Stadium Club's photography fuels its unique feel in hobby

The annual photography showcase that is Stadium Club arrived from Topps this week with a new crop of highlight-reel cards among a meaty set that are gems simply because of the image that appears on them.

It's not about the design, it's not about the player, it's not about the team -- it's about the photography in 2018 Topps Stadium Club.

The Dansby Swanson gem you see above? It was captured by photographer Patrick Duffy for Getty Images on June 9 last season when Swanson scored the winning run against the Mets. He scored off a single by Rio Ruiz and the Braves won 3-2 in the ninth -- and now that moment has a run on cardboard. (Ironically, that was the game where The Freeze dominated this guy and introduced us all to his antics.)

It's not alone when it comes to gems in the 300-card set that includes even more high-quality non-traditional images among some short-prints.

Sometimes the photos aren't Topps Now-worthy highlight moments like that Swanson. Instead, they're more focused action shots that aren't the typical look at what are typical plays. There are photos like this Luis Severino shot from Getty's Adam Glanzman taken in the first inning on April 26 against the Boston Red Sox. Photos like this one are very sound from a photographer's perspective but they can often evoke reactions from people who don't like the foreground subject's dominance of the frame. That's a reason they are strong images -- and reason why you don't see them more.

There are 20 more gems from the set in the gallery below that show a mix of style, action, portraits and moments you might not typically find on the typical cardboard. And it makes me wonder why we don't get this kind of emphasis more often across the board in other sets -- heck, even in other sports from all other companies. Sure, some brands such as Allen & Ginter, or ones with designs that rely on cut-out photos for the subjects on every card, won't work -- they limit non-traditional images from being used immediately as part of what they are. I get it, but I also wonder about the possibilities of what might happen if some high-end brands (also ones from other companies) might look like if "photo first" became part of the plan more than a plan of cutouts and color. It might surprise some people and invigorate some collectors.

A good photo has made for a good card for a long time -- that's timeless -- and that makes me wonder whether an intentional focus on photography -- one where the work has been done for designers already -- can be the foundation for a new brand or two around the entire collecting world ... not just a staple of Stadium Club.

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