Former Philadelphia 76ers photographer talks career, passion, and how URI informed his success. 

KINGSTON, R.I. – July 30 – It all started with a skateboard.

Alex Subers ’15 was initially unsure what to study in college. What he did know was the joy that came from taking photos of his friends skateboarding and snowboarding.

Originally from outside Philadelphia, PA, Subers made his way north after touring the URI campus. “I just instantly fell in love; it felt like home almost immediately,” he said. The Ryan Center and the possibilities it held for his photography interests also helped him take the leap.

During the summer between his freshman and sophomore year, Subers experienced a skateboarding accident that broke his collarbone. Instead of retreating indoors to heal, the injury revealed how much he loved photography. He began taking more photos and figuring out his style. By the time he returned to campus, he knew he wanted to learn more and improve his craft.

“Annu Matthew taught many of my photography classes, and she really helped me refine my skills and important techniques,” Subers said. “These became central as I learned about elements like lighting. If I were assigned a light shaping project for class, I would find a way to discover that through skateboarding.”

With the technical skills under his belt, Subers applied what he was learning in the classroom to moments he could capture on campus. He joined The Good 5-cent Cigar student newspaper, where he began shooting events and speakers. During his junior and senior years, he gravitated toward sports photography, particularly focusing on basketball. It was here that he began to hone his skills.

“I’ve always loved basketball,” Subers said. “Really, the end goal the entire time was to shoot for the Philadelphia 76ers.”

That goal would be realized sooner than he could have anticipated.

After graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in communications (and double minor in business and photography) Subers moved back to Philadelphia to work for a photography company as an associate producer.

“I wanted to keep shooting and missed the basketball games at URI. So, at night, I’d shoot local games at Temple University, for example. It was an opportunity for me to meet people around Philly and to continue building my portfolio,” he said. “Eventually, I was able to get in and shoot for the Sixers.”

While the path may not have been conventional, Subers used his connections to make contact with his favorite team. Knowing he had the stability of his day job, he went out on a limb and offered to flex his skills by shooting games for free. After a successful draft party shoot and 6 months of hard work, he received a full-time position as content manager/photographer.

Subers’ hustle and dedication to his craft were the driving force behind transforming his goal into reality. However, it was also his keen ability to see what a juggernaut social media would become, beyond the filtered photos of what people ate for breakfast back in 2016.

“Social media wasn’t what it is now, which is a business. I saw it moving in that direction and realized this was going to be really important; there would be job opportunities for sports teams. At the time, it was just me, but now you look at any major sports team and there’s a staff of 20 people solely dedicated to content,” he said.

The adventure of a lifetime lasted six years, during which Subers oversaw photography for the iconic basketball team. He constantly traveled with the team, capturing road games, practices, events, and so much more. During his time with the Sixers, Alex was nominated for an Emmy award for shooting and producing an off-season documentary about Ben Simmons and was an integral part of the marketing team that won the 2020 Clio award for Team of the Year.

While this step in his career was more than what he could have possibly imagined for himself, the rigorous lifestyle prompted an unexpected shift. Michael Rubin, billionaire entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Fanatics, and Subers created a relationship during their time with the Sixers and decided it was time to team up again and build Fanatics’ digital presence.

Subers has held his position as Content Manager for the last two and a half years, during which he has overseen major large-scale events, including the new FanaticsFest.

FanaticsFest began in the summer of 2024 and recently concluded its 2025 convention in June. This type of convention did not exist in the sports world in the same way that events like Comic-Con cater to entertainment and comics fans alike. It was an opportunity to bring every sports league together and a celebration of the fans.

“The biggest athletes in the industry came to New York to be a part of this huge event, spoke on panels, and met fans. It was cool to see, but it was a lot of work. I was ready for it, though, based on my past experiences. There were around 150 content creators, including social media shooters and iPhone photographers, as well as Getty photographers. Additionally, there were around 50 videographers and 10 editors working in real-time. It was crazy!” Subers said.

Subers’ work with Fanatics certainly keeps him busy, but his passion simply cannot be contained to a typical work week. With over ten years of experience in the sports industry, he has successfully connected with numerous high-profile athletes. These relationships have blossomed into a side business where Subers is often contacted to assist with their brand campaigns. Celsius is currently one of his biggest clients and has worked closely with Jalen Hurts, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Jayden Daniels, quarterback for the Commanders.

When reflecting on how he has established a dream-like career for himself, there are two key factors: the first being specialization.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s you have to become a specialist or expert in one thing,” Subers said. “At some point, you have to funnel into what you want to do and get really good at it. The fundamentals of any skill are paramount, but once you understand those, then you find your niche and grow from there.”

Second, and perhaps most important, is building connections and relationships.

“If you don’t have the proper connections and relationships, you’re missing out on a lot of work. And while I know this isn’t always possible, I encourage people to make these connections by doing it for free. I would never have had my career if I hadn’t made myself available when I wasn’t at my full-time job. I still do that now! I recently took the opportunity to shoot a magazine cover in Las Vegas, and I lost money doing it. However, I now have that piece for my social media and portfolio. You never know what will come of it.”

Subers undoubtedly serves as an example of dedication and passion as an artist. Dedicating long hours, even unpaid hours, to something so elusive and competitive can come at a cost if “you’re in it for the wrong reasons.” It’s essential to love and care about creating the best possible photo.

“There’s truly no better feeling than when you get the perfect photo,” Subers said.

To learn more about Alex’s work, you can visit his Instagram page and his website.