Sports Photography workshop in San Francisco
The most popular Sports Photography Workshop in America is now in California! Enjoy all the same things you love about the Sports Workshop – an elite faculty of instructors, a multitude of sporting events to photograph, and a slew of learning and networking opportunities – now combined with the sunshine of the west coast.
Photograph Like a Professional Sports Photographer
November 5-8, 2026 | San Francisco, CA
Tuition: $2,195 | Deposit: $600
Deposit due upon registration, full tuition due 120 days before the workshop. Workshop limited to 15 participants.
For more than 30 years, Summit Workshops has helped photographers sharpen their skills through immersive, hands-on education. Our San Francisco Sports Photography Workshop places you alongside some of the industry’s most accomplished sports photographers, giving you exclusive access to live sporting events, personalized instruction, and the opportunity to create images that stand out.
Whether you’re looking to break into sports photography, expand your portfolio, or simply push your creative limits, you’ll spend four days learning by doing, not sitting in a classroom.
Why Photographers Choose Summit
There are plenty of photography workshops.
Very few give you the opportunity to photograph live sporting events while learning directly from photographers who have spent decades covering professional, collegiate, and international sports.
At Summit, you’ll receive hands-on coaching in the field, personalized image critiques, portfolio reviews, and practical instruction that helps you improve every aspect of your sports photography.
You’ll leave with stronger images, greater confidence, and techniques you can immediately apply to your own work.
Learn. Shoot. Connect. Grow.
Over four immersive days, you’ll photograph real sporting events throughout the Bay Area while learning the techniques, creative approaches, and professional workflows used by experienced sports photographers. You’ll leave with:
- A stronger, more dynamic sports photography portfolio
- Greater confidence capturing fast-paced action and decisive moments
- A deeper understanding of autofocus settings, camera techniques, and shooting strategy
- Experience photographing a variety of sports in different environments and lighting conditions
- New approaches to lighting, composition, and visual storytelling
- A more efficient editing workflow to help you select and refine your best images
- Personalized feedback through image critiques and portfolio reviews
- New relationships with photographers, instructors, and members of the Summit community
- A clearer path for continuing to grow your skills and pursue your photography goals
During the workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to photograph a variety of sporting events and assignments, including:
- High school and college football under the lights
- College baseball
- Soccer
- Volleyball
- Water polo
- Athlete portraits and team features
- Creative lighting assignments
- Remote camera techniques
- Sports storytelling and feature photography
Every assignment is designed to help you think beyond simply capturing the action and to create images that tell a story, showcase emotion, and stand out from the crowd.
Master Action Photography
Learn how to anticipate peak moments, follow the flow of the game, and position yourself for stronger compositions. You'll develop a better understanding of timing, camera settings, autofocus, and lens selection to consistently capture decisive moments.
Create Stronger Sports Images
Go beyond simply documenting the action. Learn how to use composition, perspective, emotion, and storytelling techniques to create images that stand out and communicate the excitement of the event.
Understand the Business of Photography
Gain insight into the professional side of sports photography, including building a portfolio, working with clients, finding opportunities, and developing your own path as a photographer.
A More Personal Experience
At Summit, we believe the best learning happens when you have the opportunity to ask questions, receive feedback, and work directly alongside experienced photographers.
That’s why our Sports San Francisco Workshop is intentionally limited to a small group of participants. Rather than getting lost in a crowd, you’ll have meaningful access to your instructors throughout the entire experience.
Our workshop is more than a class, it’s an immersive experience where you learn by shooting, receive guidance when you need it, and become part of a community that continues long after the workshop ends.
Workshop Information
This is not a classroom workshop, it’s four days of nonstop, real-world sports photography training in Denver. Every day puts you on location shooting live sports as they happen, building the speed, instincts, and confidence of a working professional sports photographer.
You’ll photograph everything from football to volleyball, track and field, water polo, and more, gaining access to a wide range of fast-moving, unpredictable environments that push your skills in every direction. Each session is designed to challenge you in real time, sharpen your decision-making, and help you leave with a diverse, portfolio-ready body of work built entirely from live action.
Please note that the final workshop schedule will be provided one month prior to the event. Keep in mind that the schedule is tentative and may be adjusted as needed during the workshop.
Meet your instructors and fellow photographers before heading to your first assignment under the lights. You'll receive guidance on positioning, camera settings, and storytelling while photographing live football action.
Begin with an image critique before learning advanced lighting techniques. Later, photograph live sporting events while instructors work beside you, helping refine your technique in real time.
Continue photographing multiple sports throughout the Bay Area while developing your editing workflow and strengthening your portfolio through daily critiques.
