Robert Hanashiro

SPORTS SHOOTER v.98
29 January '07

LEADING OFF. Scrum Lords
By Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter

It was the best of times, it was the worst of timesŠ

I doubt Charles Dickens was a football fan. But that oft-quoted passage from "A Tale of Two Cities" comes to mind this time of year --- the football post-season where the stakes are higher, tempers shorter and the elbows sharper.

The post-game antics of field photographers after a Super Bowl never fails to produce some kind of controversy and discussion. Whether it's photographers storming the bench before the game is over or getting arrested after jumping over the ropes that security personnel have strung up to keep us off the field, there is always something.

As the game clock winds down, many photographers make their way to the team benches, while others sling their long lenses over their shoulders and put on the widest lens they have.

Now don't get me wrong. I love what I do and I especially enjoy covering sports, no matter the size or scope of the game. And the Super Bowl believe me is THE Big Game in this country no matter what the NBA, MLB, the Olympics or Little League World Series may say. Any Sports Shooter worth their Chili's gift cards joneses for those big events and the Super Bowl is the biggest by far.

But each year at the Super Bowl (and a number of other Big Games) we embarrass ourselves and endanger players, coaches and our fellow photographers with the floating mosh pit we create on the field chasing after that elusive wide angle, in-your-face photograph.

Maybe it's because I was never a "wide-angle-lens-in-the-face" kind of photographer that I never understood that mentality and never really thought the photographs from the end of game scrum were very good. But for some reason, editors have it in their heads that a photograph of a player or coach surrounded by dozens of pushing, shoving, screaming photographers has a "newsy" look to it.

Obviously players and coaches are not crazy about the idea of photographers (and TV camera pointers) invading the field --- "their house" --- and a lot has been made of a recent incident where New England head coach Bill Belichick shoved a photographer at the end of the Patriots playoff win over the Jets (http://tinyurl.com/3cekgf).

If you watch the video clip (seemingly looped over and over and over on sports highlight shows) you have to ask yourself: What rational human being would want to jump into that? Yes everyone wanted to get a frame of Belichick with Jet's head coach Eric Mangini, a former Pats assistant. But in the CHAOS of that situation how could a good, compelling, story-telling moment be made?

And for that matter, just the presence of all of the photographers crowding around, back-peddling on the field turned what would have been a nice, emotional moment between mentor and student, into an ugly mess Š both photographically and logistically.

(To Belichick's credit he contacted the photographer to apologize, later telling a local radio station "I do feel bad about that. I really didn't mean to hit him up high there. I was trying to just push him out of the way and get to Eric. It wasn't Š it certainly wasn't called for, so I Š I wish that hadn't happened." And to the photographer's credit, he was very classy and did not fuel the fires by making a big deal of the incident.)

With all of that said, I had an experience that reminded me that a scrum photo can be everything that I have said it isn'tŠ compelling and tells the story. As the buzzer sounded in USC's recent upset over #10 ranked Arizona in the new Galen Center, the students stormed the court, lifting players into their arms in joyous celebration.

The Trojans had been knocking on the door of the Top 25 basketball ranking off and on all season and 30 points by flashy guard Nick Young assured USC of getting ranked for the first time in years. Within seconds after the final buzzer I saw a scrum forming around Young with students lifting him onto their shoulders carrying him off the court.

I hate Hail Mary shots, but there was no choice. But one of my frames captured the excitement and emotion of the moment (purely by accident I suspect) Š but the difference between this and an end of game football scrum was the people in the photos were players and FANS Š not players surrounded by photographers.

The Sports Shooter Newsletter and SportsShooter.com have weighed in on this topic numerous times. A particularly wild scrum at the end the recent AFC Championship Game is just the latest, prompting this discussion on the ss.com message board: (http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=23462).

I have been ranting on the practice of storming the field after games for years, the first written way back in 1999, the lead of that column was "We nearly killed John Elway."
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/79;
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1079;
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1400;
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/861;
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/401

What set me off on this admittedly over-worked topic, were a couple of incidents that I saw during the end of the BCS Championship Game in Arizona a couple of weeks ago.

With Florida blowing out Ohio State, the photographers in my end zone quadrant were all thinking "Gatorade Dunk" pretty early in the 4th quarter. Florida head coach Urban Meyer had been marching up and down the sidelines throughout the game and we all had a great, clean angle on him using 400mm and 600mm lenses.

A question I asked photographers near me early in the 4th quarter: What is the protocol for the sports drink dumping in a blowout like this? Is it 5 minutes on the game clock? Is it 2 minutes? There's no chance Ohio State's coming back, so is it rude to do this celebratory ritual too early?

Sure enough, with about 6 minutes on the game clock I started to see photographers wandering around the Florida bench. Wow! Six minutes to go on the clock and photographers are already standing around the bench!

Our next reaction was "HeyŠwe're going to get screwed!" All we could think of was all of those photographers would blocked us when they get in front of Meyer with wide angle lenses as he got dunked.

As the clocked ticked down to about 40 seconds we could see a large Gatorade jug making its way from the bench and being lifted in the air Š and those of us shooting long lens in the end zone lucked out because Meyer and a player he was hugging at the time turned and started to walk our way as the they got doused. It was a nice clean shot, tight with a long lens.

But what really got me thinking about the mess we create at the end of football games was when I got swallowed up by the scrum as Meyer was heading back to the Florida side of the field after making his obligatory handshake with Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. I was at midfield, turned around and literally found myself 3 feet in front of Meyer! I got off about 8 frames Š with the wide angle of course Š but the photos were certainly not "newsy" looking nor storytelling and far from compelling.

As Meyer passed me I heard two photographers SCREAMING and threatening each other behind me a few feet:
"Hey asshole! You pushed me."

"No, you pushed me first!"

"I'm going to kick your ass!"

"Screw you!"

When I turned to look to see what has happening, I saw that the photographers arguing were two good friends of mine. Though they don't know one another, it was sad to see two great guys put into a situation that prompted this heat-of-battle altercation.

So as I get ready to head off to South Florida and Super Bowl XLI I am feeling the excitement that I always get before going to a Big Game but I am also getting that creeping feeling of dread: "The best of times Š and the WORST of times."

* * *

Sports Shooter v. 98 features two articles on the how two college photographers, Kristin Nichols of the University of Florida and Matthew Hashiguchi of Ohio State University covered their respective schools' march to the National Championship Game.

Sports Illustrated's Robert Beck wants to get all of you who have bugged him about using Pocket Wizards to trigger multiple cameras on a single set of strobes. Paul Myers checks in with his regular Preaching To The Choir column. Chris Large writes about a recent assignment in Fiji, shooting on the set of a movie being filmed there. Zach Honig contributes his regular tech column, Batteries Not Included.

The Sports Shooter Academy IV will take place in April. For more details, check the workshop page on SportsShooter.com: http://www.sportsshooter.com/workshops.html. And keep in mind that the deadline for the Sports Shooter Newsletter Annual Contest is Super Sunday, Feb. 4. There are lots of great prizes contributed by Roberts Distributors, Samy's Camera and Versa-Flex. You can't win unless you enter!

