Just as finding a good run of pick up hoops can elevate your game, so too can gaining access to the sidelines of games with your camera to sharpen your eye. Although there is inherent pressure with client work at the professional level and shot lists to adhere to, in many ways it is easier to come away with strong images where the lighting is great and the athletes are the best in the world. I started out with the playgrounds and high school gymnasiums as my muses and I enjoy returning to those roots as I continue to evolve as a photographer.
I may not be the only photographer who has had someone look at my image and say something like, “That’s a nice picture, you must have a great camera.” They mean well, but I usually respond by pointing out that it’s not the camera that made said image. The camera is a tool and, to be fair, not all cameras are created equal but it is the photographer who deliberately freezes a particular and deliberate moment or who crafted the moment in her mind before the actual moment ever happened. Whether in the most well-lit arena on earth or on a playground after dark with only one street lamp hitting the court, I get excited about the opportunities to create images.
Special thanks to my friend Kyleek Alford, assistant coach for the Canarsie Chiefs, for inviting me to the sidelines of this game. I’ll be visiting some other high school gyms this season and will share the results with you here.