Wrap up the workshop with portfolio reviews, business discussions, and a final celebration of your work alongside new friends and mentors.
Getting there & Travel Details
We recommend arriving in San Francisco the day before the workshop begins so you have time to settle in, meet your fellow participants, and be ready for the first day of instruction.
The city is served by several major airports, with San Francisco International Airport (SFO) being the most convenient option. From the airport, you can reach the hotel by rideshare, taxi, or public transportation.
Transportation needs will vary depending on the day’s activities and shooting locations. A car isn’t required, but it’s highly recommended. We’ll be driving back and forth from our hotel to the games or shooting events. If you don’t have a car, no worries, we coordinate carpools and will make sure you have a ride for all workshop activities.
Health & Fitness
This is an active, field-based photography workshop that requires a moderate level of physical mobility. You will be moving frequently between shooting positions, carrying camera gear, and working in a variety of environments including stadiums, outdoor fields, and fast-paced action venues.
You should be comfortable standing for extended periods, walking short to moderate distances, and working in changing weather conditions. Some shooting opportunities may require quick movement to follow the action or reposition for better angles. While no specialized athletic ability is required, a basic level of fitness and comfort with an active schedule will help you get the most out of the experience.
What to pack
CLOTHING:
- It can be cooler in the mornings and evenings (50s-70s) and can quite hot (high 80s low 90s) so pack layers
- Waterproof outer layer (optional)
- Comfortable walking shoes
OTHER:
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Water bottle
- Energy bars or other snacks
PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR:
- 2 camera bodies
- Wide angle lens
- Medium zoom lens
- Telephoto lens (ideally 400mm–800mm range)
- Tripod or monopod (optional, depending on preference)
- Camera bag
- Extra batteries and chargers
- Laptop or tablet
- Memory cards
- Hard drive
- Off camera flash trigger (optional)
Sony Gear
We are proud to partner with Sony, giving students the unique opportunity to experience some of the latest professional camera bodies and lenses in the field during the workshop. Throughout the week, participants can check out Sony gear to test and use in real shooting conditions in the field. This hands-on access allows you to explore new equipment, refine your technique, and see how different tools can impact your creative results, all while receiving guidance from our instructors in real time.
a faculty of World-Class sports Photographers
Suzanna Mitchell
Andy Kuno
Thearon Henderson
Matt Hernandez
Catharyn Hayne
Images from past students
Frequently asked questions
No! Summit Workshops is available to any photographer, regardless of what brand of camera you use. We often have camera gear available to borrow, free of charge, but you are not required to use that gear or any specific brand.
No, you do not need to bring your own lighting gear. Our partner, Westcott Lighting, will provide all the gear needed for the workshop.
Tuition includes activity fees, location fees, all instruction, planning and logistics. It does not cover hotels, travel, and most meals.
Our workshop is for shooters of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to seasoned veterans. We all learn from and help one another, that is what makes the Summit Community so special.
Our image critiques are constantly mentioned as being the most important/valuable component of our workshops. It's not only a chance to get your work reviewed, but also to see your peers' images. It is not structured as a competition, but a growth experience. So do not feel it has the be your best of the best or how it might stack up to others. You get to hear the opinions of the faculty and everything you will hear from them is 100% meant to help you. They are also anonymous and meant to be constructive and useful to your professional growth.
We ask each student to submit 3-5 images taken while at the workshop. We typically send the link out the afternoon before the image critique, which gives you the evening to get your images in.
A car isn’t required, but it’s highly recommended. We’ll be driving back and forth from our hotel to the games or shooting events. If you don’t have a car, no worries, we coordinate carpools and will make sure you have a ride for all workshop activities.
Main photo gear:
- Minimum 1 camera body, 2 ideal
- Wide angle lens
- Medium zoom lens
- Telephoto lens
- Tripod
- Camera bag
- Camera bodies
- Camera batteries and chargers
- Laptop or tablet
- Memory card
Highly recommended:
- Adobe Lightroom or PhotoMechanic installed on laptop
- 15 - 20 of your best images downloaded on your laptop for portfolio reviews
Lodging & Classroom
Discounted rates have been secured for students at the Kimpton Alton Hotel. This is where the workshop hotel and where the faculty and staff will be staying! We hope you’ll take advantage of this discount at the workshop hub!
After signing up, we will contact you with a booking link to secure your room.
Join photographers from across the country for four unforgettable days of photographing live sporting events, learning from industry leaders, and building a portfolio you’ll be proud to share.
Class sizes are intentionally limited to just 15 photographers to ensure meaningful one-on-one instruction.