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SPORTS SHOOTER NEWSLETTER #108
2/27/2008
http://www.sportsshooter.com/current.html

LEADING OFF
The February Death March, The Dance and Teamwork
By Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter

February is a month I dread and a month I look forward too.

In my previous life, back at the Visalia Times-Delta, this time of year meant the Farm Equipment Show, regional high school hoop playoffs, a local criterium bike race and the Miss Tulare County Pageant (hey, it was the early 80's!) Š

February 2008 began with the Super Bowl, then slide into the heart of Awards Season: The Grammys and the Academy Awards and then tossed on top of that, a trip to Louisiana for the annual NBA All Star Weekend.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1923


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This issue of Sports Shooter features a rare, behind the scenes look at one of the major photojournalism contests, Picture of the Year International. Brad Mangin writes about the experience and how he handled the dynamics involved in being a part of a judging panel of a major contest.

George Bridges from McClatchy-Tribune Photo Service writes about a method of transmitting photos from the field without a laptop. Don Feria contributes the latest "Sports Shooter Destinations". Robert Beck writes about his trip to Arizona for the Match Play Championships.

This month we debut a new regular feature by Eric Leonard from KFI radio in Los Angeles. Eric will be writing about equipment and other matters related to multimedia. David Honl contributes this month's "In The Bag" feature.

Walter Calahan has a great camera strap he recommends in this month's "Photographer's Toy Box". And Super assistant Shawn Cullen tells us about the joys of assisting Š and what you can learn from the experience.

This month we're rereading some James Lee Burke (in honor of Bob Deutsch's and my recent trip to New Iberia, LA) Š "In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead" and "Sunset Limited". "Live! Worldwide" by Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience is on heavy rotation on iTunes.


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Judging POYi: I am not a moron!
By Brad Mangin

The email arrived on December 21, 2007. Subject: "Invitation to judge POYi." The words that followed stunned me: "Greetings from Pictures of the Year International. My name is Rick Shaw and I am the director for the international photojournalism program. It is my privilege to invite you to participate on the judging panel for the 65th annual Pictures of the Year International competition (Newspaper and General Divisions)."

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news_story.html?id=1924


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On deadline?
No computer?
No problem.
By George Bridges, McClatchy - Tribune Photo Service

So you're on the sidelines covering the game when the big moment happens 10 minutes before your front-page deadline but your computer is up in the press box or off in your car -- or your laptop battery died sending those halftime photos.

You're shooting a big protest and you know you will be walking many miles and there will be clashes between the demonstrators and police. It's no place for lugging a computer.

So how do you get those images back to your office?

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news_story.html?id=1925


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SPORTS SHOOTER DESTINATION
Food, Family, Religion: The Philippines
By Don Feria

Of the many trips I've made over the years to visit family in the Philippines, I've found out that the top three national priorities of my homeland are food, family, and religion. I still have yet to figure out the pecking order of the three, but one thing that stands out is that every meal is an event onto itself, tables stocked with full, hearty, rich food. None of this cereal or breakfast bar stuff in the morning; for breakfast we're talking rice and eggs, sausage, and all the other wonderful stuff to get a morning going right! From there it gets bigger with each meal, with mandatory snack breaks in between. No matter where you are, it's tough to try and get away from the sweet or savory temptation that defines this culture so well. Admittedly, I was in constant surrender to the Mister Donut Choco-Cinnamon treat. At ten cents a pop, how could you resist?

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news_story.html?id=1926


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Observations from the 19th Hole
Chasing Tiger At The Match Play Championships
By Robert Beck, Sports Illustrated.

