INFORMATION
| THE SPORTS SHOOTER ACADEMY |
| The Sports Shooter Academy is a hands-on workshop that gives participants the opportunity to cover a wide variety of sports under the guidance of a faculty of award-winning photographers. Based in Southern California, the workshop is open to college students and working photographers that want to expand their experiences, learn new techniques, add to their portfolios, receive guidance and critiques from some of the top photographers working today. Sports we have included at past workshop (depending on the time of year): College baseball, track & field, swimming & diving, volleyball, tennis, soccer and softball. We also have included sessions with local horse racing tracks, a cool boxing gym, professional beach volleyball players, lacrosse and rugby. Academy instructors are at each of the events on the schedule and working with participants, offering an overview of the sport, along with tips and suggestions for shooting positions. Each evening the workshop instructors will help you edit your work, offering tips on cropping, selection and giving you detailed critiques. Most workshop participants consider the nightly critique sessions the highlight of their Academy experience. A slideshow is comprised of a selection of the days' work and awards are given out to the best images. “It’s real world experience here folks!” says Matt Brown, a Southern California-based freelance photographer and co-founder of the workshop. “What we try to do with this workshop,” says Sports Shooter founder Robert Hanashiro, “Is give students and working photographers a chance to shoot REAL sports events, under real-world conditions where they can experiment, try new techniques --- like work with remotes --- expand their vision and then get immediate feedback from the faculty at the events and during the nightly editing sessions.” Instructor lineup for SSA IX to include (A-Z): • Dave Black (Colorado-based freelance photographer) • Matt Brown (Southern California freelance photographer; SSA co-founder) • Myung J. Chun (Los Angeles Times) • Michael Corrado (Nikon USA) • Shawn Cullen (Sports Illustrated) • Mike Goulding (Orange County Register) • Robert Hanashiro (USA TODAY; Sports Shooter founder) • Rod Mar (Seattle Seahawks & Sounders team photographer) • John W. McDonough (Sports Illustrated) • Sara Moosbrugger (Nikon USA) • Wally Skalij (Los Angeles Times) • Ronal Taniwaki (Nikon USA) Other photographers that have taught at the Sports Shooter Academy include (A-Z): • Andrew Bernstein (NBA senior staff photographer ) • Sean Haffey (San Diego Union-Tribune) • David Honl (International Photojournalist) • Tim Mantoani (San Diego-based freelance photographer) • Donald Miralle (freelance photographer & Getty contributor) The Sports Shooter Academy's primary sponsor is Nikon, which provides funding that enable a select number of college and university student to attend tuition-free. Other companies supporting the Sports Shooter Academy are: Samy's Camera liveBooks Think Tank Photo PocketWizard HonlPhoto To attend Sports Shooter Academy IX, complete and submit the on-line application form by clicking on the REGISTRATION LINK now! The Sports Shooter Academy is the brainchild of Brown and Hanashiro, literally hatched during a discussion they had while covering a Los Angeles Dodgers game. “I have always wanted to put on a hands on photography workshop where the students can shoot real sports events rather than practices or something staged,” said Hanashiro. “After talking to Matt one afternoon in the first base photo box at Dodger Stadium about my idea and a light bulb seemed to just click on over both of our heads.” “Matt’s great relationship with local universities and colleges has given this educational program access to events that no other sports workshop has. The quality of the sports and the venues are top notch,” Hanashiro adds. “Sports Shooter Academy is more about seeing the picture as much as it is about shooting it,” said the Orange County Register's Goulding. “The process you go through as a participant in The Academy is great. You’re on site with good photographers … and you talk about the picture you want to shoot there and how to see them. Then you go into the editing room and then into the critiques with them and follow that evolution all the way through." Goulding coined the workshop's official mantra: See Better. Shoot Better. To get a first-hand look at what the SSA experience is about, check out our videos and social media sites here: • Vimeo: Video Link • Facebook: Sports Shooter Academy • Twitter: @SS_Academy SPORTS SHOOTER WORKSHOP & LUAU, JR. TO BE HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH SSA IX: On April 25, the day before SSA IX, we will be holding a one-day event of cool lectures, classes, gear and fun: The Sports Shooter Workshop & Luau Jr. As of this writing classes include: • Dave Black will present a program on his unique brand of sports photography using high-shutter speed strobe sync. More info at www.daveblack photography.com. • Myung J. Chun, Emmy Award-winning photojournalist from the Los Angeles Times will be conducting a class on the basics of DSLR video. More info at here. • Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY West Coast Staff Photographer, will discuss using speedlights for portrait shoots of celebrities and athletes including showing various small-strobe modifiers. Also a live demo shoot --- from set up to finished images -- will be conducted. See Bert's most recent shoots here. Additions to the program will be announced when they are confirmed. Nikon will also be conducting a FREE clean & check clinic for attendees (a DSLR sensor cleaning alone is worth $40) and will be showing off their NEWEST (hint, hint) digital cameras, lenses and accessories. Samy’s Camera and HonlPhoto will also be open for business on site, offering participants special pricing on gear throughout the day. Other companies participating will be announced as they are confirmed. Sports Shooter Academy IX participants will be able to attend the Workshop & Luau Junior FOR FREE and with special reserved seating. (So essentially if you arrive Wednesday for SSA IX it turns into a FIVE-DAY workshop instead of four!) For those not attending Sports Shooter Academy IX, you will be able to register to attend the Workshop & Luau Jr. There will be special discounted pricing for this event for college & university students. More details about the Sports Shooter Workshop & Luau Jr. will be announced in the coming weeks. THE coolest sports photography event of the year got even COOLER! |
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