I find it interesting shooting athletes--they tend to have seriousness about them, seldom revealing too much about their personality. Instead of casual banter, or camera jitters, they stand erect, posture straight, patient and silent, ready to receive photographic direction. I respect this stoic delivery and can see that for them, their life as athletes is very much about the challenge of the game and self-discipline. This unique combination of confidence, discipline, reserve and strength is what I hope to define through the camera. Tony Mitchell, Power Forward for UNT is one of those rising stars that exhibit all of these qualities. Knowing I wanted to create a powerful image to match the 6’8” 220 pound presence of this athlete, I took the time to scout and do a test shoot weeks before the assignment. With the assistance of Gary Payne and Michael Clements we composed and lit a 6 light set up in one of the tunnels of UNT’s coliseum. Using raw strobe light we emphasized textures, Tony’s muscle form and athletic grit as well as created dramatic shadows. Later in post, I bumped up the tonal contrast to give the image even more punch. I always enjoy the challenge of carving out creative ways of representing an individual’s strength and character by way of the lens and light.
