In October I was commissioned to document the Indiana Pacers premium experiences.  They want to give fans looking to purchase tickets a sense of the available spaces during a game.  It was fun to get a first-hand view of all the awesome areas throughout Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.

In this post, I’ll talk about how I find good subjects, use available light, and layer images.  These are three aspects I take into account in order to be able to tell a client’s story. 

Finding Good Subjects

Another of the Indiana Pacers premium experiences are the Party Suites (above). This photo (and every photo from this shoot) was completely un-staged and un-rehearsed.  These are real fans enjoying a Pacers game.

While shooting, I look for a combination of factors to be able to get this type of shot candidly.  Good natural light and a location that give sense of place is typically where I start.  Then I look for subjects who seem engaged.  At a sporting event, this is usually people who are cheering, laughing and/or talking with friends.  

In the above photo, select fans have the opportunity to line up as the players enter the court for high fives.  For this image, I focus on one person to show their experience.  I chose this kid for a couple reasons. One, his smaller size is a nice contrast to the larger players. Secondly, he seems to be in awe of the moment.  Because of the low angle, the viewer can see things on the kid’s level, including how large the player’s hand is in comparison to his own.  The other hands in the image provide depth of field and form a frame around the kid, drawing the viewers eye to him.  Yes, these are all things I’m thinking in the moment I’m taking the photo.

Using Available Light

The Lightbound Cafe (above, left) is an Indiana Pacers premium experience that’s a courtside club: a full-scale bar with plenty of draft beers and pub food.  For most shoots (including all photos in this post), I work only with available light.  This serves two functions.  First, it allows me to document a scene without disturbing the subjects.  Secondly, it retains the atmosphere and ambiance of a location.  The images better reflect what it’s actually like to be in the space.

Layering

The theater boxes in the Lexus Loft (below) are super spacious with all-inclusive gourmet food and drinks.  My goal with the shot below is to use layering to show the space of the theater boxes themselves while placing them in the context of the arena as a whole.  That way you can experience the view you have while seated in this space.

In my view, there are three different layers in this photo. For one layer, the focus is on the court, which is your focus when you sit in these seats.  The second layer is the crowd as a whole.  I shot wide here to show the full size of the arena and give a sense of the entire fieldhouse.  The third layer is the theater box in the foreground.  The wide perspective and my close proximity to the box highlight its size and space.  As a result of these layers, a more complete story is told in one image.

For aspiring photographers, read my post about how to improve your sports photography.  If you’re a sports fan, you can check out more action at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in these posts about high school basketball and wrestling state finals.

Choose Your Own Indiana Pacers Premium Experiences

After checking out all the Indiana Pacers premium experiences, I’d have a hard time choosing one for me, personally.  While courtside has amazing action, the food available in the suites and clubs is definitely a draw.

Click here to see the Indiana Pacers premium experiences website with my photos.*

*Note: Not ALL the photos on the Indiana Pacers premium experience site are mine, but based on what you see in this post, I’m sure you’ll recognize the images I shot.