What a boring shot!

I was asked to shoot a portrait of a pitcher after a high shool game. After looking at what I got I am not at all happy about this boring, generic looking pose. Does anyone have any advice about some creative ways to pose not just pitchers, but any type of athlete? I'd like to get some ideas of shots you're just not used to seeing. Please post examples if possible.

Here's my C- example:

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you could get a geat in action photo? and a split of a portrait?

That's a good idea for a finished product but I'm really looking for ideas to get away from the static, boring, "I've seen a million of them", posed shots. I actually have quite a few action shots which (IMO) aren't bad, but I'm looking for creative, outside the box ideas about posing all types of athletes. I was thinking something like having him holding a baseball that was on fire or smoking or something. But I didn't think I wanted to take the chance of blistering his hands. That makes the athletic director have frowney faces.

Again, not just for baseball but all high school sports... football, basketball, gymnastics, track & field, swimming, etc.

Anyone have any shots that you are proud of?

Phil Light wrote in post #2965854
I'm looking for creative, outside the box ideas about posing all types of athletes. I was thinking something like having him holding a baseball that was on fire or smoking or something.

Blazing bats, etc. are pretty gimicky. The core problem here is the "my girlfriend left me and my dog's run away" look the poor lad has on his face .. looks like he's about to cry.

Athletes often pose best as individuals when their teamates are around as they usually poke fun at one another and the smiles come easy.

So when doing the individual shots I have all the other guys wait their turn close by and usually the biggest problem I have is controlling the laughter.
Mike

I have always liked the "Randy Johnson" pose with the glove to the face, with just the eyes showing.

How about glove on knee, ball behind back, peering in to get the signs from the catcher?

Or the old fashioned wind-up pose http://www.mbhof.ca …/upload/ClaudeL​ambert.jpg

I always like the action shots. however if looking for a posed shot, my favs are either kneeling with arm resting on the raised knee, or the "bad Boy" pose standing at about a 45 degree angle to the camera with arms crossed...
(works best wit two players back to back...)
my .02

Andy

I did this for a local highschool pitcher last year.
Thanks,
-Joey

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I'd like to thank everyone for their input, images & links. There are some very good suggestions here that have given me some ideas. If I can manage to get some decent results over the next couple of weeks I'll come back and post my results.

Thank you again.

mmahoney wrote in post #2966583
Blazing bats, etc. are pretty gimicky. The core problem here is the "my girlfriend left me and my dog's run away" look the poor lad has on his face .. looks like he's about to cry.

Athletes often pose best as individuals when their teamates are around as they usually poke fun at one another and the smiles come easy.

So when doing the individual shots I have all the other guys wait their turn close by and usually the biggest problem I have is controlling the laughter.
Mike

Well, I actually did get a couple with him smiling, and for exactly the reason you stated above. His teamates were on the sidelines giving him tons of grief.

Still, because he was smiling, it is a better picture, but I was just looking for ideas that are better than just a standard pose.

I will admit, I was happy about the fact that they were pictures taken on an overcast day at dusk with a flash, and (at least to me) it doesn't jump out at you that they are flash pictures. I've got a long way to go to get good flash pictures consistantly.

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Could make a baseball looking cover and fill it with Hot Ice chips and spray water on it right before the snap?

I shoot tons of baseball portraits over the summer in pro ball, the problem is they're all kind of boring. Most players HATE, and I mean HATE those fake "pretend you just hit the ball and are following through on your swing" or "pretending to throw" poses. I refuse to take them and do simpler ones usually, in Spring Training I played with a couple though nothing to great or drastic. Hitters it was the old fashion bat on shoulder, pitchers it was glove up and sometimes with a pearl. Kinda what the client wanted more than me. There's some topps/bowman baseball cards with cool poses I've found and this summer with lower level guys will be testing out some.

The 2nd photo you posted is a much better one than the first for a few reasons, first being the smile (love when teammates around to bust on them and get them laughing), 2nd is the angle looks better and is more relaxed. Relaxed always makes for a better pic I think. Try to grab some samples here and post them if I can dig some out from previous years.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #2974164
I shoot tons of baseball portraits over the summer in pro ball, the problem is they're all kind of boring. Most players HATE, and I mean HATE those fake "pretend you just hit the ball and are following through on your swing" or "pretending to throw" poses. I refuse to take them and do simpler ones usually, in Spring Training I played with a couple though nothing to great or drastic. Hitters it was the old fashion bat on shoulder, pitchers it was glove up and sometimes with a pearl. Kinda what the client wanted more than me. There's some topps/bowman baseball cards with cool poses I've found and this summer with lower level guys will be testing out some.

The 2nd photo you posted is a much better one than the first for a few reasons, first being the smile (love when teammates around to bust on them and get them laughing), 2nd is the angle looks better and is more relaxed. Relaxed always makes for a better pic I think. Try to grab some samples here and post them if I can dig some out from previous years.

Thank you for the kind words. Part of the reason I posted the other one first is actually because I didn't like it. I guess I wanted to convey the "essence" of my question. I completely understand why players hate those goofy posed pictures. I would rather see a candid snapshot than many posed shots. I think that's why posing subjects is difficult for me, when it comes right down to it, I don't like most posed pictures.

I would hate to see you go to too much trouble, but I would love to see some of the examples you've got. Thanks for your help!

Nothing to exciting, random poses - some old, some new, all basic.

#1 - why this looks so dull color wise I don't know, I just resized it in PS and it wasn't. I done did mess something up, anyways, basic bat on shoulder.

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Phil Light wrote in post #2974254
when it comes right down to it, I don't like most posed pictures.

honestly, I don't usually either but lots of the companies I shoot for need them and tell me they love mine. That confuses me because I always like to keep them very simple and don't go overboard on great poses or lighting (seen some greattttt ones out there before). I always tell players real quick old fashion bat on shoulder or glove up for pitchers and we're done. If its a catcher in his gear, good times I can get a couple with that.

It's "hard" to get posed in pro baseball just because you have to be there much earlier than most photogs want to be, have to interact with the guys and hope the manager or coach isnt a jerk about it (or you work with the coaches to get the pics). It's usually minor hastles, but I've found most photographers don't do it because they dont want to deal with that stuff.