Gracie Farrall, an example for many while capturing one moment to the next

On the night of January 20, 2022, at Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, the Indiana Hoosiers would shock the world and beat the Purdue Boilermakers in a thrilling 68-65 victory, at home, with the crowd storming, and one photo would go viral later that evening.

The photo was circulating throughout the internet and even was retweeted by big names such as Rob Phinisee, one of IU’s star players at the time, and even on publications such as the Indiana Daily Student and the Indianapolis Star.

“I didn't realize how much that would blow up until after the fact.” She told me in our interview.

This struck a chord through the photographer of the picture, student photographer Gracie Farrall, as she was both stunned the photo circulated but she also took the moment seriously, just like she does for all the events she photographs for, or when she is taking graduation pictures she takes for students and parents every May.

One thing that Farrall always keeps in the back of her mind is one quote, “… I always like to try to remember that these moments are historic, and they're going to live on forever. And it's really important to me that I'm able to be a small piece of that and help out in any way. And I just like to remember that if I can be a small part of that it makes me feel really good. On the inside, I feel like I'm a part of something bigger. But also that, again, these things are moments in time. And we need to appreciate the now because even though we're looking back on these photos from, say, 20 years ago, we need to live in the moment and make sure that there weren't, this isn't it's not going to last forever.”

Gracie Farrell is a recent graduate of IU Bloomington she tossed her cap in the air this spring and is finishing up her internship at the Mark Cuban Center, where she has worked for the Cuban Center, located inside Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall for three school years before graduating from the school this year.

Her father, Greg Farrall, was a football player for the Hoosiers in the 1990s along with being alumni at the Kelley School of Business. Gracie, her sister, Sammie graduated from IU this year, and her younger brother graduated from high school this year as well.

Her passion for photography started in her sophomore year of high school when she said she only would do photography as a side hustle for family and friends, but then she discovered that she could do this line of work as a career instead of doing it for hobbies and interests.

Once she started working for the Mark Cuban Center, thanks to her father’s advice, she began to love the art of photography and use it more as something to make a career out of photography instead of viewing it as a hobby.

“I could see myself wanting to connect with people through the camera.” She said, “And that's when it's sort of doing things like seeing your photos and working with like engagements, headshots, that sort of thing. Just here, they're charging like $30 for 15 pictures, it was just something that was good side money. And then it was when the Cuban Senator came out with that posting for sports photography that I was like, holy cow, this would be really cool to do full-time and really commit to.”

She captured some of the school’s most amazing moments, thrilling comebacks, adversity, and athletic struggles, but through thick and thin she was there.

Her favorite team to cover was the IU women’s basketball team when IU beat Purdue to win the school’s first Big Ten Championship since the 1983 season.

Just like many of the Cuban Center editors and writers, everyone got to hold the title trophy and take pictures of the momentous occasion on and off the court. She has loved the thought of her work as a photographer throughout her time at the center.

Through her work, she has thanked so many professors and mentors in and outside of the classroom for mentoring her to become the person and photographer she aspires to be. She said she feels more prepared for the world after graduation as she is currently finding professional work as she finishes up her last month at the Cuban Center as an intern.

If you are interested in joining the Cuban Center you must be an IU student as the applications have closed for the 2023-24 season, but you can apply for spots for the 2024-25 season when it opens in April. Just keep your eye out for more information by following the Cuban Center on any social media.