Runners deserve a real photo day
Cross country is the sport most likely to get skipped on photo day. The roster is big, the meets are far from campus, and nobody is courtside with a long lens. We treat cross country media day like any varsity sport: full lighting, a real team photo, and a portrait of every runner.
Cross country media days we have photographed around Los Angeles:
- Pilibos cross country media day in Los Angeles
- Diamond Ranch cross country team photos in Pomona
Lighting runners outdoors
The setup is four Westcott FJ400 strobes on a Canon R5, shooting on the 70-200 and 24-105. Two rim lights go behind the runners and two mains go in front. We read the ambient light with the camera, drop it about a stop under a normal exposure, and bring the strobes up on top. That gives soft, even light in a harsh afternoon sun. The angle and power of each light change with the sun, and we never use a light meter.
Big roster, same order
Team photo first, then seniors, then coaches, then we re-rig for individuals. A big cross country roster makes that order matter.
Each runner gets a clean headshot, then stylized frames with real movement in them, a stride caught mid-air or a runner coming straight at the lens. Runners are easy to read in motion, so that part of the day carries the gallery.
Book a cross country media day
See how our high school media day works, or browse more athlete work on the sports portraits page.
