News : 2009 VS grad Kelsey Kremer gaining fans, followers with her photos, videos

Kelsey Kremer is gaining much attention through her photojournalism, including this ISU BB photo.

Kelsey Kremer's photos are featured in the Des Moines Register today.

Vinton native Kelsey Kremer, in a little more than two years, has already compiled a list of achievements as a photojournalist at the Des Moines Register.

Kelsey, the daughter of Jon and Kristina Kremer, won first place from the Iowa Newspaper Association – and was nominated for a Regional Emmy – for a video documentary about the Younkers building, which burned down in downtown Des Moines two years ago.

Her photo of candidate Bernie Sanders on Caucus night made the front page; a one-on-one interview with Hillary Clinton ended up going to media outlets throughout the country.

“It was pretty cool, being able to sit on my couch and watch a video I had shot, on the Evening News,” says Kelsey.

She was also there, a few weeks earlier, with the members of the Des Moines Register Editorial Board, when Jeb Bush’s wrist phone started wringing during his interview

Kelsey’s work again gained national attention Monday night – but in a totally different arena: Sports.

She was the official Des Moines Register photographer during Senior Night for the Iowa State University Cyclones men’s basketball team. Along with several photos of the Cyclone seniors is one of the most unique basketball action shots ever taken. It shows Abdel Nader dunking the ball over a backwards-falling Oklahoma State player, who was trying to draw a charge, in the second half of ISU’s 58-50 win.

“And when I tweeted it, it instantly blew up,” Kelsey says.

Along with Kelsey, another wire photographer posted a similar photo, although Kelsey's shows the opposing player.

"My photo on Twitter has been viewed more that 56,000 times and counting," she says.

ESPN Sports Center re-tweeted the photo, calling it the “Photo of the Night.” It has already been shared more than one thousands times. Kelsey's version is featured on a full-page photo spread in the print edition of the March 1 DMR.

“I think I've picked up more followers on social media for this basketball photo than I usually do for political stuff,” says Kelsey.

Kelsey has covered many Cyclone games in her career, starting as a college freshman, when she was an athletics intern.

I've spent a lot of time in Hilton and specifically this season I've covered a handful of games in Ames,” she says. “I'll be going to Kansas City to cover the big 12 tournament and will likely spend some time covering the NCAA tourney games in Des Moines.”

About the photo:

It was late in the game. The Cylclones were leading and the players, says Kelsey, were clearly having fun.

“I was sitting on the base line like I usually do, and actually I had been running late to the game so I had to have someone else save a spot for me on the court,” says Kelsey. “If I were choosing I usually try to get closer to the hoop in the second half and shoot from closer to the three point line in the first.”

Nader’s dunk was as celebrated at the game as the photo depicting it.

“This was the ultimate smack down. Hilton went nuts,” says Claire Andreesen, another Vinton native who is a member of the ISU Pep Band that plays for home Cyclone games.

Career began in high school

Kelsey’s photojournalism career began at VSHS.

“While I was there I was the editor of the paper and yearbook my senior year,” she recalls. “I was involved in speech and debate all four years. I played golf all four years, and a couple years of basketball. I was also in band and choir, jazz band, show choir band and a few plays and musicals, and NHS.

Kelsey graduated in 2009, then enrolled at ISU, where she majored in journalism and worked at the college newpaper, the Iowa State Daily.

“I was a photographer, photo editor and managing editor. I also interned for the athletic department in the communications office. There was a lot of photojournalism and sports happening in my college life,” she recalls.

Shegraduated from ISU in 2013, intended at the Gazette for a summer, then started at the Register. Her work has at times allowed her to take photos of her home town. She was in the summer of 2013, when the Cedar River rose and residents feverishly built sand dikes around area buildings. She also photographed the Hillary Clinton rally in Vinton in January. Her job as a photojournalist includes sharing stories, photos and interviews via the Internet and social media.