Gavit High School varsity girls basketball team member Hattie Andrews poses during practice at the school in Hammond, Indiana. The 6’3″ sophomore has been playing basketball since the third grade.

As a lighting designer, one of the best things about location film and photography work is the always-challenging task of transforming an everyday space into an attractive environment for the lens. More often than not, I enter new locations flying blind, having never visited the space before. I never know exactly what I’m getting into, which often causes a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Have I brought enough equipment to light the space, and more importantly, the subjects within? For video shoots, is there enough power? Will I be fighting bright light from windows during a daytime shoot? Can I capitalize on any existing fixtures within the building to create something special in an otherwise bland location?

A recent basketball portrait at Gavit High School in nearby Hammond, Indiana, provided just such an opportunity. The photo assignment was typically non-descript: “This needs to be a portrait for a possible cover, as well as a couple practice shots.” I knew I was photographing a girls basketball player, and that’s about it. I hit the road after putting together what has become my standard “quick hit” newspaper portrait kit, which consists of the following: