Back in 2015, photographer Dustin Snipes shot a viral series of photos for Red Bull showing NBA star Anthony Davis dunking the Sun. He recently revisited the concept by shooting USA volleyball stars using the Sun as a ball on the beach.
Snipes did the shoot with USA Olympic volleyball legend Phil Dalhausser and fellow Olympian Lauren Fendrick on the beach in Fort Lauderdale that’ll be hosting the upcoming Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series from February 7th through 12th.
“Spiking and serving the sun was challenging and I had to be in total sync with the photographer,” says Dalhausser. “It’s like the two-man game we play on the beach where teamwork and communication is key.”
“It’s a great idea and I can’t remember how many times it took me to perfect the shot – all I know was that there was a lot of jumping involved,” he continues. “Adjusting the jump according to the sun’s position was the most difficult part but the end result is all that matters – and the photos look pretty darn cool.”
“It seemed quite difficult to line up the elements of a clear sky with an athlete in motion at just the precise angle and all the other details that go into it, but the photographer and his staff did an amazing job from the shots I saw on his camera,” Fendrick says.
Here are a few more behind-the-scenes and final shots from the shoot:
Snipes titled this project, “Spike the Sun.” You can find more of Snipes work on his website.
P.S. You can watch the Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series on Red Bull TV on February 11 at 11AM PST and on February 12th at 1:30pm PST.
Image credits: Photographs by Dustin Snipes and courtesy Red Bull
