The Downriver Roller Dolls
This roller derby team recently had a bit of a turnover with their roster and needed photos that not only represented the new core team, but also painted the picture of how awesome they and the sisterhood that they share are.
The goal: Get a collection of fun, strong, and stylish photographs showing off their central crew as well as a complete collection of player portraits.
The Creative Problem & Solution
The DRD haven't had the best of luck with their previous brand photos. A previous photographer had burned them and didn't provide the care and detail that was needed for a team looking to show true spark and emotion.
Before the session even began, I made it a point to learn about them and get a bit of "what are you going for?" information from every person I'd be photographing that day. Each one received a questionnaire asking what they wanted their personality to show, things they might want to shy away from, etc. I had multiple conversations with the team contact about where the team was heading and what their new mission was all about.
I also spent a late night on YouTube watching derby matches so full experience what this sport was all about.
By the time our session rolled through, I was confident and ready to capture exactly what they wanted. Every member and I had a conversation while I took their portrait, making sure I used what I was learning to improve the final result.
Fun and Stylish Photographs at a Local Burger Joint
Shoutout to Joe's Hamburgers in Wyandotte, MI for hosting us!
We called these the "personality photos", where each member could show off themselves, their persona, or both.
We used the whole space to show a cool vibe and unique "Downriver" charm.
Professional Team Photos
A bit more serious, but still with some "umph", we took the "professional photos" at another location (Brickhouse in Wyandotte, MI).
We took a serious shot and a personality shot of everyone, so we'd have some great options to choose from. There was also time for a quick "rough and tumble" photo of the team, being goofy and having a good laugh.
Seam Ripper's own words about the experience.
Working with Jason for the Downriver Roller Dolls’ team photos was such a pleasure from beginning to end. Jason listened to all of our team's needs and helped us choose locations for our photos that would fit the group’s personality. He scoped out the locations ahead of time to make sure they would photograph well. Jason was extremely patient and considerate of all of my teammates. He made sure that he respected everyone by asking about each of our needs, comfort level, and preferred names.
On picture day, Jason made everything fun and gave each person individual attention to capture them well. It was so fun seeing how each person’s personality came through! He also gave us an opportunity to suggest edits and taught us what to look for as we combed through the gallery.
In the end, we were given professional photos that we could be proud of. Team photo day was such a fun experience for us. We are still talking about it to this day and are excited to do another session together!
