Let’s be honest—most sports photos are boring. Stiff poses, a prop or two, generic lighting, and a plastered smile. As a mom of young athletes, it got hard to fake excitement for my kids sports portraits every year. The photos did nothing to showcase how hard they’d worked, the hours they put in, or their growth.
As a professional photographer, I decided to take matters into my own hands. After some experimentation, I found a style I fell in love with—dramatic action poses, complex and creative lighting, with smoke effects for impact.
This is ideal for the team moms searching for something beyond the mundane photos that everyone else has. These creative sports portraits are the perfect opportunity to document the journey of your hard working player in a new and unique way. Your athlete deserves it!
That being said, you and your athlete may not know how to prepare for a photo shoot like this. I’m sharing everything you need to know before your sports portrait session, from what to wear to choosing the right location.
The Benefits Of Documenting Your Athlete’s Journey
Your kid is putting in the effort, balancing afternoon practices and weekend games with late nights spent on homework. They’re doing it all, and that hard work deserves to be celebrated.
I photograph young athletes of any age, and I love it when families return to me every season. These photos are the perfect opportunity to showcase your athletes growth and determination year after year.
When your athlete gets their epic, unique photos back and sees themselves in action, their confidence grows. They become more self assured. They finally have something to share that shows how awesome they are.
These photos are also the perfect way to show your athlete how proud you are of them. With physical albums and memorabilia available for purchase after the photo shoot, you’ll have all your bases covered. Add in one of my creative banners, and you can celebrate your athlete loud and proud all season long, year after year.
In Studio Vs On Site: How To Choose?
There are a few decisions you have to make ahead of scheduling a sports portrait session for your young athlete, and the biggest one is this: do I want to take the photos in the photographer’s studio, or at my location?
The good news is, there really is no wrong answer. We will play with different colored lights and smoke and get creative with different shots, whether we are in studio or at your spot. I think you’d be surprised what is possible at my indoor/outdoor studio!
The main difference will be if you or your athlete want locational props. If you’d like to incorporate the basketball hoop, volleyball net, or team locker room, we’ll need to be on site, where the action happens.
Indoor Vs Outdoor Sports Portraits
There are two different vibes we can go with for your sports photos. Indoor, either in the studio or on location, with a dark backdrop, colorful lights, and smoke for dramatic effect. These are the photos that give your athlete the epic, dramatic, intense shots.Or, we can go for sunny, midday shots. Your athlete will still look confident and strong, but with a more lighthearted energy.
Both options are awesome and fun, and there is no wrong answer. For outdoor sports, I typically recommend taking our photos outside. If your student is a multi-sport athlete, and you’re hoping for more than one location, feel free to reach out so we can create something special and unique to celebrate your star.
How To Schedule Your Creative Sports Portrait Photo Shoot
I know your athlete is doing a lot—practice, games, schoolwork, other extracurriculars, not to mention their social life. Then there’s the complexities of your schedule as the parent, too!
Don’t let the challenge of finding a day and time that works overwhelm you or stop you from reaching out. I promise, we’ll be able to work together to get something on the books that works for everyone.
These photo shoots aren’t all day affairs. One of the benefits of hiring a professional is that they know how to get the amazing photos you are looking for in 30 minutes or less. Of course, if you’re looking for a full day, multi location experience, we can work that out!
No matter what you’re looking for, the best first step is to reach out to me. I love creating an experience that is as unique as your sports star. Once you get in touch, we will work together to figure out what type of session works best for you and your athlete. And if you are hoping for a team photo shoot, I will coordinate with one point person for ease of planning.
How To Pose For Sports Portraits
Getting the intense, dramatic photos that you came for is done by an intentional mix of complex lighting and dramatic poses. Fortunately, you don’t need to show up with this knowledge; that’s what I’m here for!
The poses I use for my athletes are deliberate. They are different than the poses I direct during a typical senior photo shoot, because the goal here is unique. I am directing to pose in a way that shows off how awesome your athlete is, to show off their strength and confidence. Most of the time, these posed portraits are not the highlight of the session, though. It’s the perfectly planned and timed action shots. These photos might take a few tries to get just right, but the end result is more than worth the effort.
What To Wear To Your Sports Portraits
Since these photo shoots are focused on your athlete and their talent, the only outfit you need to bring is the full uniform and gear. Don’t leave anything out! If your athlete participates in a sport with a layered uniform, like football, we might take photos with different pieces removed, to provide some variety. For example, some with the helmet on and some with it off.
Of course, we’ll also want the accessories—baseball glove and bat, basketball, or any other props that help paint the whole picture. And for athletes with long hair, I recommend you keep it down for the posed portraits, but plan to style it the same way you would on game day for the action shots.
Give Your Athlete The Full Experience
None of the sessions I offer are boring or cookie cutter. My goal in every sports portrait session is to show off how awesome your athlete really is. They put in the hard work and effort, their photos should show it!
Reward your athlete for their effort by giving them an experience they’ll remember. This isn’t a 30 second pose and snap. This is a rewarding, fun, memorable experience where we listen to music, laugh, and get creative. Your athlete will leave feeling empowered and celebrated. We are guaranteed to create something truly epic—just like your kid.
Whether you’re looking to get photos taken of a whole team or a solo session to spoil your star, you want to give them an experience that helps them come away with renewed confidence and pride in their work, and sends the message: those late nights, hard work, blood, sweat, and tears has been worth it. Look how incredible you are.
Let’s give your young athlete the full experience. Get in touch!
Amanda is a luxury photographer located in Milroy, Indiana specializing in senior portraits. Her goal is to provide beautiful, high-quality, authentic photos that reveal the true you, and an epic experience that leaves you in awe.
Serving high school seniors (and their parents!) in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Batesville, Greensburg, Columbus, West Harrison, Harrison, Rushville, Shelbyville, Greenfield, Brookville, New Castle, Richmond, Connersville, Columbus, Muncie, and beyond.
