06/01/2026
I’ve been sitting with this for a while, and I think it’s finally time to put it into motion.
This summer, I’m trying to take on the biggest photography-related travel project I’ve ever attempted.
For years, I’ve built Hunter Sheppard Photography one game at a time, one late night at a time, one trip at a time. I’ve shown up at gyms, fields, tournaments, state events, college games, professional softball games, and places that took everything I had just to get there.
A lot of people see the photos, the galleries, the posts, and the finished work.
What they don’t always see is everything behind it.
I don’t drive, so every single trip takes planning. Every event means figuring out rideshares, buses, trains, hotels, food, gear, timing, and all the behind-the-scenes pieces most people never see.
But I’ve kept showing up because this work means everything to me.
Photography has given me a way to tell stories that matter. It has allowed me to give athletes, families, teams, and communities moments they can hold onto forever. It has opened doors I used to only dream about, and it has helped me keep chasing something I truly believe I was meant to do.
This year has already been a big step forward for me.
I made it down to Denton for my first-ever Division I softball series when I photographed North Texas vs. Wichita State. Not long after that, I took on my first Division I conference tournament when I photographed the Big 12 Tournament.
Those were not small moments for me.
They were proof that the work I’ve been building for years is starting to reach the level I’ve been chasing. They showed me that I belong closer to these bigger stages, and they made me want to keep pushing even harder.
Now, I’m trying to take the next step.
I’m preparing for a multi-city softball photography project built around the first month of AUSL, while also continuing work I already have planned in Wichita and back home in Oklahoma.
This is not a vacation.
This is not one game.
This is a full softball photography journey.
The plan includes:
• Oklahoma City / Edmond for Spark softball
• Rosemont, Illinois for the Spark vs. Bandits series
• Hillsboro, Oregon for the Spark vs. Cascade series
• Wichita / Andover for the I-35 Showcase
• a return to Oklahoma for more Spark softball afterward
This would take me from Oklahoma to Illinois, from Illinois to Oregon, from Oregon back across the country, into Kansas, and then back home.
It is ambitious, but it is planned.
I’ve already mapped out the travel routes. I’ve looked at the train schedules, hotel needs, rideshare costs, timing, and the realistic path this would take. I have submitted credential requests and am still waiting to hear back, but a project this large cannot be planned at the last second. The travel side has to be prepared now.
That’s why I’m asking for help.
I launched a GoFundMe with a goal of $4,500 because this project spans multiple states, multiple weeks, multiple long-distance travel legs, and multiple hotel stays. I would rather be honest about what something like this takes than pretend a smaller number can carry me through something this big.
Support would help with:
• Amtrak and bus travel
• hotels in multiple cities
• rideshares to and from stadiums, stations, hotels, and event sites
• food while traveling
• keeping my camera gear stable during the trip
• extending my rented Canon R7 so I can keep working while my original R7 still needs to be sent off
• possible lens support if the right RF 70-200mm f/2.8 or RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Z option becomes realistic
• travel with camera gear, laptop, chargers, batteries, and hard drives
• emergency cushion for delays, schedule changes, or unexpected expenses
The immediate priority is making sure I can travel, photograph, edit, and keep working without my gear or travel situation falling apart in the middle of the project.
Women’s sports are growing.
Softball is growing.
These athletes deserve to have their stories told by people who truly care about the sport, the work, and the moments that happen around it.
That is what I’ve always tried to do.
I’ve had people support me before when I needed help getting to meaningful places — trips like my return to Porum, my trip to Denton, Wichita, state tournaments, and other moments where people believed in what I was trying to do. That support helped me keep going. It helped me show up. It helped me create work that mattered.
This is the biggest version of that yet.
If this comes together, it would not just be another trip. It would be a full softball journey through Oklahoma, Illinois, Oregon, Kansas, and back home — photographing the sport, the athletes, and the moments that continue to push me forward.
I’m asking because I believe this is worth chasing.
I’m asking because I’ve done the work to map this out.
I’m asking because this is the kind of opportunity I’ve been building toward for years.
If you believe in what I’m building, if you’ve ever shared my work, donated before, encouraged me, followed my galleries, or seen me out there grinding through long days and late nights, I’m asking for your help.
If you’re unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser can be just as valuable. Every share gives this project a chance to reach someone new, and every person who helps spread the word brings me one step closer to making this journey happen.
Every donation helps.
Every share helps.
Every comment helps.
Every bit of support helps this reach the people who understand why this matters.
GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/93805252d
If you would like to support directly:
CashApp: $huntersheppard123
Venmo: Hunter-Sheppard-9
You can also view my work and learn more about my journey here:
Portfolio: https://huntersheppardphotography.myportfolio.com/
Pixieset Galleries: https://huntersheppardphotography.pixieset.com/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/huntersheppardphotography
My Linktree includes my portfolio, galleries, articles and stories about my career, and other places where you can follow or support my work.
Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for believing in this work.
And thank you for helping me take the biggest step I’ve ever attempted with photography.