So sit back, crank up the sound on Maceo Parker's "Life on P***t Grove" CD, adjust the contrast on your monitor Š and enjoy Sports Shooter v. 98!

* * *

Covering The BCS Championship Game - From the Florida Perspective

By Kristin Nichols, University of Florida

I thought I was the luckiest college shooter ever after the Gators won the NCAA basketball championship almost a year ago. I'd been shooting for less than a year, and I'd covered a national championship. I really never dreamed I'd be doing it again so soon, especially on turf grass instead of pinewood.

I do have to admit something, though. At the start of this season, I'd never shot football before. I'd watched it on TV; I thought I was ready to go. I distinctly remember the first game, against Southern Miss. The line up, the snap... the realization that I had no idea where the ball went behind all those 250-pound padded men without the TV camera following it.

I watched football a lot more proactively after that Š a lot of football, for that matter.

I'm being a bit dramatic, I admit. I settled into the job fairly quickly, got my bearings, and had a great time covering the team this season. The Gators did a great job ofŠ wellŠ barely squeaking by half the time. Hey, they got the job done, right? I'll leave the in-depth discussion of their game play to the writers (heaven knows they've done enough of it) but I will say that as a Gator myself, there were a few nail-biters. And a few moments where I'm happy I had my camera to hide a smile behind. Objectivity and all that, you know.

Honestly, at the end of the regular season I was looking forward to the Capital One Bowl. No, really. Arkansas looked good, very good, and I figured we'd watch them hand the Gators a nice trip to Orlando. It was halftime at the SEC championship, with Florida ahead by 10, when I was clustered around a small TV with a dozen other journalists that UCLA handed USC a 13-9 defeat, and on the drive home from Atlanta when my travel companions and I heard that Florida had the #2 ranking in the coaches' poll. It was looking more and more real by the minute, so by the time the official announcement came, I wasn't too surprised. Thrilled, but not too surprised anymore.

Making travel plans is always interesting as a monetarily challenged college student. The sort of publications we tend to work for tend not to have much in the way of budget, so there's always this flurry of "who's got a room?" and "who's sleeping on the floor?" and "Daddy, can I use your frequent flier miles?" (Okay, maybe the guys don't pull the Daddy's-little-girl card. I can't say for sure.)

Luckily there are some very kind and understanding folks around here with 'real' jobs and I was offered an actual bed for the week in Arizona and managed to work out a p*** ticket with some help from my folks. The kindness of others is something I hope I never overlook or undervalue, no matter where I am in life.

Arizona was like nothing I'd ever seen before. The saguaro cacti actually had arms! Just like in the pictures! I've traveled extensively and for me to be that wide-eyed over a cactus was a novelty. And for a girl from The Swamp - they don't call it that for no good reason - the lack of humidity was pretty terrible, I admit. It was beautiful though, and there were a few evenings watching the sun set over one set of mountains and the moonrise above the ones behind me that I felt pretty happy to be alive.

I must say that the BCS folks took very good care of us out there. Almost to excess, in my opinion. The hotel - no, resort - we were at was top-notch, there was food at every turn, and the hospitality suite and its open bar every nightŠ well. What happens in Glendale, stays in Glendale, right? Just keep the Tostitos away for a while. I haven't quite recovered my appetite for tortilla chips yet.

The week in Arizona was fun, but there was something else we were there for besides gawking at cacti and drinking. We had a police escort to the stadium the day of the game, and I suppose people assume that anyone arriving in four straight busses with police in front and behind must be important, so I got my first Rock Star crowd greeting.

I realized as soon as I got there - four hours early - that I should have gotten there six or seven hours early, as I nabbed one of the last spots in the end zone (having not realized that people actually taped off spots for big football games, oops).

Being stuck in one spot for the entire game was difficult for me with my little 300mm, but you have to make the best out of any situation, and any time the action was just too far away, there was always the small contingent of rabidly happy Florida fans behind me to shoot.

The only real shock was the after-game situation on the field. Standing behind a rope while some dude with a bright red BCS ON FOX shirt stood three feet in front of Urban Meyer and the trophy, blocking our collective view, was frustrating. So was being held back from any shots of the team w/ the trophy, or any of the other "made for TV" specials. Sure, they're posed shots, but they're posed shots my editors sure would have loved to see, and I hated having to say "sorryŠ don't have 'em."

I saw people back in the workroom that I already knew from back homeŠ people I know from the Sports Shooter Academy I attended last Fall, like The Man Bert Hanashiro, himselfŠ people it'd be hard NOT to recognize from SportsShooter.com, notably Mark RebilasŠ basically, a whole lot of people I look up to and respect gathered into one small, uncomfortably warm, undeniably sweat-scented room with a male to female ratio of probably 20 to 1.

The camaraderie is one of the things I value most about this job, though. The number of people who remembered me from previous events and greeted me with a smile blows my mind, and very few people - even ones I don't know - treated me like a kid just because I'm younger than anyone else out there.

Being in the middle of it all just made me proud to do what I do, really. I think it's sometimes easy to get discouraged when you're just starting out, and for me being able to go out to an event like this and work next to some of the top pros is more than enough inspiration to keep at it and try and reach that level myself.

I had to really push myself to keep on top of my game out there, since I was the only shooter from my publication, and had to be aware of when everything was going to happen and be sure to be there. I don't think I stepped on too many toes, and if I did, I think I apologized for all of them! To all of you whom I met out there in Glendale and Scottsdale: Thanks for all of the advice, the heads-ups, and the help. I feel like I came back to Gainesville a much stronger shooter and with a lot of valuable experience being on the road.

(Kristin Nichols is a student at the University of Florida and contributes to the Independent Florida Alligator. She attended Sports Shooter Academy III in Nov. 2006. You can view some of her work at her SportsShooter.com member page: http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=5705)

* * *

Covering the BCS Championship Game - From the Ohio State Perspective
By Matthew Hashiguchi, Ohio State University

It was Friday morning, 9AM. Four hours earlier we were boarding a rickety Southwest Airliner that stunk of whiskey and occasionally echoed the letters spelling out Ohio. Four hours before that we were finishing the layout for the next days Lantern. We were now in Phoenix, Arizona and late for media day.

This was a big trip for us four college journalists. Two photographers, two writers, four days, a national championship and a budget from Ohio State that could have afforded 3 months rent in Glendale, AZ.

We all had high hopes of the Buckeye's in Arizona. I think everyone did. The football team had an incredible year. There was constant action by Antonio Pittman, Ted Ginn and Troy Smith. Those three players alone probably made the job of every photographer on the field easier. They gave us so much to work with, so many chances for a great shot. As a photographer for the Ohio State student newspaper, I was expecting to see something good in Glendale.

