In San Diego FC’s parking lot, ‘football brings cultures together’: Questions for Israel Castillo
Israel Castillo, a photographer with a fascination for people and a deep ability to connect with them, has always had a passion for the game of soccer — a “long love journey” dating back to his youth, when he played on a travel team. So when San Diego FC announced it would build a Major League Soccer franchise in San Diego, he knew he had to be part of documenting the first season down at Snapdragon Stadium.
He quickly honed in on photographing fans tailgating before the games, using a Hasselblad medium format camera to help him slow down his process.
Castillo’s made a name for himself as an affable and committed member of the local photography community. He earned notoriety for his previous project, “Portraits on Kettner,” which centered on the people he encountered in his day job at Little Italy’s Chrome Digital.
Castillo’s new series “Among the Supporters,” gives an intimate look inside the lives and culture of San Diego’s sporting fans, as San Diego FC makes its mark on MLS and on the entire San Diego region.
Safelight: With your series, "Portraits on Kettner", and your coverage of San Diego FC fandom, there's a shared dignity that reverberates through the individual personalities that you photograph throughout the city. How important is it for you to ensure each subject stands on common ground, no matter their differences?
Israel: It all comes down to respect. I see it as an honor anytime someone allows me to take their portrait — especially since some people start off by saying they don’t like being photographed. My approach is to put the person at ease, explain my intentions, and make sure they understand what the photo is about.
With the Kettner series, the project has gained enough traction that many people already know what it is. When they show up, they often bring something personal — like their pets or a piece of their artwork — because they want to contribute to the image. That kind of trust means a lot.
For the SDFC portraits, I’m usually walking up to complete strangers outside the stadium. The camera — a Hasselblad 500c — is often the icebreaker. I explain that it’s a portrait project shot on film, and that usually gets people interested. Once they know there’s care and intention behind it, they’re more open to standing in front of the lens.
Safelight: How do you approach photographing fans to tell a story that's bigger than what unfolds on the pitch — one that reflects soccer's power to unite a city like San Diego?
Israel: I approach each fan with a sense of excitement. San Diego has been waiting and wanting this team for years, and now that it’s here, you can feel how much it means to people. From that very first home game, the atmosphere has been electric — it’s something you can’t fake.
When I photograph fans, I’m not just documenting what they’re wearing or who they support — I’m trying to capture that sense of belonging and pride. Soccer has this unique way of bringing people together across different neighborhoods, languages, and backgrounds. At Snapdragon, you see families, friend groups and strangers all cheering for the same cause — and that’s powerful.
To me, these portraits tell the story of a city coming into its own as a soccer community. I want people to look at the images and feel the unity, energy, and emotion that’s building around the team.
Safelight: Considering soccer's reputation as a universal language that transcends borders and cultural barriers, what sets San Diego FC's tailgates apart from those of other local major league sporting events?
Israel: SDFC tailgating brings back that old Chargers feeling — the energy, the anticipation — but with even more culture and diversity layered in. There’s a fan zone with plenty happening, but the real heart of it is out in the parking lots.
That’s where you meet the communities that make up SDFC — people coming together around shared food, music, and passion. You’ll see local bands playing, flags flying and rows of supporters gathered in circles, sharing drinks and stories. It’s organic, it’s vibrant and it reflects the spirit of San Diego in a way that feels deeper than just game-day hype.
There’s something powerful about seeing so many different walks of life brought together under the banner of one team — it’s more than tailgating, it’s a cultural exchange.
Israel Castillo is a photographer based in San Diego, California. He’s a graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography, where he specialized in Visual Journalism. His work blends digital and film formats to document street portraiture, culture, and community with a documentary-style approach rooted in honest storytelling.
