Desert Vista Hockey Team Media Day

Desert Vista Hockey’s media day at the Ice Den Scottsdale was such a fun one.

Instead of shooting out on the ice, we transformed one of the Ice Den’s party rooms into a full photo studio for the day. Lights, backdrop, the whole setup — all brought in so the players could get bold, clean portraits without having to worry about rink lighting or distractions.

And honestly, the players absolutely understood the assignment.

Some stepped in front of the camera with full game face. Others couldn’t stop laughing because their teammates were chirping them from the side of the room. That mix of intensity and personality is exactly what makes team media days so much fun.

What I love about days like this is that it’s not just about getting great photos. It’s about capturing the personalities, friendships, and pride these athletes have in their team.

While I photographed individual player portraits during media day, the team photos were actually created afterward. Because the shooting space inside one of the party rooms at the Ice Den Scottsdale was a little tight, I photographed each athlete individually in the studio setup. Later, those individual portraits were digitally composited together to create the final team images.

Composite team photos have become a really popular option for media days because every athlete is photographed with the same lighting and setup, and if someone can’t make the original photo day, they can easily be added in later. The final images still represent the entire team — just built from the individual portraits captured during media day.

Every strong program has great leadership behind it, and it’s always important to photograph the coaches who help guide these athletes throughout the season.

They’re a huge part of the culture of a team, and capturing them alongside the players helps tell the full story of the program.

Individual Hockey Player Media Day Photos

Individual portraits are where personalities really start to show up.

Some players lock in with that serious game-day look, some bring a little swagger, and some can’t help but smile once their teammates start hyping them up from the side. And honestly, those reactions are half the fun. These photos often end up everywhere throughout the season — social media graphics, recruiting profiles, team banners, and senior celebrations and of course, up on Mom and Dad’s walls and on Grandma’s fridge. Seniors often have these types of photos included in their senior shout out ads in school yearbooks, too!

Teammate & Buddy Poses for Hockey Media Days

The buddy photos might honestly be my favorite part of media day. This is where the serious faces disappear and the friendships show up. Teammates pulling each other into photos, laughing between shots, and celebrating the season ahead together. Years from now, these will probably be the photos that mean the most.

Media day isn’t complete without banner images for the seniors — and Desert Vista absolutely delivered.

These images are designed to be bold, dramatic, and larger than life, perfect for:

Banners are one of the biggest reasons teams invest in media day photos for hockey teams in Phoenix—they create pride, presence, and visibility for the entire program.

Hockey media days are about more than just portraits. They’re about celebrating the athletes, the friendships, and the pride that comes with being part of a team. For Desert Vista Hockey, it was an awesome day full of great energy and even better teammates.

If your team is planning a hockey media day in Phoenix, I photograph programs all across the valley — Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria, and beyond. And yes… I’ll happily bring the studio to you!

If you’re already thinking about next season’s media day, reach out early so we can get your date locked in.

👉 Reach out early to lock in your dates! 👈