One by one, uniformed Branson athletes posed for the camera as the claps and hollers from their teammates filled up the gym.
Branson held its first-ever media day for the fall sports teams on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Organized by Athletics Director Frances Dillon, Branson fall athletes participated in individual, senior, and team photographs.
“It’s a way for the athletes to express themselves on camera in ways that they want to express themselves,” Dillon said.
After interviewing different photography companies, Dillon hired Chris Constantine and his company, Icon Sports Photographs, to shoot for Fall Media Day. From 2:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon, Constantine and his team took photographs of the fall sports teams in various campus locations. For $30, a Branson athlete can access all of the digital photographs produced.
The individual photographs were shot in the small gym, which was temporarily equipped with camera equipment and charcoal-colored backdrops. Photographs of different poses were scattered across the floor and taped to the walls to provide inspiration for the athletes.
“This is such a fun way to hype up our athletes and get everyone excited for the fall athletics season,” said Dylan Whisenant ‘24, libero for the girls’ varsity volleyball team.
The team photographs were taken in several nontraditional locations around campus, including a spot outside of the admissions office that offered a clear view of Mt. Tamalpais.
“Our mountain backdrop is just such a part of who we are,” Whisenant said.
While these photographs represent the reality of campus, other photographs will be superimposed to create a fantastical depiction of the teams and their players. Constantine and his team will return to campus to capture photographs of the tennis courts to use in these creative promotional photographs.
Dillon described the superimposed photographs: “It’s fantasy, it’s hype, but it’s celebration.”
Branson will be posting the photographs on various social media platforms to promote weekly games. The pictures will be available shortly for this use. To promote senior athletes, there will also be banners of the senior portraits displayed around Branson’s campus.
“We’re here every day working so hard as teams,” Dillon said. “Why not take a day out to just celebrate with some photography.”
