Sports Denver

Become a champion and attend the most popular sports photography workshop in America! This is the perfect workshop for anyone who loves photography and looking to hone skills and learn new techniques. Running for nearly four decades, the Summit Sports Workshop and this years’ small group will be an experience you don’t want to miss!

June 13-16, 2024 | Location: Denver, CO | Tuition: $2,195 | Deposit: 25% of Tuition

Deposit due upon registration, full tuition due 90 days before the workshop. 

Learn from the best of the best

You’ll be accompanied by an elite team of instructors that include photographers and editors who are not only the best at their craft, but gifted teachers. Our student to faculty ratio of 4:1 allows the opportunity to learn all aspects of sports photography in a special small group format. In the course of the workshop students will receive 1:1 portfolio reviews and guidance, shoot in the field side by side with the pro’s and learn valuable tools to become a better photographer. 

The Perfect workshop for you

  • You have a passion for sports photography
  • You are looking to improve your photographic skills, take your networking to the next level, and become a better storyteller
  • You are looking for a community that shares similar interests and supports one another 
You will learn:

Workshop Itinerary

  • Intro to the Sports Workshop!
  • Building your lighting skill set
  • B&H Trade Room
  • Welcome Reception
  • On-Location Shooting and Lighting classes
  • Class: Techniques in Shooting Outdoors
  • Class: Building your Sports Photography Skillset
  • Portfolio Reviews
  • On-Location: Sporting events
  • Photographers’ Social
  • Image Critiques
  • Class: Marketing Yourself in a Freelance World
  • Class: Getting an Editor’s Attention
  • Class: Digital Workflow
  • On-Location: TBD (events will be listed 45 days out from workshop)
  • Image Critiques
  • Class: Remote Camera Setups
  • On-Location Shooting
  • On-Location Portrait Work
  • Instructor Roundtable / Workshop Closing Festivities

Past Student Work

Meet Your Instructors

Workshop Faculty

Jean Fruth

John McDonough - Sports Photography Workshop
Workshop Faculty

John McDonough

Workshop Faculty

Maxx Wolfson

Mark Reis - Photographer
Workshop Faculty

Mark Reis

Matt Hernandez

Workshop Faculty

Darren Carroll

Owner / Director

Chris Steppig

Doug DeFelice

Doug DeFelice

Junior Instructor

Catharyn Hayne

Workshop Faculty

Jean Fruth

Photographer Jean Fruth does more than take pictures.  She tells stories — of vibrant personalities, local cultures, and distinctive communities.  From a small darkroom to the most iconic stadiums flooded with lights, Jean’s trajectory as one of photography’s preeminent visual storytellers has taken her on a round-the-horn tour of the world’s most indelible landmarks – from the world of baseball to the world at large.  Sports have always been Jean’s most compelling subject, and from her earliest days in sports photography, she covered everything from wrestling to sailing to basketball — and on any given Friday, she could be found taking full advantage of those Friday night lights, shooting northern California’s storied football rivalries.

Soon Jean was called up to the big leagues herself, as she spent nearly a decade shooting the crown jewels of Bay Area sports — the Giants, the A’s, the 49ers.  Her portfolio quicky expanded when she was invited to Cooperstown and the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, where she helped build the museum’s archive and bring to life the story of baseball.  America’s most eminent historical institutions – including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and the Smithsonian — have featured her work.

What drives Jean now is to serve communities through her storytelling – as the co-founder of Grassroots Baseball, a non-profit that promotes participation in baseball at the youngest levels, and as a traveling photographer for La Vida Baseball and La Vida Sports, digital media companies that shares the stories of Latino sports around the globe.  As one of Sony’s select Artisans of Imagery, and through her popular workshops, she shares her techniques, her insights, and her love of images — both the power of pictures and the stories they tell.

Jean’s first book, Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin, was released in 2019. Her latest, Grassroots Baseball: Route 66, was published in spring 2022, with proceeds benefitting the non-profit program.

Workshop Faculty

John McDonough

Based in southern California, John W. McDonough is one of the main contributors to Sports Illustrated. Before working at Sports Illustrated, John freelanced for SPORT Magazine and worked at the Los Angeles Times and Arizona Republic as a staff photographer.

