The Crowd Goes (Wild): Sabrina Hill Races Megan Rapinoe for The Skills

California-based Sabrina Hill: lifestyle photographer, commercial photographer, and… soccer player? Sabrina, a jane-of-all-trades extraordinaire, doesn’t usually get the chance to show off her soccer skills at her day job, but when she got the call to photograph Megan Rapinoe for The Skills, the stars seemed to align.

[My position was] central midfield, to be exact. I played all through high school and a little in college, but now I just play for fun. I think it’s a wonderful sport for many reasons, so when I got the call, I was stoked!

For those who don’t know, Megan Rapinoe is one of the most decorated soccer players in American history. She’s been a longtime fixture in the US national team and one of the National Women’s Soccer League’s brightest talents. More importantly, Megan is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ organizations, womxn’s rights, and equal pay. And she’s pretty funny.

We had a great time on the field and listening to her interview, but I was especially pleased to take advantage of the empty stadium for a few shots with Megan.

Megan is participating in The Skills, an online library of educational video courses — think Masterclass but sports. Sabrina has worked with the producer, Ali Goldstone, for over a decade.

I’ve shot various jobs for her [Ali], so it was only natural she asked me to shoot for her new company, The Skills. We’ve worked together on many projects in the past, from Bank of America to Comedy Central.

Sabrina’s been very active in the industry for years, so her résumé and relationships with producers tend to get her foot in the door. However, her shooting style and broad range of experience are what seal the deal.

I have a lot of experience photographing high-profile talent and shooting in tandem with a film crew. In this instance, it also helped that I played soccer for 15+ years and feel comfortable being on a soccer field and chatting with Megan.

This shoot, of course, took place in the time of COVID-19, meaning the stadium was closed and completely empty, apart from the crew.

The quiet stadium felt surreal on its own, so to have the opportunity to photograph one of the best female leaders and athletes at the moment was a dream come true.

They spent the day shooting on artificial grass under the beating sun, with Sabrina chasing Megan and her twin sister around the field.

It was fun to run around capturing Megan from all angles and watch her joke around with her sister. But the magic really happened at the end of the day. There were just about 10 minutes of sunlight, so we raced down to the stadium field and snatched it up.

Megan and her sister also had a bit of a reunion. This was one of the few times they had been able to be together since the pandemic began.

It was super cool since they’re twins and both play soccer. They were so energized to be there together, which made it more fun to capture for us all.

Credits:
Client: The Skills

See more of Sabrina’s work at thesabrina.com.

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