My best friend, Kohjiro Kinno/assistant extraordinaire, and I just completed five days of chasing Mr. Woods around 126 holes (more or less) at The Gallery at Dove Mountain for the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Where the crank is that? Why just down the road from Tucson in the town of Marana. (A side note: Tucson is the home to La Fuente (great Mexican food) and the No-Tell Motel where adult entertainment is included in the $29.95 per night rate.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news_story.html?id=1927


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AUDIO FILES
New Olympus Audio Recorder
By Eric Leonard
KFI AM-640

The New Year has brought us a new generation of tiny audio recorders perfect for sound gathering for multimedia projects. Tascam, Yamaha, and Olympus models join last year's newest offerings from Sony and Marantz. They all appear to offer better construction, features, and audio fidelity than the MiniDisc, voice, and digital recorders of years past.
                                      
I was particularly curious about the new Olympus recorder as I've used the company's voice recorders for some time as a backup to my main broadcast machine.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news_story.html?id=1928


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IN THE BAG
This is How I Roll
By David Honl
From what I understand, the invention of the wheel probably happened many thousands of years ago somewhere in Mesopotamia, and judging by how hard it's become for me to get out of bed and walk to the coffee pot these days, I figure it was probably thought up by a guy over 40 that needed to make his ever-aging daily life just a little bit easier.

It wasn't until many thousands of years later with the invention of flying machines and sprawling airportropolii that wheels were added to travel trunks and bags, taking the "lug" out of luggage.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news_story.html?id=1930


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PHOTOGRAPHERS TOY BOX
Strap Hanger   
By Walter Calahan

If you're the type of photographer who likes wearing NFL orange bibs emblazoned with corporate logos, then you probably LIKE the wide camera straps that advertise the brand camera you use.

Those of us who prefer a discreet, narrow camera strap that doesn't cut into our neck, nor forces us to be a walking billboard without compensation, then here's the camera strap.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news_story.html?id=1931


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May I Assist You?
By Shawn Cullen

There comes the time when one decides to start assisting before or while getting their start as a photographer.  Everybody needs a start and having been assisting for over 10 years, I do understand the struggles in getting started. 

When starting out as an assistant, be prepared for the fact that you might have to take assisting assignments that you may not have any interest in, just to pay the bills.  I did and sometimes still do!  It does not matter the type or size of the shoot, who the client is, or even the photographer you are working with.  The same amount of maximum effort needs to be put forward. 

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news_story.html?id=1933


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Sports Shooter Annual Contest Judging March 5
By Sports Shooter Staff

The open judging session of the Sports Shooter Newsletter Annual Contest will be held in Wednesday March 5 at the Crowne Plaza Irvine - Orange County Airport Hotel.

The open judging session is being held in conjunction with Sports Shooter Academy V. The judges for the contest are the faculty of SSA V: Wally Skalij, Los Angeles Times, Matt Brown, Southern California freelance photographer, Donald Miralle, Getty Images, Michael Goulding, Orange County Register, Sean Haffey, San Diego Union-Tribune, Myung J. Chun, Los Angeles Times and Sports Shooter founder and USA TODAY staff photographer Robert Hanashiro.

"The open judging session not only be a showcase of some of the best sports photography of the past year but will be a wonderful learning experience for those attending," said Hanashiro.

"The comments, critiques and arguments between the judges are an experience that you won't get in any classroom. The discussion can get pretty lively that's for darn sure," Hanashiro added.

The Sports Shooter Newsletter Annual Contest is sponsored by Lowepro and Adorama.

"Thanks for John Riley from Lowepro and Jeff Snyder from Adorama," said Hanashiro, "We could not hold this fabulous contest and open judging without their help and support. It is a tribute to both of these companies' commitment to photography education that they have decided to help me with this contest.

The open judging session will start at approximately 8:30pm. The Crowne Plaza - Irvine OC Airport is located at 17941 Von Karman Irvine, California 92614 (for directions and a map:
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/LAXIV/transportation).

If you plan on attending this cool, educational event, RSVP Hanashiro at:
bert@sportsshooter.com.
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Late Winter News From Samy's Camera
By Louis Feldman

Sports Shooter Academy V is just a few days away and Samy's Camera is a proud sponsor of this exciting educational program. Samy's is dedicated to the advancement of photography education and inspiration Š good luck and great shooting to the students and pros enrolled in The Academy!

