PROTOCOL: OLYMPIA // THE REBRAND OF PEPPER
Giving the icon the varsity treatment. A behind-the-scenes look at the OHS mascot hype shoot.
THE PITCH: Testing the Sigma 85mm f/1.4. Focusing on the glove texture while letting the mascot head fall into soft focus creates immediate depth.
Pepper was nowhere to be found.
A few weeks ago, I was scrolling Instagram when it hit me—I needed to shoot Pepper, the Olympia High School mascot. But when I searched for reference images, the digital trail went cold. No media coverage. No hype photos. Nothing.
For a student who runs around in a heavy suit all night carrying the energy of an entire student body, that silence felt wrong. Pepper deserved love. More importantly, Pepper deserved the same high-end editorial treatment as the varsity point guard or the star quarterback.
So, I did what I always do: I fired off the emails.
After coordinating with Mark Iddins and Ryan Gerrits, we locked in a battle plan: a two-phase operation. Phase one would be a high-contrast studio session to build a library of static assets. Phase two would be a live deployment at a basketball game to capture video for the ribbon board.
I was throwing a lot of new challenges at myself, but the mission was clear: Make Pepper come to life.
PHASE 1: THE STUDIO SESSION
We met in the gymnasium before school opened. I set up my lighting grid on the hardwood while Pepper prepped. Time was of the essence.
We started with the basketball uniform. Just as we decided to switch looks, Mr. Gerrits walked in, dumped a massive bag onto the pristine wood floor, and unleashed chaos. Jerseys, pants, and props everywhere.
LOCKED IN: The Basketball Kit. Using the "Varsity" lighting setup to give a standard mascot portrait a high-contrast, intimidating edge.
As Pepper and Mr. Gerrits fought to pull the baseball uniform over the oversized mascot suit, I couldn't help but laugh—it was like layering up a toddler before a snow day. But once the kit was on, the energy shifted. We snapped poses, cycled through football gear, and finished with the shop class overalls.
SUITING UP: Ryan Gerrits making the final adjustments. Layering a varsity uniform over a mascot suit is a team sport.
The takeaway? Exaggeration is key. If a mascot puts their hand up, it needs to go higher. If they flex, they need to flex harder. Without facial expressions, body language is the only currency you have. If it isn't big and bold, it looks lifeless on camera.
AIRBORNE: The Shop Class fit. To make the suit feel alive, every movement has to be exaggerated. Big jump, big energy.
PHASE 2: LIVE DEPLOYMENT
Friday night, I deployed the rig into a packed gymnasium. Parents rooting, student section roaring.
I made my way to the top of the stands, waiting for Pepper to hype the crowd. Shooting video in this environment was a steep learning curve—tracking a chaotic subject through a sea of people is a different beast than a controlled studio environment.
The shots were decent for a proof-of-concept, but I learned a valuable lesson: Control the environment. In the future, I’ll handle the "hype" video shots in a private session where I can direct the action, rather than chasing it live.
THE TECH SPECS
Lighting a mascot is tricky. You need big, soft light to wrap around the costume's curves, but a hard kicker to separate them from the background.
THE STAGING AREA: The 2-light setup on the OHS hardwood before the chaos. Key light (left) for wrap, hard kicker (right) for edge separation.
The Loadout:
Camera: Canon 1DX
Glass: Sigma 85mm f/1.4 (Portraits) // Rokinon 16mm (Wide/Fun)
Key Light: Godox MS300 + 7’ Umbrella with diffuser
Kicker: Godox MS300 + Bare bulb + Reflector
Power: 2x Paul C. Buff Vagabond Mini Lithium Battery Packs
Field Note: Using the Vagabond battery packs was a lifesaver. It allowed me to mount the power directly to the light stands, keeping the floor free of cables—crucial when your subject has the limited visibility of a mascot mask.
Post-Processing Warning: Be prepared to mask manually. Subject detection is great at finding humans, but it has no idea what to do with a giant bear head.
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