We stayed at the Camelback Resort in Scottsdale. It's an incredible place, resembling a village more than a resort. On more than one occasion, I found myself portraying the role of the local idiot, lost and walking in circles while trying to find my room.

The resort is lodged between mountains and hills resembling the head and hump of a camel. One night we even saw a helicopter hovering above the mountains. Its searchlight was beaming down into the trees, searching for lost hikers. I was told by a local man in a cowboy outfit that it's not unusual to see these helicopters searching for lost people.

I was amazed at the service we received at the Camelback Resort. I'm used to living in Columbus, Ohio where I sleep on a futon and eat sausage soup everyday. I wake up in the mornings to the sight of my own warm breath mixing with the cold air. My water stays heated for only twenty minutes. My bathroom sink doesn't drain. And I don't have room service.

Camelback was self-cleansing, supplied free Internet, breakfast, transportation, warm water, heat and a real bed. The bed was so comfortable I fell asleep multiple nights lying above the covers wearing nothing but a robe.

The days leading up to the game were grueling, but fun. We were working on little sleep, Domino's Pizza and Tostitos Chips. We went out everyday to find pictures and people to help tell our story. Everything in Arizona was so spread out we had to take a 30 minute drive in a taxi or media shuttle just to get to an event.

I enjoyed the festivities leading up to the game the most. Going out into the community allowed me to meet many local people and eat the local food. It was from these community events that I took my best photographs. They reveal what was going on. This trip wasn't just about a football game. It was a weekend long celebration filled with pep rallies, block parties, music and late nights.

Nighttime was downtime for most of the media. There was a hospitality suite that had all the Budweiser, liquor and chips one could want. It was usually packed with sports writers and photographers from around the United States. It seemed to be more of a reunion; everyone knew everyone and the conversations never ended. Two Sporting News photographers told me that the sports media is more of a family. I definitely saw it. Everyone is there is help each other. There may be some healthy competition but there is no bad blood or evil intention. I see it as more of a traveling circus. The close bonds and friendships are there, but they know how to have fun and not take themselves too seriously. It's a great environment to be in and I hope to be part of it someday.

Then came game day. It was bittersweet. I wanted the weekend to last forever. Flying back to freezing Columbus on a cramped airp*** was the last thing I wanted to do. But I was lucky just to be here. Ohio State was fortunate enough to have an amazing football team and I was fortunate enough to be working for Ohio State's newspaper, The Lantern. We were four rookie journalists who were able to work alongside professional photographers and writers. We were able to see how these events are carried out and how the top dogs get the job done. I learned a lot.

The game was a total disappointment, both as an Ohio State fan and a photographer. My most powerful lens is a 70-200mm. We aren't given a whole lot to work with at The Lantern. I was in the corner of the Florida Gator end zone and had a range of about thirty yards. The only action I saw was Troy Smith fumbling the ball and getting sacked.

There was one shot that I was determined to get. I wanted a victory shot of the coach (preferably Jim Tressel) or a player (preferably Troy Smith) holding the championship trophy. For about a month before the game I was figuring out my strategy for getting the picture. When the final seconds counted down I was torn between being a bummed out Ohio State fan and a photographer. I felt too disappointed to work. Instinctively, I kicked my own ass and ran onto the field as an impartial photographer. I tried to get a mix of both Ohio State players and Florida players. It was a rush being on the field and I got the victory shot I had wanted, only it was the wrong team.

Even though Ohio State lost, it was a great weekend. I captured many great moments with my camera, on and off the field. I met a man who went by the name "Wolfman" and demanded that I chest bump him. I met many photographers and many kind local people. I threw hatchets at bails of hay, met a cowboy and met a woman who continuously yelled "Yee-Haw!" after handing out shots of tequila.

All four of us Lantern employees worked very hard. At times when we didn't know what to do, we followed the example of the pros. It was an incredible learning experience and I think we told a great story of Glendale. All the other media people treated us as equals. Sometimes as a student, you can't help but think of yourself as being inferior to the professionals. Regardless of rank, I believe I worked just as hard as any other photographer. My goal was to tell a story of the whole weekend, not just of the game. And I believe I did so.

(Matthew Hashiguchi is a student at Ohio State University and is the assistant photo editor of The Lantern. You can see a sampling of his photography at his SportsShooter.com member page: http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=6057)

* * *

How To: Five Angles of One Play On A Single Set of Strobes
By Robert Beck, Sports Illustrated

OBJECTIVE: Fire 2-5 cameras simultaneously AND have each one syncing up with one set of strobes.

RESULT: Each camera records a beautifully lit image at exactly the same instant giving you/your editors 2-5 different angles of the same stupendous play.

This season I have had many requests about how I get the Multi Max radios to fire multiple cameras synched into one set of strobes. Here is how and why. I/we (the fabulous Double K) use this set-up when we shoot basketball games. It is a much thriftier way of shooting than with the Flash Wizard system. It may not have all of the bells and whistles BUT it achieves the same objective at nearly (sometimes better according to my editors) success rate. I CANNOT GUARANTEE HOW THIS WILL WORK FOR YOU. There are a lot of little things you need to do when setting this system up. Forget to do one of the little things and it will in all likelihood, fulksdhjvferhchkck your entire shoot.

The King of the K and I usually set up three to five remote cameras on this system. They are set up for action at the other end of the court. Something like an overhead, a floor, a glass, a post and some wildcard position depending on the arena. The arena, by the way, is always a wildcard in how the system works. Some are better than others. Sacramento has been our worst. The system works in there but there are gremlins that hamper its effectiveness. Most other places are pretty darn kind to us.

OkayŠHere we go! Each camera will need a radio. The lights will need a radio. I use another radio hooked up to a Radio Shack Special (a $2.99 sewing machine footswitch that is no longer sold by them but CAN be found at some stores) to fire the system. Lenses play an important part to the system. Some work better than others. I have found that "slower" lenses are better for some reason Š i.e. f/2.8. You will have to experiment with your lenses to see how compatible they are. By the way, I use this system with the Canon 1D, 1Ds, Mark II and Mark IIN bodies. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY WORK WITH OTHER CAMERAS.

So, you've got a radio on the hotshoe of each body with the lens attached and an LPA pre-release motor drive cord plugged into the body and the #2 (flash) port on the top of the radio. Set the MD cord to pre release. You are now going to lag the camera. It best to lag a camera with the lens on it that will be on it during the game and set to the aperture that you will be shooting that lens.

The cameras do not all need to be set to the same aperture. Orientate the lens in the same game situation orientation (i.e. vertical or horizontal or facing straight down etc) and set the shutter speed to 250. Set the autofocus function to 0/zero (that is custom function #4 that sets the autofocus to the front/shutter button) and turn the autofocus off on the lens. If the success rate of this system is 80%, you can raise it to 90% by fabricating a widget to keep the depth of field preview button pushed in while you are lagging the camera AND during the game. In essence, this means the camera does not have to spend precious time stopping down the lens. It is already open to what it will be shooting at.

