Given this winter it was especially nice to be back in Port St. Lucie, Florida last week for our 3rd annual photo shoot with the New York Mets at Spring Training for our client SNY (SportsNet NY), the “Online Home of All Things NY Sports.” It’s a really enjoyable assignment and we thought we’d give some insight into how we shoot it.

These aren’t sports shots or even outdoor photos; instead, what we’re going for is intimate and iconic studio photos of the players, some straight on and others with pitching or batting action.  Last Wednesday we set up a studio in the visitor’s locker room at Digital Domain Park using our Profoto lights with a softbox and umbrella and a pop-up background.   Afterwards we met with SNY’s Supervising Producer to strategize the shoot and then Jane and I had our own meeting by the pool : }

On Thursday–aka Photo Day, when the baseball card shots and other promo shots are taken upstairs on the field–the Mets players make the rounds into our locker room “studio” starting at 730am…we’re the last stop on the photo circuit.  Working with our client from SNY, Jane shot the 54 players with the Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon 85mm f/1.8 lens.  It’s a very fast shoot, 1-3 minutes with each player and the shoot was over by 9:30am  The Mets players are great to work with–loose and natural in front of the camera.

We can’t post the 2011 photos until Opening Day in April, but here shots of David Wright and Angel Pagan from our shoot in 2010…along with some iPhone 4 shots of our own Little Leaguers Sebbie and Jude attending last Saturday’s Mets vs. Braves game.  Made my Mom’s day–she’s a huge Mets fan and loved every minute at the ball park with the Shauck clan.  Check back on our blog on April 1 for the 2011 photos of the Mets.  Go Mets in 2011!!!