Varsity volleyball at Westridge
Westridge School in Pasadena brought us in for varsity volleyball media day in the fall of 2025. Volleyball is an indoor media day, and indoors is where we have the most control over the light.
Starting from a dark gym
We shot on a Canon R5 with four Westcott FJ400 strobes and the 70-200 and 24-105 lenses. Indoors, the first step is killing the ambient light, so the overhead gym lights barely register. Then we build the picture back from behind the players: two rim lights first to cut each athlete off the background, then two mains in front. A haze machine and rim lights gelled to the school colors are often part of the setup. The finished look is contrasty and cinematic. No light meter, just the camera and an eye for contrast.
Team, seniors, coaches, individuals
The team photo goes first, then seniors, then coaches. Then we re-rig the lights for individual portraits. Every player gets the yearbook headshot, and then stylized frames with real volleyball in them, a serve toss or a set at the top of a jump. The goal is always the athlete, not just the jersey.
A volleyball roster is small enough that every player gets real time in front of the lights. That time is what makes the stylized frames work, because nobody is rushed through a line.
For more from Westridge, see the Westridge flag football media day.
Book your media day
If you run a volleyball program in Pasadena or anywhere in Los Angeles, see how our high school media day works, or browse athlete work on the sports portraits page.
