Track and field is home turf
Track and field is familiar ground for Charlie. He is the official photographer for Team USA Paralympics track and field, and you can see that work on our track and field and action sports page. Sierra Canyon's track and field team in Chatsworth got the same eye on spring media day.
A track team is really several teams in one. Sprinters, jumpers, throwers, and distance runners all move differently, and the portraits should show that.
Strobes balanced against the sun
The kit is four Westcott FJ400 strobes and a Canon R5, shooting on the 70-200 and the 24-105. Two strobes go behind the athletes as rim lights and two go in front as mains.
Outside, we read the ambient with the camera and bring it down about a stop under a normal exposure. Then the strobes add light back to the faces. That gives soft, even light across a whole roster, even in a hard afternoon sun. No light meter. The camera and an eye for the picture handle it.
Team first, then every event
The order stays the same. Team photo, then seniors, then coaches, and then we re-rig for individuals.
Every athlete gets the standard portrait for the roster. Then come the stylized frames, where sprinters, jumpers, throwers, and distance runners each get room to look like themselves.
Book your media day
If you run a track program in the San Fernando Valley or anywhere in Los Angeles, see how our high school media day works, or browse athlete work on the sports portraits page.