Those of you that are coming to So Cal for The Academy Š or already live here Š drop by one of the many Samy's locations. For a list of our stores, hours, maps and other details, check this link on our website:
http://www.samys.com/stores.php.

(Those attending SSA V, Samy's has a store conveniently located just a few minutes from the workshops headquarters in OC.)

Over the past couple of months we have received a lot of QUESTIONS about digital SRL camera systems. And the ANSWER is Nikon! Specifically the new Nikon D3 (feature highlights: 12.1 megapixel, full-frame, 9 fps, ISO 200 to 6400 with an additional two stop boost up to ISO 25600, new 51-point AF sensor and an amazing 3 - inch LCD monitor with Live View) and the D300 (feature highlights: 12 megapixel CMOS sensor, ISO up to 6400, EXPEED image processor and 3-inch LCD screen with Live View).

Call us for currently availability and pricing for SportsShooter.com members.

If you're a dyed-in-wool Canon shooter, then you know that the EOS 1D Mark III and the new EOS 1Ds Mark III are hallmarks for the "White Lens Crowd". Check out the recent users report on the "s":
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1914.

Baseball season is just around the corner Š wasn't it just last week that the Red Sox whacked those patsy Rockies to win the World Series? Š and Samy's has everything you need to get ready for the start of the season. Monopods from Manfrotto, Gitzo, Slik and the new, cool products from Induro. If you are looking for an outstand value in a carbon fiber monopod, check our on-line catalog for Induro products or give us a call.

Remotes are a big part of baseball (and hoops is still going on too!) and Samy's has in stock all of the basics: Super Clamps, Magic Arms/Variable Friction Arms, floor plates and all of the great products from MultiMax. Drop by any of our So Cal stores or call us!

Samy's is an authorized Apple reseller and repair center. Whether it's the pro's choice of laptop the MacBook Pro Š or the MacBook for the budget-minded Š we fill all of your computer needs.

And speaking of laptops Š we also carry all of the accessories you need for working at home and on location: Card readers, card slot adapters, external hard drives for storage, portable self-contained storage devices, cables, printers and cool bags to carry all of your gear in. Call one of Samy's knowledgeable representatives to discuss what would be your best buy.

Samy's is an authorized deal of Think Tank Photo products. Give us a call for pricing and availability if you're interested in the extremely popular Airport Security Rolling Case, the versatile Airport International Rolling Case, Modulus Pro Speed Belt System, Glass Taxi long lens bag or Urban Disguise line of cases.

That's it for this month Š

(Contact Samy's Camera in Los Angeles by calling 323-964-0323 Ext 200 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.)


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February Specials From Roberts
By Jody Grober

Greetings from Indy.

It was great to see so many of you at the Super Bowl.

News from Nikon is that the D3 bodies are trickling in and we are slowing working our list down.  Please ask for our SS price on the D3 and D300 when you call.

We have not started getting the Canon 200/2.0 or 800/5.6 in yet but be sure to call us and get on the list, 800-726-5544

I will have the PocketWizard Caddy in stock soon.  A great way to mount your wizardŠ.call me for more infoŠ

We have the Drobo backup system in stock.  I have a special package for Sports Shooter readers: A Drobo with three 1TB sata drives for $1588.00. This would give you 2 Tb of piece of mind.

For great quality inkjet paper at outstanding prices we now offer Inkpress papers.  I can put a sample pack in your next order for _ price.  Ask us about it next time you place an order.

Stay tuned to Roberts for many new announcements from Think Tank Photo.  Their 2008 new products will soon be all up on our web site.  New products for 2008 include:
Airport Airstream, Airport International 2.0, Airport Security 2.0, Security Tag, Lock It Up, Modular Set, Skin Set, Hydrophobia, Skin 50, Skin 75 Pop Down, Skin Double Wide, Skin Strobe, Skin Chimp, Skin Belt, and the Belly DancerŠWOW!!

