Sports Shooter Academy Comes To The Big West

The fifth Sports Shooter Academy comes to the Big West Conference March 5 - 9, covering events at U.C. Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach.

A hands - on sports photography workshop, The Academy participants will be shooting Big West events including men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, water polo, track & field and tennis.

College students and working photographers from across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Europe will be attending the 5-day workshop based in Orange County.

"The Sports Shooter Academy was easily one of the best workshops, photo or otherwise, that I've ever attended. I would've been content with just the classes, but add to it a multitude of hands-on shoots," said Crystal Chatham, workshop participant who is now a staff photographer at the Palm Springs Desert Sun.

The Sports Shooter Academy is the brain child of Southern California freelance photographer Matt Brown and USA TODAY staffer Robert Hanashiro, who is also the founder of the successful SportsShooter.com website.

Workshop participants will cover various sports throughout the day and in the evenings will receive one-on-one editing help and critiques from the workshop faculty.

In addition to Brown and Hanashiro, the SSA faculty includes: Wally Skalij (Los Angeles Times), Michael Goulding (Orange County Register), Sean Haffey (San Diego Union-Tribune), Donald Miralle (Getty Images) and Myung J. Chun (Los Angeles Times).

Awards will be given to the best photograph of the day and at the conclusion of the workshop, the best single photograph and the best body of work produced during The Academy will be recognized.

The best photographs from the 3 shooting days will be posted in galleries on the Big West Conference website.

The workshop schedule also includes various classroom session, topics include: digital photography workflow, portrait lighting and use of remote cameras.

"This is an experience that you cannot pass up. Nightly critiques are especially important because the experienced faculty provide essential feedback and advice that you cannot get anywhere else," said California State University, Fullerton student Carlos Delgado who has attended the workshop. "Shooting events alongside professionals who are willing to answer any question you can think of, as well as 1-on-1 critiques, let me walk away with tons of valuable information and experience."

Sports Shooter Academy V is sponsored by Samy's Camera, Think Tank Photo and Canon USA.

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