Sarah - Fairport HS Senior Portraits - Class of 2014

All I knew of Sarah before she walked into the studio was that she played 2^nd base on Fairport’s varsity softball team.  We had that in common, as I played 2^nd base for many years.  By the time her session was done, we had more in common, as we both loved her photos.

Corteney - Fairport HS - Senior Portraits

I love photographing the contrast of warm and cool colors together, as shown here by the warm reddish orange of Corteney's dress and the cool blue of the worn denim jacket, then the warn rusty tones of the hand-painted background.  Corteney was the first to be photographed against this background, and it looks like it was made just for her. 

Ashley - Fairport HS Senior portraits

Ashley is the 3rd model representative from Fairport's Class of 2014 to have her senior portraits taken at Luke Photography.  She plays basketball almost year-round and is a starter on Fairport's varsity basketball team.  She is tall and statuesque and looks as much like a model as any athlete I've had come through the studio.  Although she was getting over a cold and didn't feel well, she certainly gave all her energy during the 3-hour session, then has to turn around that evening and go to work.

Lighting a Gymnasium for Sports

Nikon speedlight, battery and wireless sync

When HS seniors that are athletes come through the studio for their senior portraits, I like to support the teams they play for.  During this time of the year, I am fairly active with winter sports.  Because a large majority of the HS seniors that came through the studio this year were athletes, I find myself out many nights or weekend mornings at boys' and girls' basketball games, hockey games and wrestling matches.

Even thought modern SLR cameras work extremely well in low-light conditions, I am not thrilled with the quality of light that most high school gymnasiums provide, so I like to supplement the existing light with my one.  This does two things: 1) help stop the action; and B). helps to add definition to the athletes, depending on where the lights are placed.

From The Sports Desk...

Numerous HS Senior athletes have come through the Luke Photography studio recently, and I look at each and every one of them as a challenge: how do I make them look like professional athletes, make them all look different, and make them look realistic, all at the same time?

I go into each session with an athlete with the idea that I'm creating a cover photo for a story in Sports Illustrated.  There has to be drama and impact on first sight....something to entice you into stopping to read the article.  Drama and impact are usually created by lighting.  Sometimes it's a different vantage point of the viewer...but most often it's the lighting.  Here are some examples of some HS senior athletes with impact.

Workin' up a sweat during the session

A puck's eye view of a face off

Blue turf and sky...amazing color.

Intensity shows in the eyes

An 8 ft. stepladder...on the ice.

Would you want to bat against him?

Old school basketball in an old school gymnasium

The red and blue create the impact...his look creates the drama

Team chemistry and intangibles...that's what leads to trophies

Yeah, you wish you could play like a girl

Can't argue with the great John Wooden.  She knows it

You can't mask dedication.....it always shines through

During games, her expressive eyes just radiate through this mask

Drama, impact and intensity....it's all here

All soccer...all the time

Next Generation Greatness

Pat Luke of Luke Photography recently photographed the athletic Coleston, from Pal-Mac's Class of 2012 at Pal-Mac in his Fairport studio.

Coleston is the son of one of my childhood friends, and next year graduates from the same high school his father, mother, and I went to.  His mother was a great high school athlete, and his dad and I grew up on the same street and played all sorts of sports together, often pitting ourselves against all the other kids in the neighborhood.  So when I was asked to photograph his son, who plays varsity basketball and baseball, I jumped at the chance to really work on the athletic angle.