused on our team and saw Kyler walking slowly towards midfield.

I knew he was looking for Bryce Young, and surprisingly, they met each other with only myself and one other photographer to capture the moment.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Week 16 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec 22, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

The lesson to be learned from that moment is ...

No matter the noise, there's still work to be done.

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