Workshop Faculty

Maxx Wolfson

Maxx has been one of the top editors at Getty Images for 13 years. As Managing Editor for Sport in North & South America he is onsite at the biggest sporting events all over the world. Maxx will be leading the Getty Images team at his 11th Super Bowl and then leading the editing team at his sixth Olympic games in February. He also works directly with staff and freelance photographers assigning events and hiring photographers to cover events in his region. Through his work with many sports leagues, Maxx possesses a deep institutional knowledge of the industry.

Workshop Faculty

Mark Reis

Mark is the former deputy director of photography of the Colorado Springs Gazette — and certainly one of the finest newspaper photographers working in the nation. Mark has now entered the world of freelance photography where he will undoubtedly be highly successful.

Matt Hernandez

Matt is a portrait photographer based out of Kentucky who specializes in on location creative lighting focusing on seniors and athletes. He began his career as an award-winning graphic artist, and has since used those skills to help launch a very successful photography career. He has won multiple awards including the “People’s Choice Award” at the 2012 Google+ Photographer’s Conference, and The “Most Creative Award” at the 2013 Las Vegas Photoshop World Westcott Shootout. In 2013 he was chosen to represent F.J. Westcott as one of their “Top Endorsed Pros.”
Workshop Faculty

Darren Carroll

Darren is an accomplished sports action and portrait photographer, having done editorial work for the likes of Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Golf Digest and the NBA for over 20 years and commercial campaigns for Dick’s Sporting Goods, ClubCorp, and Golf Galaxy, among others. He serves as a photography consultant to the PGA of America, and is also part of the photography team for both the U.S. Open Golf and U.S. Open Tennis championships.

Owner / Director

Chris Steppig

Chris is the owner and director of Summit Workshops. Summit was his first job out of college and nearly 20 years later, this is home.  He is in charge of all workshop operations, scheduling, logistics, faculty, social media, marketing and sponsorship. Chris has a passion for conservation, travel, and education and the workshops are a dream platform to help others reach new heights as not only photographers but as people.

Chris is an affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers. The iLCP is a U.S. based non-profit whose mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography. This affiliation provides a tremendous opportunity to help deliver great content and also be an advisor on matters large and small.  He is also a professional advisor for Outdoor Photographer magazine.  Through collaboration and great communications with the editor of the magazine, there have been countless articles written by Summit Alumni in the magazine over the years.

Doug DeFelice

Junior Instructor

Catharyn Hayne

Catharyn has been involved with photography for many years, dating back to the olden days of film where she got her start in commercial photography in New York City. Catharyn relocated to the Bay Area 20 years ago and ,often with children in tow ( she has four) ,she immersed herself in sports photography. She quickly became a familiar face with all things aquatic. She regularly covers events for USA Water Polo, UC Berkeley athletics, and many more. When not on a deck or on the sidelines she also covers the events honoring the same athletes she covers in their events, such as Hall of Fame dinners and awards for USA Water Polo, Oakland A’s, UC Berkeley Athletics Hall of Fame.

Additionally she covers multi sport NCAA championship events ( and is a big fan of checking out the cool rings!). Catharyn has shot for many Universities including UC Berkeley, USC, UC Davis, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, UC San Diego, Harvard, Dartmouth, Fordham, among many others. Catharyn’s work has been featured by USA Water Polo, LEN European Aquatics, World Cup Aquatics, Total Water Polo, Special Olympics, Swimming Magazine, Kap 7, Turbo, Pac 12, and Rock Tape.

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. 

Tuition includes activity fees, location fees, all instruction, planning and logistics. It does not cover hotels, travel, and most meals. 

Our Sports 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. 

With few exceptions (like a medical reason), having proof of COVID-19 vaccine is a requirement on our Summit Workshops.

"Because of the Summit Workshops I’m making photos and connections better than I ever have before. I have a solid competitive edge and the Summit Community gave me the confidence & knowledge that I can deliver consistent images day after day."
Crash Kamon
Freelance Photographer

Lodging & Classroom

Discounted rates have been secured for students at the Springhill Suites Downtown Denver This will be workshop headquarters and where the faculty and staff will be staying!  The rate is $202 a night but do keep in mind…You might find a cheaper rate but factor in drive time as well as being on site which is invaluable when it comes to networking and convenience!

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