Cross country at Westridge
The Westridge School cross country team in Pasadena got its own media day in the fall of 2025. Runners are usually the last team anyone thinks about on photo day. At Westridge they got the full lighting rig and a portrait of every athlete on the roster.
Four strobes against the sun
We shot on a Canon R5 with four Westcott FJ400 strobes, two rim lights behind the runners and two mains in front, using the 70-200 and 24-105. Outdoors, we read the ambient light with the camera first, bring it about a stop under a normal exposure, and then let the strobes light the faces. That keeps the light soft and even in harsh afternoon sun. We do not use a light meter, and the angle and power of the lights shift with the sun.
The order of the day
Team photo first, then seniors, then coaches, then we re-rig for individuals. Every runner gets a clean headshot, then stylized frames: race medals held up to the lens, a flex, and teammates who wanted a frame together.
A cross country roster can be big, which is why the order of the day matters. Getting the team photo done first, while everyone is together and in the same uniform, keeps the rest of the afternoon moving.
For more from Westridge, see the Westridge flag football media day.
Book your media day
See how our high school media day works, or browse athlete work on the sports portraits page.
