Dove Rugby Portraits

Creating Impactful Sports Portraits Under Pressure

Sports portraits like this, where you’re working with elite athletes, very limited time, and a clear brand message to weave in, are genuinely some of my favourite shoots to be part of. As an advertising photographer and rugby photographer, this is where preparation, instinct, and creative confidence all have to come together very quickly.

This Dove rugby shoot was part of a wider media day, with players moving between interviews, pieces to camera, and other commitments. That meant I was working within a very finite window, around ten minutes per player, to bring them in, sit them down, create strong sports portraits, and move them straight back out again. There’s no room for hesitation on jobs like this.

Preparation Is Everything

When access is tight, prep becomes everything. Before a single player walks into the room, the shot needs to be fully organised, lit, and locked in. I always recommend building a clear shot list for this kind of work. If you’ve got ten minutes, plan five absolute must-get shots, the ones the client needs, and then have a second list of additional ideas you can work through if time allows.

It’s also important to remember that while you’re there to deliver the client’s brief, you’re not just a button-pusher. As a portrait photographer, especially in the advertising space, you should be bringing your own creative ideas to the table. Creative agencies are full of brilliant thinkers, but that doesn’t mean you switch your own creativity off. The key is sequencing: tick off the client’s vision first, make sure they’re happy and confident, then, if time allows, explore something a little different.

That might mean shooting something looser, stepping back and using available light, changing your distance to the subject, or creating a frame that feels completely different to the rest of the set. Sometimes those images never get used, and sometimes they become the standout shot of the entire campaign. Trust your creative instinct.

Shooting Under Time Pressure

Because this was a live media day, everything was set up and lit in advance for the players to walk straight into. That’s crucial. In the worst-case scenario, if an interview overruns or talent arrives late, you still need to be able to deliver. Your setup should allow someone to sit down, you fire a handful of frames, and you’ve already got what the client needs.

The pressure is real, but it’s important not to let it take over. Stay calm, stay efficient, and focus on connection. Even in a short window, you can still create portraits that feel considered and intentional.

Lighting Approach for Rugby Portraits

Technically, this was a simple two-light setup. I wanted to keep separation between the player and the background controlled, without overcomplicating things. A key light was boomed overhead in a softbox, giving a strong, directional top-down look, with a second light adding gentle fill from the left-hand side.

When you’re working close to a wall like this, you have to be mindful of spill. Flash will inevitably hit the background, so rather than blasting the subject and fighting the wall in post, I slightly underlit the player and focused on bringing the image to life afterwards. Once highlights are blown on a wall, you can’t recover that detail, but if you preserve it in-camera, you’ve got far more flexibility in post-production.

The result is a flatter-looking image straight out of camera, but one that holds all the information you need. From there, contrast, depth, and punch can be carefully dialled back in during the edit.

Final Thoughts

This shoot was a great example of why I love working as a rugby photographer and advertising photographer. Tight timeframes, high expectations, strong branding, and the challenge of creating impactful sports portraits under pressure, it’s fast, demanding, and hugely rewarding.

When prep is solid, lighting is intentional, and you trust your creative ability, even ten minutes with a player is more than enough to walk away with powerful, campaign-ready imagery.