If the camera is going to be running off of AC (plugged into some outlet for its power suppleŠand this, again, is recommended as it is a much more reliant and consistent power draw) plug it in to lag. If you are using a regular battery, make sure it is fresh and keep checking it during the game as the camera will be "on" at all times, therefore drawing power all of the time.

OkayŠGot all of that done? Now let's lag.

(Footnote: Your radio at the lights should not be turned on at this point. You do not need the lights to fire to lag the camera.)

The camera is on. While holding down the "C" key, turn the radio on to receive. At this point, it does not matter what channel the radio is set to. BUTŠMake sure that ALL RADIOS ARE SET TO THE SAME CHANNEL FOR THE GAME. When the main screen comes up, press MENU>A>A>C. You are now at the screen where you set the delay/lag for that specific camera. It should say ".1500" at this point. Push the "L" button and the camera will fire and that number will change. If it does not, run through your set-up checklist. Press the "L" button 5-10 times. Read that number each time the camera fires. It should be very consistent if not the same every time you fire it. Again, if it is not, run through your checklist. If you have set everything up correctly, it might be an incompatible lens. Consistency is the key. Read-outs should look something like this:
.0632
.0633
.0632
.0666
.0632
.0632
.0634
.0633
.0632

You do not want them to look like this:
.0632
.0632
.0795
.0944
.0455
.0752
.0635
.0698
.0632

After 5-10 button pushes, your lag will be looking pretty good. At this point, hit menu and you will see your lag /delay time in the window. You can now turn the radio and the camera off if you wish. When you turn the radio back on, make sure you do not reset it. It will memorize your lag time. (Another footnoteŠI have sometimes found that if a lens has not been used for a while, it needs to be fired off a few times to "loosen" up. Keep that in mind before you lag it.) LAG EACH CAMERA IN THIS MANNER.

Now set the cameras in their positions. The radio does not need to be on the hotshoe at this point. You can purchase MD cord extensions at Radio Shack to place the radios in optimum locations if you so desire. Extension cords come in various lengths and are good to keep in your bag. Turn the radios and the cameras on. Place a radio (set to receive) at the lights. Manually set the delay on the radio to .1480 (Menu>A>A>C and use the up/down arrows to set the number). Turn your trigger radio on to transmit and make sure ALL RADIOS ARE ON THE SAME CHANNEL.

When you fire the trigger radio, all of the cameras and the lights should fire. If you want to check a camera you must turn the pre-release off and remove the widget holding the depth of field button in. After you marvel at the images you are getting, make sure you turn the pre-release back on and replace the widget that holds the depth of field button in.

YOU WILL FORGET BITS AND PIECES OF THIS WHEN WORKING. Being thorough in preparation is the best way to make this work. Good luck.

(Robert Beck is a staff photographer with Sports Illustrated based in Southern California. He and his trusty sidekick Double K can been seen covering a variety of sports throughout the west and stopping at Original Tommy's along the way. You can view his work at his personal website: http://www.robertbeckphotography.com/ and at his SportsShooter.com member page: http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=535)

* * *

Boot Camp in Fiji
By Chris Large

I'm sitting in my home office, editing a recent shoot when the phone rings. It's a producer friend of mine.

"I've got a feature - October, five weeks in Fiji ... you interested?"

It took me all of about three seconds (not wanting to appear over eager) to respond in the positive. Note to self - next time ask what the show is about, what the conditions are, where the shooting will be. But what the heck - five weeks in Fiji ... gotta be cool!

And so begins the most difficult, the most challenging, the most exotic show I've ever done.

Packing my gear and luggage took a long time. I had to travel relatively light but needed to have enough gear and supplies to last me the whole time as Fiji isn't noted for having high end camera stores. My transport of choice is Think Tank Photos' Airport Addicted Security roller. All my basic gear - three bodies, two zooms, four primes, flash, meter, blimp (sound proof case that allows me to shoot while the scene is being shot without camera noise being recorded), spare batteries and chargers fit in the bag and by taking it as carryon I know I can shoot right away. Forget what you hear about no problems with this bag. Size is not an issue but weight is. I was challenged on three out of four flights about weight and had to do some serious pleading to get on board with it. On the return flights I didn't bother with it but rather used a Pelican 1610 case as checked baggage.

The first day of shooting was maybe the worst day of shooting in my life. The location, Club Masa (a very well known surfing area) on the Coral Coast had been receiving rain for the week prior to the shooting crew's arrival and was a foot deep in mud. Gear was hauled from the main staging area (a series of containers and tents) through the jungle to a quiet spot in a small bay. We shot there in the rain, and then headed back through dense rain forest. The rain stopped and the bugs started. We hacked our way through the jungle onto a series of sand dunes leading to the actual beach. The rain had stopped but the wind picked up - 60 mph blowing the sand so hard that it hurt the skin and etched eyeglasses and lenses. We stopped for lunch and then did the reverse route. So much for day one.

The rest of the movie except for two days was all at the same location, a camp for troubled teens - sort of a boot camp, which had been built just off the beach. We had tropical storms, sand storms, mosquitoes, coconut beetles (poisonous) and the number one cause of accidental death in Fiji - falling coconuts. We had a local who would either climb the trees or use a long pole every day to knock down any loose coconuts.

On the plus side, the images were great - rain, lightning, burning tents, 15' oceans, car explosions and mud all made for great shots. The local workers, the people in the villages, our hotel staff were all the very best, the most gracious, most generous and the happiest people you could imagine and made all the hardships worthwhile.

The cast was all-unbelievable in so many ways. Mila Kunis (the 70's Show) and Greg Smith (Everwood) put up with everything and kept on smiling. They were wet, cold, sunburned, windblown and generally beat up but never ever complained.

The gear:
I shoot Canon and use 20D's and a 5D. I don't need the higher frame rate and all my bodies use the same remote control and fit into my blimp. I also brought one of the new Panasonic DMC FZ50. I liked the idea of having a camera that was totally silent, small, and I could use in really awful (read sandstorms & surf) conditions and keep it in a Ziploc under my jacket. It turned out to be a great choice. Good images, easy to use even with just the lens sticking out of the baggie and not nearly as hard to replace as a 5D. The only drawback was the slooooow write time on RAW files so I used it only in the Jpeg mode. Lenses were the 70-200 2.8 L, the 24-105 L, 28, 35, 50, 90 primes. Most of the time I had the long zoom on the 20D, short zoom on the 5D. This gave me an effective lens of 24 to 300 because of the difference in sensor size. I made it a practice to never change lenses on the beach.... just not worth the risk.

After day one, I gave up on the Airport Addicted. Just not enough protection for my gear. I ordered a Pelican 1610 from Panavision in New Zealand and had it there by day four. The best purchase I've made in years. I bought a heavy-duty two-wheel dolly and I was set for the sand, the mud, and the rain. I highly recommend the Pelican.

