The Petco Park Baseball Stadium photography project was very much an exercise of patience. After waiting for some time, I finally got to photograph PETCO Park, home major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres. This project has been in the works for well-over 8 months and I had grown quite excited to begin shooting. This particular session took a lot of coordination and preparation. An average project takes between a day and a half to two days to scout and photograph inside and out. Petco Park took a full day of scouting and attending four different ballgames to complete. Nonetheless, I had a blast with it. I imagine, if you ask any San Diego professional architectural photographer about what local project they want to photograph, PETCO Park would be near the top of the list. The architect, Antoine Predock, created truly an iconic structure inside and out. The client, Balfour Beatty (formerly Douglas E. Barnhart, Inc) constructed it at a cost of $450 million. The stadium broke ground in the summer of 2000 and completed in 2004. Opened in 2004 to replace Qualcomm Stadium, Petco Park immediately rose to the top of the heap as an architectural marvel in the San Diego area.

From the stands, you can see the breathtaking views afforded to fans of the San Diego skyline. This use of the surrounding features of the city to add to the experience of the game is a facet of Petco Park that helps it to be included in the list of America’s best ballparks. Inside the stadium, where fans can venture for refreshments between innings, the modern and spacious planning allows for comfort and efficiency that makes for an overall pleasing experience.

Much of baseball is rooted in tradition and a favorable look to the past. In Petco park, the tradition of baseball is honored in the construction of the field area while the overall theme of the stadium incorporates a modern feel that will serve Padres fan for decades into the future.