Sports have always been an important part of my every day, and even now they’re something our family bonds over. Which means I LOVE athletes. And as a photographer, I LOVE that I get to use that knowledge to make unique sports portraits with my clients.

Athletes are always working to level up their game. I think their sports pictures should reflect that edge. Want to know what that looks like and how we make it happen?

We chat about your sport, your position, and your strengths.

Peyton was a multi-sport athlete at Northern Nash High School in Rocky Mount, but he will be suiting up for Chowan University’s baseball team in the fall. That is the sport he wanted to highlight in a session. We got to work in the outfield, on the bump, with the bat and around the base paths, before we headed to the dugout.

We Coach You Up

When I tell you I’ve logged countless hours watching games of all types, I mean it. Baseball, basketball, football, swim, cheer, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey… you name it, I’ve probably watched it, and a lot of it. We have children who played their sport at the college level, and I was a coach myself. That means I have a good understanding of what high level action LOOKS like and a knack for how to direct my athletes to do what I need them to do to make the most dynamic photograph.

It takes some trial and error. Sometimes we need the athlete to change something up. Sometimes I miss timing or focus, or I need to change my angle to make the shot more interesting. But athletes are used to coaches saying, “again,” so I don’t think they really mind.

In Peyton’s case, his dad Brandon is also a coach, so it was a lot of fun to team up with him to catch the action. He understood what I was trying to get Peyton to do, and he offered suggestions as he tossed the ball or piled up dirt in front of the bag to make our slides look more active.

We Help You Prep

We Work Hard With You

One of the things on the check list is water. We WORK at these shoots. We have fun, but we do work. Much of the posing is traditional but we do our fair share of running and diving and jumping, no matter the sport.

Which, p.s. is why I don’t dress up on my shoots. Not only am I hauling around a bunch of lighting equipment and extras like fog machines, I feel strongly that if I’m asking you to get dirty and lie on the ground, I have to be willing to do it too. I’m allergic to grass, so I often come away with itchy arms. And I promise I leave as dusty and sweaty as you do, plus I’ll be sore the next day… but in the end it is SO worth it! Don’t you think?