The phone rang late on a Sunday afternoon. My friend Marguerite Schropp-Lucarelli, the Director of Photography at Sports Illustrated, was calling.

Odd, I thought.

First of all, it. had been quite a while since we’d worked together on something. Second, this was on April 5. All sports in the country had been shut down. Texas was operating under stay-at-home guidelines. It’s not like there was anything to go shoot. So you can imagine my surprise when she asked me if I’d be interested in photographing DeAndre Hopkins, late of the Houston Texans and now a member of the Arizona Cardinals, in two days.

Of course since we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, it was crucial that we take every precaution and observe social distancing. She had discussed the shoot with Hopkin’s representatives, and he was game provided the photos were shot from a safe distance, that I wore a mask and gloves, and that, most importantly, I was the only one on set. No assistants, no hair & makeup. I would need to fly solo on this one.

I’ve often told aspiring magazine and portrait photographers that while working with an assistant or two is invaluable, it’s also absolutely necessary to make sure you know how to work without one. You never know when someone is going to call in sick, or get lost on the way to a shoot, or whatever, and you’re left holding the bag. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way, and as a result have the ability to be totally self-reliant if need be. I know how my lights work. I know how my cameras work. I know how my laptop and its software works. You’d be surprised at how many photographers don’t. But I digress…

I left Austin in the morning for the 2-1/2 hour drive to Houston (and added in some time for a quick stop at Roegel’s BBQ, one of my favorite Houston joints, on the way). DeAndre’s agent had been discussing logistics and safety concerns with us. We couldn’t shoot inside his home, and we would have to do it outdoors. Fortunately there was a large city park right across the street. And even more fortunately, it had a golf course. And I know a thing or two about golf courses—particularly that they all have a pro shop somewhere.

It just so happened that this particular pro shop was about a hundred yards from where I’d pulled into the parking lot, right across the street from DeAndre’s place. Even better, it had a covered patio and white limestone walls, which I figured would lend a nice bit of texture to the background if I shot wide open or close to it. I trundled my light kit out of my truck—it’s a huge Think Tank Photo wheeled case that you could fit a small child into, but I can also fit an entire location lighting setup into it as well, and handle it myself. It contains 2 Broncolor Siros-L 800 battery powered monolights, a backup Godox A600 battery light, and enough stands, lights and modifiers to suit just about any purpose.

The Broncolors on set. Note the cleaning supplies, too—everything was wiped down prior to DeAndre’s arrival.

I wanted to do two setups, as Marguerite had asked for a cover and an opener for the story. So I set up one of the Broncolors with a Photek Softlighter with the stone wall as a background; I had brought a stool from home and set that up where it was far enough off of the background that it would be blurred nicely. If I turned around from that set I would be able to shoot into some trees and the sky if I wished. I set up a 7-foot Westcott umbrella on the other Broncolor. I love those Broncolors, by the way. Since they’re battery powered and triggered via wireless controller, there isn’t a cord anywhere in sight. And since you can dial them up or down straight from the controller it’s easy to make adjustments when you’re working without an assistant.

The best part of all of it was that both sets would stay shaded under the patio’s roof, which helped not only with eliminating stray direct. sunlight, but also with the 90-degree Texas afternoon.

DeAndre was fantastic to work with. Introductions were a bit awkward while maintaining a safe distance, but once we got past that we seemed to hit it off nicely. He arrived with two outfits—always a plus that gives some needed variety. What little direction I needed to give him he responded to perfectly—but he’s a natural in front of the camera and pretty much knew exactly what to do.

I have to admit that when Marguerite first called I was a little uneasy—I hadn’t shot an SI cover in years, and given the circumstances and the current state of the world it was a bit intimidating. But this was one of those times where having a. great subject really helped to make things go smoothly. So thanks, DeAndre. And good luck in Phoenix.