The workflow:
I have enough CF cards that I don't have to download during the day, even shooting 500 plus RAW images per day so I didn't have to worry about things till back in the hotel. Occasionally the weather would cooperate, and I'd be close enough to our base container that I'd download cards at lunch but normally I'd wait till later.

Once I got back to our resort.... a wonderful place call Tambua Sands I'd hit the restaurant with my PowerBook and download as I had a late supper. I ingest with Photo Mechanic onto my laptop as well as onto a portable 80G fire wire hard drive. This gave me a back up of everything before I did my first edit. After the ingest I would do a very fast edit in PM, culling the shots I knew should never see the light of day. I would the rename & renumber the images then copy them to another external HD plus make two DVD's. One DVD would go to our office and be FEDEXED to Los Angles while the other would stay in my room. This gave me five backups - my laptop, one HD with the original shots, one HD with my edit and two DVD's. Perhaps overkill but I sleep better knowing that I'm covered.

I shoot in RAW and Jpeg whenever I can. Some action sequences dictate a large buffer and higher frame rate so I do occasionally shoot Jpeg only. And when using the Panasonic I shot Jpeg. Compromises have to be made sometimes.

We shot for five weeks in Fiji, and then back home to Canada for a week of scenes, that in the movie would set the stage for the camp in Fiji. Mainly interiors but a few exteriors and our run of luck with the weather was true to form. Night exteriors, the streets of Calgary (doubling for Denver) and a temperature of -15C with a wind chill equaling -40.... the coldest I've ever shot in. Not sure which was worse.... snow and wind or sand and wind.

The movie is all done now & in the editing stages in Montreal. The working title was "Straight Edge" but I'm hearing it will be changed to "Boot Camp" before released. It'll be out in a year or so and by that time I'll have forgotten all the problems and think only the good thoughts.... the sunrises and sunsets, the awesome locals we met, the incredible cast & crew, the weekends off going snorkeling, the great local beer (Fiji Bitter).

My cameras are back from Canon service (cleaning and the replacement of one front lens element). I've done another movie since then but I find myself looking at the pictures and thinking.... hhhmmmm the producers have another show there in 2007...I think I'd like to do it.

(Chris Large is a freelance photographer who shoots movie and television stills. Chris is based in Western Canada. You can see more of his images on his SportsShooter.com member page: http://www.sportsshooter.com/clphoto)

* * *

PREACHING TO THE CHOIR
White and Black
By Paul Myers, Brooks Institute of Photography

White (lies)

The most insidious of all are the little ones. The ones that deal in the subtlest changes of meaning. The ones that skew a set of circumstances into a certain light. They never leave the realm of truth but instead violently transform it into a realm of opinion.

Again, these are the white ones.

In photojournalism this destruction of truth is most effectively accomplished when writing a caption and misrepresenting the life experience photographed through a subtle shifting of meaning.

Truth is dismissed because it is without drama. Pure in its complications, it is easily swayed for one's purpose or another.

The potential violence or joy of a particular image lies in the hermeneutics of the emotive knowledge of that image; specifically it resides in the ways the audience always already accesses images through the flow of their own life experiences (the ever-forming present-past-present-future-present of consciousness).

Images are ambivalent.

We greet images by ourselves, alone with our life experiences while standing in front of them on the wall or leafing through a publication. The meeting between a photograph and its audience is specific to the life of the audience as evident in the emotions that spring forth in the viewing moment.

Because the ambivalence of an image is lost in the viewing moment, images are often called violent. This misnomer arises because images are sometimes used as acts of violence, directed against people, cultures, sight, beauty, race, age, religion and most everything human or relating to humanity. However, they are violent because they are directed with discursive contextual support in spite of their inherent ambivalence.

Images do not speak for themselves; they are non-discursive so we provide them with a discursive context. Captions are the discursive context common in photojournalism appearing as the who, what, when, where, why and how of the situation. We write this information so that images might "make sense" and appear to answer questions. Rather, photographs are most effective as questions of answers.

There are no "good" images. There are no "violent" images. There are good and violent audiences totally transfixed and transformed by their immediate relation to the images with which they are faced. It is in these interactions we find the catalytic potential of an image. It is here that the sum of all these objects made symbols, the content of a photograph, and the experiential residues of our memory combine and enable themselves to overcome the limitations of themselves in a moment of total annihilation that is the implosion of everything already past and yet to come; and, that is in this moment unique, utopia.

Black (magic)

"Is this a problem or an opportunity?" a master taught hundreds of us each with this single lesson through the years.

And we are capable of all this with every single photographic exposure.

There is a place where I go when I take pictures. Leaving this world and the materials of my surroundings I enter another space where I am vulnerable in my way of seeing. The laughter and agony, the tortures and miracles of humanity are undeniable. Once there I look around and notice that there is no end to this universe. Life is.

I rejoice and photograph.

Every exposure is a hope, an active hope. Photographs are decisive statements in the form of light commenting on life and professing love.

Remember your best teacher?

What was it about that person? Why do they outshine the sun in your memories? In your actions, interactions, your hopes and dreams?

Every student needs a master: one does not exist without the other.

Without a master there is no light.

Without a master there are no photographs.

The master provides the canvas for the mind's eye.

The master's actions inspire the seeds of creation in hearts and minds so that in the student's actions the master's love blossoms.

Every action of the master is honed towards creation.

Compassion reigns.

And what is compassion but the ache in your guts wrenching you to the point that you are forced to act? This is what it means where it is written that he felt compassion for the people: he was forced to act because he saw and felt.

Compassion is a creative force that springs forth as an active hope.

An action, an interaction: a sharing.

Sharing is the miracle of miracles.

And with each exposure the photographer decides whether or not to create for humanity.

It is a simple truth.

At times it is a must need.

I must share with you what I see.

Is this a problem or an opportunity?

(Paul Myers is a faculty member of the Visual Journalism Program at Brooks Institute of Photography in Ventura, CA. Prior to his arrival at Brooks, Myers worked for a variety of publications including newspapers in Freeport, IL and Marysville, CA.)

* * *

BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED
Let it Glow
By Zach Honig, University of Missouri

Prints adorn the paint chipped walls of my bedroom - though the first each person notices is a photo of New Hampshire's fall colors. A decent image, it's certainly not my best work. Standing alone, it could never incite the look of astonishment seen on the face of each visitor. Truly extraordinary, however, is what lies behind the 12x18-framed print: an impossibly thin source of completely uniform light.

The PhotoGlow backlit picture frame's intuitive design is a result of optical physicist Ed Sinofsky's years of experience designing similar devices for use in the medical industry. The device, simple in concept, is essentially a miniaturized fluorescent light box. Powered off, the PhotoGlow frame is indistinguishable from a standard framed print - assuming you fail to notice the super thin power cord, which you likely will. The device, which is less than one inch thick, is no heavier than a quality picture frame, and mounts just as easily.

