How’d the photographer get Houston Rocket star shooting guard James Harden to tower over Downtown Houston’s skyline in that Sports Illustrated spread from February (above)? Careful site selection — plus a plexiglas stage, to deal with the parapet wall:

“The editor already had a specific view in mind,” writes photographer Robert Seale, “and we referenced a rooftop fashion shot I had taken a few years earlier from that same spot. On the plus side when using a parking garage roof, you can control access which is a plus when working with a pro athlete. If we had done this out in the park, we might have gathered a crowd and needed more security guys.”

Here’s a view of the roof at the Marquis Lofts on Sabine at 150 Sabine St. just south of the Old Sixth Ward, where Seale set up the shoot:

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But you need more than just a well-placed garage to get a shot like this, Seale explains. Thus the plexiglas-topped stage: “The simple reason is, parking garages, or most roof structures for that matter usually have a waist or chest high border around them, which destroys your look for a full length photo. Building a stage solves the problem, and puts the subject up high enough to get rid of the unsightly ‘lip’ around the edge of the building. Why plexiglas? Because the parking garage is white concrete, and it’s ugly . . . that and I’m a sucker for reflection pictures.”

• Skyline Portrait of Houston Rockets James “The Beard” Harden [Robert Seale Blog, via PetaPixel]
• James Harden, the NBA’s unlikely MVP [Sports Illustrated]

Magazine spread: Robert Seale/Sports Illustrated. Photo: Marquis Lofts on Sabine