Photographing ball fields from above celebrates three things I love: baseball, aerial photography, and the greater Philadelphia area.

Photographing ball fields from above has been a longtime personal project of mine. It combines two of my interests—baseball and aerial photography—and challenges me to expand my vision as a photographer.

The area near Andreas, Pennsylvania, has plenty of agricultural fields—but can you spot the baseball one?

From a photographer’s perspective, baseball fields have more in common with buildings than you might expect. Offices, apartments, and baseball diamonds may look similar enough in size and shape from above, but a closer look reveals the details that make each unique—outdoor structures, landscaping details, the surrounding neighborhoods, and more.

The bright red protective cover on the pitcher’s mound coincidentally almost matches the track next door.

Just like snowflakes, baseball diamonds share the same distinctive shape, but no two are exactly alike. Fields can vary in their use of sand, dirt, turf, and grass—even in the same park.

Different combinations of grass and dirt areas distinguish fields from one another.

Like snowflakes, baseball diamonds share an immediately recognizable shape, but no two are exactly alike.

Some fields have a warning track—a thin strip of dirt that alerts outfielders to prevent them from colliding with the home run fence.

The flatness and lack of nearby structures to overshadow them means that each field’s unique texture is on full display. The care that landscapers and maintenance workers put into these fields is evident—perhaps even more so from above than on the ground.

Bright green grass and freshly raked dirt make this field look extra sharp for spring.

That said, ball fields don’t have to be manicured, state-of-the-art complexes to be recognizable. Part of baseball’s universal appeal lies in its accessibility—any vacant lot can become a field. Wear and tear in a familiar path around the bases creates the iconic image of a baseball field, even without constructed dugouts, bleachers, or fences.

With space at a premium, this field fits snugly next to the main SEPTA train line through north Philadelphia, just south of Temple University Station.
Years of wear have created the outline of an infield—no dirt or markings needed!

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Years of wear have created the outline of an infield—no dirt or markings needed!

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