Ed Sinofsky, who currently holds 48 patents, most in the medical applications of light, earned his Ph.D. in Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona in 1984. Now living in Cape Cod, Sinofsky, who wanted to explore the artistic side of his career, founded PhotoGlow, Inc. in 2003.

Sinofsky's frames range in size from the 5x7 "desktop darling" to a 24x36 wall mounted unit with prices ranging from $79 to $399 respectively. Other costs to consider are the custom made PhotoGlow print media ranging in price from 89 cents per 5x7 sheet sold in packs of ten to $12 dollars per 24x36 sheet sold in packs of five. You can also upload an image file and receive your print along with your frame in the mail. A 5x7 print costs $5.99, and you'll pay up to $45.99 for a 24x36 print.

I purchased my frame along with a print, and I'd say the option is advantageous for several reasons: My print arrived looking just as expected - there were no surprise color deviations*, crops, or pixilation. Images are printed on PhotoGlow media using high quality pigment-based inks, so prints will last much longer than with dye-based inks. The print I received is so sharp that many people mistake the frame for an LCD screen. If you like to change things up once in a while, it's easy to swap prints through the rear of the unit.

Although very durable, the frame is still susceptible to damage. Unfortunately, I only have one PhotoGlow to play with, so I'm not going to destroy the thing, but Sinofsky tells me a drop from the wall would result in damage no less devastating than that with a laptop dropped from the same height.

The PhotoGlow isn't perfect - but try finding me something that is. My frame was expensive - the 7lb., 1-inch thin, 16x22 inch frame (matted to 12x18) cost $175 including a print, $15 dimmer switch accessory, and shipping charges. One thing that really irks me about my PhotoGlow is that in order to change the brightness (you need the dimmer option to do this), you have to remove the unit from the wall - though Sinofsky is currently working on a solution to implement in future PhotoGlows. Despite the unit's power cord being long and thin, I'd still like the freedom of battery power. Be on the lookout - Sinofsky says a battery powered PhotoGlow may be available in the not-so-distant future.

If you're interested in purchasing a PhotoGlow, you can do so on their website at http://www.photoglow.com. Despite 3500 frames sold in the first four years of business, PhotoGlow remains a one-man show. You can email the inventor, assembler, and tester at ed@photoglow.com. SportsShooter.com members are entitled to a 10% discount on all products - use "sportsshooter" in the promo field during checkout.

*I noticed that with my PhotoGlow print, blacks appear as a dark gray. This has more to do with the fact that a small amount of light can still shine through rather than a printing defect. An easy work around to the problem is to layer two identical prints - this helps darken the blacks without losing much brightness overall.

(Zach Honig is a self-proclaimed techno geek and is attending the University of Missouri. You can check out his work at: http://www.sportsshooter.com/zach and at his personal website: http://www.honigphoto.com)

* * *

Sports Shooter News & Notes
Sports Shooter Contest Adds Versa-Flex As Sponsor, Deadline Feb. 4, 2007
Versa-Flex has joined Robert Distributors and Samy's Cameras in sponsoring the Sports Shooter Newsletter Annual Contest.

Larry Nolan has generously contributed several Versa-Flex products to the cache of prizes, including two Multi-Format Cases, a Lightstand/Tripod Case and their very popular Basketball Chair.

This year's contest will feature five categories, plus the Photo of the Year:
1) Best Action Photo
2) Best No Pro, No College
3) Best Sports feature
4) Best Sports Picture Story
5) Best Student Sports Photo
6) Photograph of the Year

The deadline for the Sports Shooter Annual Contest is midnight (Pacific Time) Super Bowl Sunday Feb. 4, 2007. The contest is being sponsored by Roberts Distributors, Samy's Camera and Versa-Flex.

The Best Action Photo is any image depicting game action on the field of play or within the arena or stadium holding the event.

Best No Pro, No College entries should be images from a sports event that does not involve a professional or major college team. This could be high school, junior college or even little league events.

"Sports Feature" entries can be any image that does center on game action. This category should include photographs of jubilation and dejection as well as portraits.

The Best Student Sports Photo category is open to FULL-TIME students or students working in an internship and have NOT GRADUATED at the time the entry was made. Entries for this category can be any sports - related images, action or feature.

Best Sports Picture Story entries should contain no more than 10 photographs and should have a defined story related to sports or athletes. Photographs should be ordered (labeled) in the way the photographer wants the entry to be viewed. Complete captions are important. "Photo essays" are also eligible to be entered in this category.

The Photo of the Year entries will be gathered from the winners of the other categories and will receive the top prize from Sports Shooter. YOU DO NOT SEND ENTRIES IN FOR THIS CATEGORY.

All entries must have been taken during calendar year 2006.

Who Can Enter:
The Sports Shooter Contest is open to newsletter subscribers and members of SportsShooter.com only.

If you receive the monthly e-mail version of the Sports Shooter Newsletter, you are eligible to enter the contest. If you've been reading Sports Shooter on the web only, you can subscribe via and request to be placed on the mailing list. SportsShooter.com members in good standing are also eligible to enter.

I recommend that you look at previous winners of this contest before entering. To see last year's winners go here: http://www.sportsshooter.com/contest.html

IMAGE PREPARATION
Size:
We recommend all images be prepared in Adobe Photoshop. Images should be sized at 72 DPI with the largest dimension NO LARGER than 15 inches. Files should be saved as JPEGs at a quality setting of 8 (or medium). Check baseline optimized when saving if available.

File Name:
Decide on a unique photographer's code of 4 to 6 letters to be used to label each of your entries. Your entries should be first labeled with the number of the category it's to be entered in: 1 - Best Action Photo; 2 - No Pro, No College; 3 - Best No Ball; 4 - Sports Picture Story; 5 - Student Sports Photo --- followed by your unique code; followed by sequential two-digit numbers corresponding to the number of photos you are entering in that category.

EXAMPLE:
3rodmar01.jpg ("3" = Best No Ball category; "rodmar" is the unique photographer code; "01" indicates it is your first entry in this category.)

ANOTHER EXAMPLE:
4bradm07.jpg ("4" = Sports Picture Story category; "bradm" is the unique photographer code; "07" is the number of the photograph in the picture story.)

Captions:
A complete caption is required for each entry. Your caption should include the location the photo was taken, the date it was shot, ID's and your byline. This information should be written in the "File Info" portion of the image in Photoshop.

EXAMPLE:
Los Angeles, CA - 3/9/2006: Seattle forward Rashard Lewis throws down a slam dunk over Kobe Bryant during the first half of the Supersonic's 142 - 138 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Photo by Rod Mar, The Seattle Times.

Also in the "Caption Writer" field in File Info, type in your e-mail address. This is very important ... your email address must be included within the File Info of your entry!

Submitting your entry:
Entries are to be submitted by e-mail and must be received by midnight (Pacific Time) on Feb. 4, 2007. Entries are limited to 10 per photographer. A picture story counts as a single entry. Email entries to: contest2006@sportsshooter.com.

