Photographing the new Butler Esports Park was my second photoshoot this year in esports. It’s been great learning about this new frontier in sports and technology.
Both photoshoots have been for the architect of the new arenas, Populous. Their attention to detail is incredible and I’ve enjoyed showing it off in the photos. It’s also exciting to work with clients who appreciate the power of showing their work in action. The lighting, atmosphere and excitement of a live event really brings their work to life and it’s my job to show how the design and action meet.
The Space
First, I want to show you the beauty shots of the venue, before all the gamers arrive. This 7500 square foot venue has an arena with top of the line gaming PCs. It also functions as a flex space for classes, meetings and events.
There’s also a cafe and a lounge area with console gaming. The space holds offices for lease, which will be occupied by a professional esports team and a gaming tournament company.
In short, there are lots of great features of this space open to Butler students and the community at large.
For architectural photos, I have 5 primary goals
– Show the design of the space both overall and in detail.
– Highlight logos & signage so it’s clear exactly what & where the space is.
– Utilize both the lighting design of the space & available light to give the “feel” of the space.
– Show the “flow” of the space. How one area connects to the others.
– Give location context. How the building/venue fits into its surroundings.
The Event
The beauty shots are great to have to show attention to detail in design, but showing people in action is what truly brings the Butler Esports Park alive.
On this day, there was a tournament between colleges from around Indiana. When the different teams were competing on the stage, the lights would coordinate with the school colors, which provided me with a great opportunity to capture some bold color.
When photographing events, I don’t use flash or strobes because that would wash out the colors in the lighting design. Instead, I let the colors saturate the images for some bold results that more accurately capture the feeling of being in the space.
Support Systems
In addition to front of house, it’s important to show all the tech and everything that makes the space run. Engineers & contractors like to have their work highlighted as well, so let me show you some of what makes this the cutting edge venue that it is.
If you want to learn more about the Butler Esports Park, be sure to check out their website here.
NBA2K in Indianapolis
The other esports venue/event I photographed for Populous is NBA2K at the Pavilion at Pan Am in downtown Indianapolis. It was a high-energy professional esports event and a I was able to capture some great images there!
More on Construction
If you’re interested in other work I’ve done in the construction trades, check out this post about Cityscape Residential, which covers design, build and the people involved.
