High school playoff basketball is one of my favorite things to photograph. There is a particular kind of pressure in the building that you don't get anywhere else. These are kids who have been playing together for years, coaches who have poured everything into a season, and fans who drove hours to be there. The Denver Coliseum holds all of that energy in a way that makes every frame feel like it matters.
This game was a Colorado 5A boys basketball state tournament matchup: Palisade High School from Palisade, Colorado, in the heart of the Grand Valley, against Lewis-Palmer High School from Monument. Palisade came in as the No. 1 seed. Their fans made the three-plus hour drive from Western Colorado and filled their section of the arena from tip-off.
Before the game: where the real story starts
I always get to the arena before warmups. The 20 minutes before a game tips off are some of the most photographically productive of the whole event. The players are loose, the coaches are focused, and the interactions between them are completely genuine. Nobody is performing for a camera yet. They're just doing what they do.
Before tipoff I was able to get on the floor and photograph the Palisade head coach working down the line, giving each player individual attention. Those are the frames that families hold onto. The fist bump between coach and player right before the biggest game of their season. You can't recreate those moments after the fact.
Palisade bench watching the game unfold, Denver Coliseum
"The 20 minutes before tipoff are some of the most photographically productive of the whole event. Nobody is performing for a camera yet."
On the floor: shooting fast in arena light
The Denver Coliseum is a classic arena with mixed overhead lighting that requires some attention before the game starts. I set a custom white balance during warmups and dial in my exposure for the court surface rather than the stands, which run darker. Once that's locked in, you can stay in the moment and react rather than adjusting settings throughout the game.
For game action I work three positions. A longer lens from the baseline gets compressed drive-lane shots and close approaches to the rim. A mid-length lens from the side covers the physicality in the paint and mid-range pull-ups. And I get in close on the bench when I can, because the reactions there tell half the story of a playoff game.
5A state tournament action, Palisade vs Lewis-Palmer, Denver Coliseum
High school arenas often mix tungsten court lighting with cooler overhead fixtures in the stands. Set your white balance to the court surface, not the ambient mix, and let the stands fall where they fall. The slight color variance in the background reads as depth, not error. Expose for the players under the court lights and you will have consistent, clean images throughout the game.
After the buzzer: the frames that last
Lewis-Palmer built a significant lead by halftime and held it through the second half. Final score: Lewis-Palmer 63, Palisade 46. When the season ends for a No. 1 seed in the state tournament, that's a specific kind of disappointment. The players know it. The coaches know it. The families in the stands know it.
My job at that point is to document both sides of the moment without being intrusive. Lewis-Palmer's celebration was genuine and earned. Palisade's players were processing something hard. I move quietly and give people space, and I stay on the floor until the handshake lines are done and the last player has walked off. Some of the strongest images from any playoff game come in those final ten minutes.
Final moments, Palisade vs Lewis-Palmer, Denver Coliseum
Photographing Colorado high school basketball playoff games is always rewarding because the passion from the players, coaches, and fans is genuine. If you're looking for event photography coverage in Denver or across Colorado, get in touch and let's talk about what you need.
Covering an event at the Denver Coliseum?
From high-energy live events to galas and conferences, I cover metro Denver and Front Range Colorado. Photojournalism-trained with 13+ years of experience anticipating moments before they happen.
Check availability