Jason Evans lives near one of the oldest baseball parks in the country, where a local team plays in the summer. Jason always thought it would make for some great photos—small, intimate, and close enough to him that he could return often for a continuous series. Jason carried through and knocked out some beautiful photos, some of which were just selected as winning images in the PDN Photo Annual.
The team was run by a small private group, so Jason had to build up some trust before they gave him full access close to the field. Once he showed the owners how he worked: not distracting to the players or the game; they welcomed him in to do what he needed.
Baseball is such a class sport, so the black and white images resonate with viewers on a different level. I was going for a more artistic and emotional perspective than you’d typically see on the web or in magazines.”
I shoot a lot of live events and I try to capture unexpected perspectives, angles, or compositions.
Jason says the biggest challenge with shooting baseball wound up being the ball, which was constantly flying towards the dugout. He had to balance between focusing on the camera and being aware of balls flying towards his head.
Because this was a personal project, Jason had to make time for it in between his schedule with other projects. He just committed to getting to the park consistently throughout the season, and he says that by the end of it, he had become a regular fixture at the games. His favorite part was definitely getting to know the team, coaches, and crew.
Spending time with everyone allowed them to get more relaxed when the camera was pointed at them. By the end of the summer, the guys were giving me a spot on the bench to let me shoot, and the coaches were telling me what to watch for.
Not only were Jason’s photos chosen as PDN’s winners, but they also won the AP32 contest. This summer, a larger selection of the images will be shown at the Newport Art Museum in Rhode Island.
To view more of Jason’s work, visit jasonevansimagery.com.