Sports Shooter Academy V - March 5-9

Passing this along ... I've heard from several people that this is well worth your time and money to attend ...

SPORTS SHOOTER ACADEMY V SET FOR MARCH 5 - 9, 2008

Sports Shooter Academy V will be held March 5-9, 2008 in Orange County, California. This hands-on, 5-day shooting workshop will have the "best schedule of events ever," according to workshop director and Sports Shooter founder Robert Hanashiro.

With the cooperation of the NCAA Division I Big West Conference, the shooting schedule for Sports Shooter Academy V will include:

• * Men's basketball
• * Women's basketball
• * Baseball
• * Track & field (Ben Brown Invitational)
• * Softball (Long Beach Invitational Softball Tournament
• * Tennis
• * Water polo
• * Men's volleyball
• * Crew

Also on the workshop shooting schedule will be events like beach volleyball, boxing and rugby.

"It's real events, in real time, with real editors," said USA TODAY staff photographer Jack Gruber, a faculty member of SSA IV. "It's like an Olympics because there are multiple events in a day and you're going to edit on deadline. It shows you what it's like to work in real time, in the real world."

"I came in expecting a lot but I got way more than what I expected out of the workshop. It was amazing meeting so many different people and being able to work together with them and talk about our photos, even just among the students," said Paul Gallaher, a student at Whittier College at the time he participated in SSA IV.

Classroom sessions at previous workshops have included: using remotes, digital workflow, portrait lighting, arena lighting and sports picture stories.

The Academy faculty confirmed at this time include:

• * Matt Brown, Southern California freelance photographer
• * Donald Miralle, Getty Images staff photographer
• * Wally Skalij, Los Angeles Times staff photographer
• * Sean Haffey, San Diego Union-Tribune staff photographer
• * Michael Goulding, Orange County Register staff photographer
• * Myung J. Chun, Los Angeles Times staff videographer/photographer
• * Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY staff photographer (and Sports Shooter founder)

Participants in the Sports Shooter Academy will have three full days of shooting events throughout Southern California. Faculty members will be present at all events, offering their insights, shooting tips and any other help participants need while covering these sports.

"I got to do a variety of sporting events that I'd never done before," said workshop participant Corey Perrine. "I looked for different angles, looked for something new, think outside the box. It was called 'see better, shoot better' and some of the biggest things I learned was during the edit and then you were able to take digest that and take it for the next day."

Talking about the progress participants make during the workshop, SSA co-founder Brown said: "There was a lot more thinking going on by Saturday. On Thursday people were taking a lot of pictures. On Saturday people were making pictures."

The evenings are spent editing the day's work, while receiving one-on-one critiques from the faculty and area photographers and picture editors. The best work of the day will be recognized during the daily slideshows. Prizes will be given out to the best photographs made daily and for the best work produced overall during The Academy.

"The experiences participants take away from The Academy are priceless," Hanashiro said. "The photographs they make are one thing, but the friendships and the contacts they establish during the workshop really make this career - boosting on many levels."

For more details about the Sports Shooter Academy, check these links on the website:
http://www.sportsshooter.com/workshops.html
http://www.sportsshooter.com/education/workshop_profile.html?id=22

"It's been an awesome time shooting all of those different sports. Overall it was a great experience," summed up Nick Iwanyshyn who traveled from Canada to attend Sports Shooter Academy IV.

Several videos from Sports Shooter Academy IV, held in April 2007, gives viewers insight into the program and what working professionals and students gain out of their experience at this unique workshop:
http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/ssacad4_vid/SPORTS_SHOOTER_ACADEMY_IV.001.mov
http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/ssacad4_vid/SPORTS_SHOOTER_ACADEMY_IV_Faculty001.mov
http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/ssacad4_vid/SPORTS_SHOOTER_ACADEMY_IV_Students.001.mov

Hawaii photographer Bruce Omori said after attending SSA IV, "I came with high expectations and what I got out of the workshop was even more and it exceeded that by a millions times. I enjoyed the portrait lighting sessions and what I got out of those sessions will really helps me in the things I need to do in this business in the future.

As an added bonus, the judging of the Sports Shooter Newsletter Annual Contest will be held in conjunction with SSA V. Participants in the workshop and the publics will be able to watch and listen as the workshop faculty critique the contest finalists and select the top sports photographs of the year.

The open judging of the Annual Contest is always a great learning experience with lively debate, sharp comments and praise throughout the session. For a look at previous winning photographs in the Sports Shooter Annual Contest, check these links on the website:
http://www.sportsshooter.com/2006_contest_winners/index.html

To see what the open judging session of this contest is like, check these videos:
http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/2005_contest_vid/index2.html
http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/2004_contest_video/index.html
http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/2003_contest/index.html

"The Sports Shooter Academy and the Annual Contest judging session are two wonderful educational programs," said Hanashiro, "For those attending the workshop, to see a high level of photography during the contest judging, then have three full days to go out and shoot REAL events is an opportunity I wish I had when I started out in this business.

"Great sports photography, inspiration, learning, meeting people, establishing contacts in this business and having a great time is what this week is all about," Hanashiro added.