Mallory Neil uses her Canon R3 on the field, taking photos of Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer players. Courtesy photo

Rain, snow or shine, Hollidaysburg native Mallory Neil would frequently take pictures of her sister,

Sydney Neil, outside of their house with her Canon EOS Rebel camera.

What started as a fun hobby transformed into Neil’s professional career, taking pictures for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Pittsburgh Riveters soccer teams and running their social media accounts.

Most notably, Neil, 24, photographed the Riverhounds’ United Soccer League championship win in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in November.

Photographers can capture an important moment in someone’s life and career, she said, and documenting those moments is “exactly what I always wanted to do.”

Capturing childhood

Neil was born on March 8, 2001. Like most younger siblings, Mallory copied what her older sister Sydney did.

“Whatever she did was cool, and that’s what I wanted to do,” Mallory said.

Photography, however, was something Mallory found on her own, snapping pictures with her small, pink Kodak camera.

That camera was always in her hand, Mallory said.

Sydney, 27, said her sister would take pictures on family vacations and later upload them to her computer, making photo slideshows to show the family.

As their mom said, Mallory “had an eye” for photography and what looks good, Sydney said.

Mallory didn’t take photography seriously until she received a DSLR camera for Christmas in 2014. That day, she snapped Christmas-themed pictures of Sydney, with their indoor fireplace for ambiance.

That gift began a string of photoshoots in their backyard, as Mallory would position Sydney by the tall grass and snap photos of her throughout the seasons.

Anytime “something interesting” was happening outside, such as a sunset or snowfall, Mallory said she would take pictures of her sister.

Those backyard photo sessions were the “start of everything” for her, she said.

Mallory also took pictures of Sydney playing in soccer matches for Great Commission High School, which Mallory eventually participated in herself.

As the soccer seasons went on, Mallory dealt with knee injuries and underwent surgeries that kept her from playing the game.

Instead, she took action shots from the sidelines.

While she wasn’t required to take pictures for the team, she said she wanted to, using photos for the yearbook or dumping them on her social media accounts.

“I ended up being more excited about taking pictures than playing,” she said.

Mallory later studied photography at Point Park University, where she was a sports photographer for the school.

The university’s sports photography director approached Mallory, telling her that Highmark Stadium was searching for a photo intern.

About two months before the COVID-19 pandemic, she secured the job.

Riverhounds and Riveters

Mallory moved back to Hollidaysburg during the pandemic, but she frequently drove two hours to take pictures of the Riverhounds and Riveters.

She relocated to Pittsburgh once she was able, but she decided to focus on her photography career instead of returning to school.

“She’s done a fantastic job for us,” Riverhounds President Jeff Garner said, adding that she tries to “bring the game to fans” who can’t be there.

Like many individuals working in sports, he said that Mallory makes quick decisions and collaborates with the club.

“I like that (sports photography) is different every time,” she said. “You’re playing different opponents and tournaments without repeatable results.”

At the same time, Mallory said sports photography can become difficult in adverse weather conditions or capturing a team’s “tough loss.”

Regardless of the situation, she said photographers must “adapt and put your best work out.”

After five years in her field, she got the chance to photograph a USL championship win for the Riverhounds on Nov. 22.

Walking into the ONEOK Field stadium in Oklahoma, filled with dedicated FC Tulsa fans, was intense for her because she wanted to represent the team well.

“It was a crazy environment,” that day, she said, filled with “so many emotions” from staff and fans. But she was able to tell the story through pictures, giving fans an inside glimpse of their favorite players and moments.

Some fans couldn’t make it to the final game, Garner said, but Mallory helped “bring those fans in.”

The Riverhounds won 5-3 that day in a penalty shootout. Pittsburgh soccer fans flooded the field after defender Beto Ydrach scored the winning goal.

Neil said she “doesn’t take it lightly” that she snapped pictures of the team receiving their first USL Championship trophy.

“I’m documenting memories these people will look back on forever,” she said.

Documenting memories

On the side, she does portrait sessions such as wedding and engagement photos. She decided, however, to stop booking those sessions come 2026.

She also decided to finish college online at Arizona State University, where she will eventually graduate with a communications degree.

“I want to focus on the career side of things, which is sports,” she said.

Sydney said that her sister is currently working in a male-dominated field, and Mallory has a “lot of passion” for female athletes and sports photographers.

It’s been a “cool evolution” for Sydney to watch, as she went from being Mallory’s photographed subject to a viewer through Riverhound and Riveter’s social media accounts.

While Sydney asks for headshot pictures now and then, she said she prefers to watch Mallory from the sidelines.

“I always say I’m the number one fan of the sports team media pages,” she said. When they post, “I like it because I know she’s making the posts.”

Mallory said she suffers from “imposter syndrome” from time to time, thinking that “there are things where I said I could have done better.”

But “being willing to do what you need to do and putting attention and care into it makes the difference.”

“My parents have taught me that hard work gets the results,” she said, “and what drives me to continue in the snow and rain is that you can capture such an important moment in someone’s life and career.”

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.

The Neil file

Name: Mallory Neil

Age: 24

Residence: Hollidaysburg native, now living in Pittsburgh

Education: Great Commission High School, Point Park University, Arizona State University

Occupation: Sports photographer