While shooting the portraits for the basketball player and coaches of the year I had some of the most fun. I was able to get a few players to interact with the coaches in a non-game or non-practice setting. I could really get the kids and coaches to let some of their personalities out and see the relationship with their coaches away from the high stress of a game. I don’t think I could have asked for a better group of basketball players.

The Greenland coach, Alan Barton and top player Anna Rogers were great to work with. They were both into the concept and Barton really played to the camera. Unfortunately in some of the best shots, they moved off the backdrop too much for me to compensate.

Julia Garrard was great as well. I wanted her to look mean while crushing the little basketball, but she was having fun and kept smiling.

Peyton Henson was one of the tallest players and so I had lowered the kiddie goal to the smallest size to exaggerate his height and had him dunk the ball.

Rogers’ Taylor Strickland and Coach Preston Early had a great rapport with each other that I saw while doing my test shots, they talked and laughed which I thought made for great photos. I had Strickland lay the ball into the basket while Coach Early posed and Strickland immediately pushed off him to make the shot. She really cracked me up.

Again, all the athletes and coaches that participated in the shoot were great to work with and now we have to come up with something even more clever once the spring sports are done.