The order never changes
Here is how a media day actually runs. It is the same for a small tennis team or a full football roster. There is a set order, and we stick to it.
- Team photo
- Senior group photos
- Coaches photos
- Re-rig the lights, then individuals
Team photo goes first because it is the one shot that needs everybody, in the same uniform, at the same time. Once it is done, the pressure is off and the rest of the day can move at the players' pace.
Why we re-rig for individuals
A team photo and an individual portrait need different light. So after the groups are done, we move the four strobes and change their power for single-athlete frames. Outdoors, that means balancing against the sun about a stop under the ambient. Indoors, it means building from the rim lights in back to the mains in front, often with haze and gels in the school's colors.
Two kinds of individual portraits
Every athlete gets the standard yearbook headshot. That is the frame the school needs for rosters and the yearbook.
Then we open it up. Stylized portraits, and action shots with real movement and athleticism in them. This is where each player gets to show some personality. Our goal on every media day is to photograph the athlete, not just the jersey.
You can see both kinds of portraits in our Providence volleyball media day and the Westridge flag football media day.
Bring media day to your school
See how our high school media day works, or look through team and athlete work on our sports portraits page.
