I recently worked with the athletes at Sampson Middle School to photograph their spring sports. I have to say, that this school has facilities that would make some colleges jealous. The weather was perfect for both of the sessions. Cool breezes and blue skies prevailed. 

I went into the session with the idea of making the skies as dark and dramatic as possible. You need to have powerful strobes to darken the skies and overpower the sun. I had my strobes set to full power in order to be far enough away from the athletes that the light stands didn't end up in the frame. It can sometimes be a real challenge to figure out the best way to light a person. The position of the sun and the direction of the wind aren't always friendly. The girls with long hair don't like it when the wind blows across their face.

Our first day of springs sports photos was with the softball and baseball teams. The athletes were easy to work with. I gave them suggestions for poses and gave them freedom to chose a pose that they like. I sometimes have to help adjust the posing, as middle school students don't know what looks good in a photo. 

We finished up with girls soccer. I was really impressed with the fields at this school. They have artificial grass in front of the soccer goals with their school logo. The grass really added some vibrance to the photos, because usually during this part of the season, real grass is deadened in front of the goal.