That is all for now and thanks for you continued support of the Sports Shooter sponsors.

(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.)


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Penn Camera February News: March Madness, Spring Training, and Some New Products
By Jim Duley

We have managed to survive the Super Bowl and now it's time to get ready for the onslaught of March Madness. Throw in a little dab of Spring Training and you have an exciting month of March approaching. It also means spring is just around the corner and that is a welcomed relief.

Think Tank
What better ways to prepare for all of that than to consider Think Tank and some of the new products they have coming soon?  They have announced a new line of  Skin pouches which are a non-padded, lightweight, modular system which allow you to organize your gear on all Think Thank belts, and work quietly with the Silencer Flap! They have five new skins on tap which can be purchased separately or you can get all five as a kit. The other new product they have is a new Airport series roller. It is an Airport Airstream and it is smaller than the Airport International. It will still accommodate up to a 400mm lens and multiple DSLRs and various lenses. Here are two links if you want to check these new products out.
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_SknCmpnts.php
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_ArprtAStrm.php
Be sure to check with me on special Sports Shooter member pricing from Penn Camera on all Think Tank Products.

Rental
Don't forget that if your are in the DC area for a shoot and realize that you left a piece of gear at home that you really need or a power pack to heavy to ship, our E Street store has a large rental selection of lights, cameras and long glass. Check our web page at
http://www.penncamera.com/rental for rates and terms or call the rental department for availability and reservations at 202-347-5777.

Delkin
Delkin announced an interesting new product at PMA. Delkin's DIMA Award winning ImageRouter is a CompactFlash UDMA enabled card reader that offers professional photographers a complete file import system to improve workflow efficiency.  ImageRouter, a four-slot, USB 2.0 CompactFlash UDMA card reader with a built-in powered hub, simultaneously transfers data from four CF cards to a PC with the optional BackupandBurn software. The ImageRouter was designed to allow for "daisy chaining" multiple units.  This means that multiple ImageRouters can be connected for downloading many cards at once. The BackupandBurn software allows you to import images from multiple cards and archive them to a CD or DVD.  The ImageRouter is also sold separately for use with your current file import and management system. The ImageRouter will be available in late March, 2008. This product sure sounds and looks cool enough but we will have to see how it might work for the needs of people here on Sports Shooter. Here is a link where you can check it out.
http://www.delkin.com/products/connect/readers/imagerouter.html

Firmware Updates
If you are wondering if you have the latest firmware update for your Nikon or Canon camera, here are the links that will answer those questions for you.
For Nikon D300 it is
http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=MlEpbjZi&p_lva=61&p_li=&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_page=1&p_cv=1.186&p_pv=2.453&p_prods=19%2C453&p_cats=186&p_hidden_prods=&prod_lvl1=19&prod_lvl2=453&cat_lvl1=186&p_search_text=&srch_btn_submit=%A0%A0%A0Search%A0%A0%A0&p_new_search=1&p_search_type=answers.search_nl
For the Canon 1DSMIII it is http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&tabact=DownloadDetailTabAct&fcategoryid=325&modelid=15710
For the Canon 1DMIII it is http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&tabact=DownloadDetailTabAct&fcategoryid=325&modelid=14999

Be sure to pay us a visit at the National Press Photographers Northern Short Course on March 14th and 15th.

Have a good March and don't forget about the Nationals playing in their new stadium this year.

(Contact Penn Camera in Beltsville, Maryland by calling 800-347-5770 ext 134 and asking for Elbert Morris or email Elbert at emorris@penncamera.com)

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

Thanks this month to: George Bridges, Eric Leonard, Don Feria, David Honl, Walter Calahan, Robert Beck and Shawn Cullen.

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.

Copyright Sports Shooter, Inc.
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                         SPORTS SHOOTER ACADEMY V
            The  COOLEST photography event of the year
                                        March 5-9, 2008
           http://www.sportsshooter.com/workshops.html
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