Culture

The Beauty of Urban Basketball Courts

The photographer Ward Roberts captures the patterns and colors of Hong Kong’s playgrounds.
Ward Roberts

In cities, outdoor basketball courts teem with people: groups challenging each other to games of pickup, lone players making their way around the perimeter, perfecting their shots.

The photographer Ward Roberts would wait on the sidelines for the games to clear, then set up his camera and capture the empty scene. Drawn to the city’s pastel hues, Roberts photographed mainly in Hong Kong, but also sought out courts in Melbourne, Bermuda, Hawaii, and New York, where he’s currently based.