Things I Learned From This Dynamic Athlete Test Session

Don’t overthink it.
Don’t overthink it.
Don’t overthink it.

That was basically the theme of this entire test shoot with Braden. I know how to light seniors in harsh midday sun. I know how to light seniors during golden hour. I know how to work with weird light during a regular senior session and still make it happen. So when I asked Braden and his mom, Holly, if they’d be willing to help me test some more dynamic athlete lighting, I didn’t think the time of day would matter that much.

Ha. It mattered.

We photographed at Arrowhead’s baseball field around midday, and when we started, there were absolutely no clouds. None. Just bright blue sky, full sun, and me immediately realizing this was going to be a very honest test session. And honestly, we did get some really cool blue sky images, but I also learned very quickly that this type of dynamic athlete lighting is different from the way I normally light senior portraits.

For the look I was going for, I needed my lights to really overpower the ambient light. I wanted the background darker, Braden shaped by flash, and that more dramatic sports-poster kind of feel. That is much harder in full midday sun

One of the coolest parts of this test was seeing the difference between the frames where the lights fired and the frames where they didn’t. There were a few images where the flash didn’t go off, I didn't give it enough time to recycle, and honestly, I’m glad I have them because they show the difference so clearly.

The natural light version wasn’t bad. It just looked like a normal sunny-day sports photo. But when the lights fired, the whole image changed. Braden separated from the background more, the gear had more shape, the sky looked richer, and the image felt more intentional. That was a big takeaway for me. It wasn’t just about making the photo brighter. It was about controlling the light so the image felt stronger.

The other challenge was the direction of the sun. The easiest way to keep Braden from squinting and fighting for his life was to position him with the field behind him. Which worked for the light, but from a storytelling standpoint, it wasn’t always my first choice. For a catcher, it makes more sense for him to be looking out over the field with the fence behind him. Same thing with some of the batting images. The light direction changed what made sense, and that was something I wouldn’t have really known until I was out there testing it.

Had we shot earlier in the morning, the sun probably would have been in a better spot for some of what I wanted. Had we shot closer to golden hour, the ambient light would have been easier to overpower. But that’s the whole point of a test session. I didn’t need perfect conditions. I needed to learn

I also used modifiers I haven’t really used much before, which I was weirdly proud of myself for. I used a strip box for rim light and a 24 inch deep parabolic softbox as my main light. The deeper softbox gave me a more direct light than I’m used to. Less spill, more control, and a totally different feel than how I usually light senior portraits.

Originally, I wanted to test two strip boxes and play with more of a two-rim-light setup, but once we got going, I completely forgot. Very on brand. I used an AD200 in the strip box and an AD400 with the 24 inch modifier as my main light. I was honestly surprised by how well the batteries held up, especially since we were out there for about two hours. I expected them to be struggling a little more than they were.

I also used my 17-35mm lens just to see what would happen. I liked it for some things, especially the low dramatic angles. I did not love it for every pose. Some poses can handle the wide angle drama. Some poses absolutely cannot.

Another thing I realized is that timing is everything with this kind of session. During a normal senior session, I’m thinking about personality, movement, outfits, background, posing, expression, all of it. This was different. It felt more like, “Where is the light hitting? Where is the ball? Is his body position right? Is the glove in the right spot? Does this look athletic or just weird?” There were a lot of moving parts.

I also took way fewer images than I normally do. During a regular senior session, I can easily take 750 to 900+ images. For this test shoot, I took around 340. Granted, we weren’t doing a full senior experience with multiple outfits and locations, but still. It felt good to be that intentional. I wasn’t worried about whether every single image was sellable. I was focused on the lighting, the movement, and figuring out what worked. That was honestly kind of refreshing.

I also took some behind the scenes video, partly for social media and partly so I could remember what the setup actually looked like. I’ve been trying to be better about that, but I’ll be honest, it’s hard. Once I’m in a session, I’m in it. Stopping to take a video is not always my strong suit.

But I do think behind the scenes video is something I want to incorporate more into my senior sessions moving forward. Not just because it helps with social media, but because it gives clients another way to remember the session. The final images are obviously the main thing, but the experience matters too.

One of the reasons I felt comfortable doing this test with Braden is because I’ve worked with his family for years. I photographed his two older brothers for their senior photos, and their mom, Holly, has already joked that I’m booked for their weddings someday, (even though none of the guys have proposed yet). Talk about high praise, haha. So if I was going to trial-and-error my way through new lighting setups, fight with a soft box that apparently had a personal vendetta against opening and closing, and mentally troubleshoot in the middle of a baseball field, this was the right family to do it with.

I’m super thankful for them.

I don’t love looking like I don’t know what I’m doing in front of clients. Most photographers probably don’t. But that’s exactly why test sessions matter. They give me space to experiment, mess with gear, learn what works, and make adjustments without the pressure of a normal paid senior session timeline. Part of why I also offer the Model Collective, its a great way for seniors to have more of their year documented, and it also is fun for me to test new things, conditions, etc. Back to baseball.

And honestly? I really enjoyed it.

I had so much fun playing with a different lens, a different kind of light, and more dynamic poses. I also did not expect to enjoy being close enough to the bat during a swing to hear and feel the whoosh of air, but apparently I did. Slightly terrifying? Yes. Very fun? Also yes.

Baseball and softball are sports I genuinely understand and love. I played, so the movement makes sense in my brain. Same with basketball. Hockey I love watching, but I cannot pretend I know how to direct the movement the same way. With baseball and softball, I know enough to make the posing feel intentional instead of random. And that matters.

This session reminded me how much I like creating images that feel powerful, specific, and athlete-driven. So, what did I learn? I want to test more. Different times of day. Different light setups. More rim light. Maybe gels in lower light. More action. More sport-specific posing. Maybe inside a gym. Maybe a studio setup. Definitely more controlled experiments. Experimenting with different sports which means different poses.
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Not every image from this session was perfect, and that was never the goal. The goal was to learn what worked, what didn’t, what I’d change, and what I want to try next.
And that’s exactly what happened.