I was given the assignment to shoot Slam Magazine's All-American 2017 Selection, which would be my first time working with basketball players.

My photography career started with me shooting no-name bands in local dive clubs on Staten Island—I'm drawn to the up-and-coming, the "almost famous"—so I knew this would be a personally gratifying shoot.

But it didn't come without challenges.

I was tasked with creating one group shot and then five unique individual portraits in not much more than one hour’s time. (Something else I'm used to... "Make magic. You have five minutes. Go.") Luckily, because DUMBO has a great variety of textures and colors, it was the perfect location for taking dynamic photos in close proximity.

These five high school seniors were chosen to come in and play the Michael Jordan Classic A-Game at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. (I’m a big guy, but I still had to hold my camera over my head to show them the photos.) Check out some behind-the-scenes shots and the finished product below. .