In the "Subject" field of the email header, type in "Contest Entry" followed by the number of entries attached to the email. For instance if you have 3 entries attached out of 6 total, type in the Subject field: "Contest Entry 3 of 6".

You can enter an image in just one category. For instance, you cannot enter a killer prep football photograph in the "Best Action" category and also enter it in "Best No Ball".

Failure to follow the rules for labeling, captioning and preparing entries will result in disqualification. Files that are sized too large will not be accepted. Send entries to: contest2006@sportsshooter.com.

Double-Check Your Entry
Before e-mailing your entries, please take a few minutes to double check that you've sized your images correctly, have a complete caption in the file info and the entry is labeled correctly. ALSO: Please virus scan your entry.

Failure to follow any of the entry rules will result in the disqualification of your entry. Also if you submit an entry into the wrong category, it is up to the judges' discretion to move it to the appropriate category.

Thanks also to Jody Grober from Robert Distributors and Louis Feldman from Samy's Camera. The details on the judging of the contest will be announced shortly.

* * *
Wisconsin News Photographers Association annual convention
SportsShooter.com member Donald Miralle will be one of the speakers at the upcoming Wisconsin News Photographers Association annual convention March 31, at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Also scheduled to make presentations are: Jim Brandenburg of National Geographic,
Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist David Leeson of The Dallas Morning News and documentary photographer Brenda Ann Kenneally, winner of two NPPA-Nikon Documentary Sabbatical Grants.
"The speaker portion of the annual event
For registration information contact Hoffman at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at mhoffman@journalsentinel.com or see their Web site at http://wnpaonline.com

* * *
Canon Announces Super Bowl Plans
Canon Professional Services will host a luncheon for Super Bowl accredited still photographers from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., Saturday February 3, at The Rusty Pelican at 3201 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne, FL 33149, (305) 361-3818. Photographers may register and pick up an invitation at the Canon trailer, located in the photo media trailer compound outside Dolphin Stadium, beginning Thursday, February 1 through Friday, February 2. An invitation and photographers credential required for the luncheon.

Canon will have service technicians and equipment support available during Super Bowl week beginning Thursday, February 1 through game day at Dolphin Stadium. Hours of service will be posted at the Canon trailer. Contact: Joe Delora (516-328-4833).

* * *
David Burnett to Have First Ever US Sports Gallery Show
SportsShoot.com member David Burnett will have his first-ever gallery show exclusively featuring his sports photography in the Kimball ART Center in Park City, UT.

The show, entitled "Managing Gravity'" will run through March 11 at the center, located at 638 Park Ave. A reception will be held Feb. 3 from 6 - 9PM. "I'd love to see any and all Sports Shooter folks who might happen to be in the area," Burnett writes, "My first all sports show in the States, and I'm really pleased about it. Please come by and say hello!"

For more information, check the gallery's website: http://www.kimball-art.org/currentexhibitions.htm

* * *

Winter - Super Bowl Specials From Penn Camera
By Jeff Snyder

BrrrrrŠ Winter has finally arrived here in the Mid-Atlantic region!

Well, at least for a few days, until I'm set up for all of the credentialed Media in Miami at Super Bowl XLI. Once again, Penn Camera will be in the Media Trailers just outside of Dolphin Stadium.

Colts?? Bears?? The battle of the Mid-WestŠMIAMI here they come!

I'll have all of your last minute, and some not so last minute needs----As well as last years Super Bowl tradition, Maryland Crab Soup, so stop by the trailer for some refreshments!

Now a few notes for February:
Canon's Cash Back Rebate program is in effect through Feb. 19, 2007. This is a great program for you to save BIG dollars! You can receive up to $600 back on an EOS5D BodyŠContact us for all the details

The NEW LastOLite Ezybox Hotshoe JUST arrivedŠ.The new 15"x15" Ezybox Hotshoe coverts your battery operated tilt head flash gun from a harsh directional light into a soft light, that can then be mounted onto either a light stand or a camera bracket. The Ezybox Hotshoe folds flat too! Softbox for Hotshoe flash.

Features:
1. Adjustable bracket for different sized flashguns.
2. Operates as a Coldshoe.
3. Assembled in a few minutes.
4. Ideal for location use.
5. Can be used on a stand or with camera bracket.

Print images on site? The Shinko CHCS1245S printer is not only perfect for you, but also delivers a gorgeous 8x10 (up to 8x12) in only 30 seconds, and can print 120 per hour. You'll get 280 8x10" prints per roll of material, bringing your cost to under $1.25/per 8x10.

Purchase the Shinko CHSC1245 now, and you will receive a $500 American Express Gift Card! Discounted Paper with your purchase too! We've sold quite a few of these printers around the country, and now at $2995, (not incl. $500 AmEx Gift Card), it practically a no-brainer!

Hiking? Need support for your camera? Or Video Camera? The TrekPod is here!

TrekPod is the unique combination of a lightweight, height-adjustable walking/hiking staff with a fully integrated tripod for cameras, spotting scopes, binoculars and almost any other tripod mountable device (http://www.trek-tech.com/content/mag_suit.php)up to 9 pounds (4 kg) such as photo lights, microphones, laser range finders, etc.

TrekPod is also a height-adjustable, fully functional monopod, which converts between all three functions in just seconds. The TrekPod incorporates an innovative, quick-release, ball head system called (http://www.trek-tech.com/content/magmount.php) MagMount
Check it out here: http://www.penncamera.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=8353
Wimberly Heads and Plates are now in stock! The finest tripod head for your long glassŠhttp://www.tripodhead.com/

Penn Camera is your Video HQ Š Canon's HV10 and XH-A1 are in stock! Call me for details-

PLEASE STOP BY THE TRAILER AT SUPER BOWL XLI. PENN CAMERA WILL BE LOCATED DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE CANON TRAILERŠSEE YOU IN THE WARM SUNSHINE!!

(Jeff Snyder can be contacted at Penn Camera at: 1-800-347-5770 or FAX 301-210-7370; Email: jsnyder@penncamera.com; AOL Instant Messenger: JeffPennCamera. On the web: http://www.penncamera.com.)

* * *

The Colts, The Super Bowl and Sports Shooter Specials From Roberts Distributors
By Jody Grober

Greeting from IndyŠhome of the AFC Champions Š soon to be Super Bowl ChampionsŠit was great to so many of you at the gameŠit was quite an experience for me (first AFC playoff in Indy).

Nikon and Canon are both being very, very closed mouth about the PMA announcements so we will all have to wait.

We have good stock on most things Canon and don't forget that the double rebate program has been extended to February 19thŠ

We have the HyperDrive 120 Gb download device in stockŠonly $299.97 for 120 Gb capacity, 100 Gb worth of download per battery charge and 28 Mb per second through put, CF and SD slots, plus an optional AA external supplyŠit looks like a winnerŠ.

Think Tank Photo Airport Security is IN STOCK!!!!!! The Airport International is also in stock for you puddle jumpers and jet setters!

As you start looking at March Madness we will be stocking up on extra Versa-Flex sideline chairs.

Memory Specials of the Month:
Kingston 2 Gb Ultimate 133X with lifetime warranty at $49.97 each, 10 for $475.00.

Lexar 2 Gb Pro 133X at $69.97 plus an $18.00 mail-in rebate on one card.

SanDisk Extreme III 16 GB CF cardŠin stock at $549.97, if you can't handle the 16 we also have the 12s in stockŠ

Anyone using Nikon NX wants to get more out of it we have the Jason Odell NX DVD that spells it out in plain EnglishŠit is selling at $29.97.

The AquaTech waterproof photo jacket/vest will be here soonŠvery soonŠlook for it at your AquaTech dealers. Same super quality material and workmanship as the rain covers, but this time for your body Š and it won't break the bank.

Need storage, Roberts is now a full line LaCie dealer Š call for pricing.

(Roberts Distributors is located in Indianapolis, IN. Jonathan "Jody" Grober can be emailed at: jgrober@robertsimaging.com. To place an order, call: 1-800-726-5544. You can check out Roberts' online product catalog at: (http://www.robertsimaging.com.)

* * *

Samy's Sports Shooter Specials

By Louis Feldman

The talk is all about The Game Š Super Bowl XLI Š but start thinking about HOOPS!

There is still about half the season to go in both preps, college and the NBA, still plenty of time to either upgrade your remote gear or get a starter kit assembled.

Samy's Camera carries all of the great products from LPA Design's Pocket Wizard radio remote triggers. From the very versatile MultiMAX to the new and improved Pocket Wizard II to remote cords and strobe cords, mounting posts we have it all and in stock. Call now for pricing info. For more details on Pocket Wizard products: http://www.samys.com/browse.php?PHPSESSID=3ec680e2a12547d3ffdb20750a1b490f&mfg=173

No remote kit would be complete without a Bogen Super Clamp --- or two! ---(http://www.samys.com/product_detail.php?item=3366) and a Variable Friction Magic Arm http://www.samys.com/product_detail.php?item=9623. These two items are the basics for setting up remote cameras on the basket or from the stands. Check out Donald Miralle's very good presentation from Sports Shooter Academy III on what the possibilities are with remote cameras: http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/ssacad3_remotes/index.html

Samy's is the leading So Cal authorized Think Tank Photo dealer ... the Airport Addicted backpack and the fabulous Airport Security roller are two of the hottest items going for the sports, news and commercial photographer. We have IN STOCK Think Tank's recently announced new products: The Glass Taxi (the company's first long lens bag), the Airport Check In (a cool brief case designed with the photographer in mind), the Airport Acceleration and Antidote (a smaller versions of the Addicted). Well made, well designed and with the extra touches photographers need and want ...Think Tank products are what the discriminating Sports Shooter is using!
(http://www.samys.com/search.php?MANUFACTURER=Think+Tank&SEARCH_TEXT=&FIRST_RECORD_NUMBER=1)

Your one-stop lighting headquarters is Samy's Cameras. We carry all of the major brands of strobes including: Dyna-Lite, Elinchrom, Speedoton and ProFoto. Exciting news from Hensel for those photographers wanting a fabulous buy on a budget lighting system. Hensel's new Integra Pro 500 monolights feature a 6 - stop range with adjustable output in 1/10th stop increments, built-in slave and a 300-watt modeling lamp. We are offering this new strobe system in a kit with 2 Integra 500 units, 1 softbox, 2 umbrellas, 2 light stands, a carrying case and other accessories. Give us a call for more details.

And for portability when you have that portrait shoot where AC power is not convenient ... check out the Hensel Porty 1200 watt battery system or the very cool Dyna-Lite XP-1100 portable AC power supply.

Remember that Samy's Camera is your one-stop location for everything you'll need to outfit yourself or your staff to enter the new storytelling era or multimedia. From the professional-level Canon XL H1 hi-def video camera (http://www.samys.com/product_detail.php?item=3558) to the budget-priced Panasonic PV-GS300 3CCD compact digital video "palmcorder " (http://www.samys.com/product_detail.php?item=7080) ... we have everything you will need to take that next step in visual journalism. Samy's also has all of the "extras" you'll need ... high capacity batteries, tripods, fluid heads, stabilizer systems, wireless microphones and continuous lighting. Give one of our video specialists a call to discuss your needs and how we can fit them into your budget.

And speaking of video ... location editing is easier than ever with a new, UPGRADED super-speedy laptops from Apple. The recently improved MacBook Pro with the Intel Core 2 Duo processor is THE state-of-the-art portable computing must-have for the new multi-media visual journalist. The MacBook Pro features either a 2.16 GHz or 2.33 GHZ Intel Duo Core processor, 667 MHz bus, TI Mobility Radeon X1600 video card, built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, ExpressCard/34 slot, dual-link DVI video out, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and optical digital and analog audio in/out. Call one of our Apple specialists to talk about your computer needs and availability. http://www.samys.com/browse.php?cat=528&mfg=8. Samy's is a fully authorized Apple reseller and service center.

Remember that Samy's Camera is the largest photographic rental house in Southern California and we have stores in Los Angeles (Fairfax main store), Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Venice and Orange County. http://www.samys.com/rentals.php

Samy's is a proud sponsor of the Sports Shooter Newsletter Annual Contest and the upcoming Sports Shooter Academy IV. For more info on the wonderful educational program held in Southern California, check out this link on ss.com: http://www.sportsshooter.com/workshops.html

Good luck to both the Bears and the Colts in this weekend's Super Bowl!

(Contact Samy's Camera in Los Angeles by calling (323) 938-2420 and ask for an industrial sales representative. Also check out Samy's Specials on SportsShooter.com or Samy's web site at: http://www.samys.com.)

* * *

Acknowledgements
As always, thanks to Special Advisors & Contributors: Deanna & Emma Hanashiro, Brad Mangin, Rod Mar, Trent Nelson, Jason Burfield, Grover Sanschagrin, Joe Gosen, The Photodude, Reed Hoffmann, Paul Myers, Darren Carroll, Zach Honig and Bob Deutsch.

Thanks this month to: Kristin Nichols, Matthew Hashiguchi, Robert Beck and Chris Large.

I welcome any comments, corrections, suggestions and contributions. Please e-mail me at bert@sportsshooter.com.

The Sports Shooter Archives as well as tons of cool resources and information can be accessed through the Internet at http://www.SportsShooter.com.

Use of the content of the Sports Shooter Newsletter is prohibited without the expressed written permission of The Big Kahuna and the author of the article.

Opinions, rants, raves, insults and praise whether intend or not, are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Sports Shooter and public sensibilities.

--

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                     SPORTS SHOOTER ACADEMY IV
       The COOLEST photography event of the year
                                    April 4 - 8, 2007!
              www.sportsshooter.com/workshops.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Sports Shooter v.98