The 2016 Sports Workshop in Pictures

The Sports Workshop in Pictures

   July 27 – Aug 1, 2016 | Denver, CO      


For one week in the Mile High City, a group of elite instructors and eager students gathered at the 2016 Summit Sports Photography Workshop. Students came to learn and better their sports photography skills from an all-star cast of instructors, but they came away with so much more — new directions, ideas, and lifelong friendships.

With an absolutely talented cast of instructors, students were able to utilize a multitude of different learning opportunities from lighting classes with Joey Terrill and Dave Black, to remote camera setup classes with Mark Terrill and Andrew Hancock, to classroom instruction with Deanne Fitzmaurice, John McDonough, Bob Smith and so much more!

2016 Sports Workshop Faculty
Learn more about our talented faculty at our Instructor Page.

Rich Clarkson / Deanne Fitzmaurice / Dave Black / Brad Smith / Joey Terrill / John McDonough /
Lucas Gilman / Mark Terrill / Andrew Hancock / Jeff Jacobsen / Nate Gordon / Jamie Schwaberow / Bob Smith

But what would a Sports Photography Workshop be without sporting events to photograph? Nothing! That is why this year’s Sports Workshop had one of the most diverse selections of sporting events to photograph. Whether it was horse racing, motocross, skateboarding or Denver Outlaws lacrosse, students all had the opportunity to capture stunning pictures at fun and exciting sporting events.

Sports Workshop Sponsors

Follow along for Behind-the-Scenes and Student-Taken Photos
from Classes, Sporting Events and Workshop Activities.

ON-LOCATION CLASSES

Tennis with High Speed Sync

Dave Black - Summit Lighting Workshop

Instructor: Dave Black

Metro State University Athletic Center

To say that Dave Black is a master with high speed sync doesn't even do his abilities justice. Heck, Dave is so good with Nikon speedlights that Nikon had him come to Japan and do the campaign for the new SB5000 lights! Now Dave gets to use his knowledge to help students capture incredible tennis action shots where the tennis ball is perfectly frozen in the sky. Thanks to high shutter speeds, high speedy sync, and Dave's famous 'triangle' method of lighting a subject, students can come away with some portfolio-ready images and a better understanding of lighting.

Student Photos

Baseball with Strobes

Jeff Jacobsen - Sports Photography Workshop

Instructor: Jeff Jacobsen

Metro State University Athletic Center

In addition to their tennis courts, Metro State University's Regency Athletic Complex is home to a beautiful all-turf baseball field with an even more beautiful background -- the Denver Skyline. It was only natural that Jeff Jacobsen, the man who photographs every single sport for the University of Kansas Athletic Department, be the one to help students create stunning portraits and action shots of college baseball models.

Student Photos

Portrait Lighting

Joey Terrill - Summit Lighting Workshop

Instructor: Joey Terrill

Workshop Classroom

Haven already given a class on how to create and shape light in portraits, Joey now gives students an opportunity to apply the principles of portrait lighting with a model, Francessa. Armed with Profoto lighting gear and a cosmic-looking background, Joey and his students are able to create portraits that mirror the night lights of a busy city.

Student Photos

Lacrosse Action with Strobes

Dave Black - Summit Lighting Workshop

Instructor: Dave Black

Metro State University Athletic Center

Lucas Gilman - Adventure Photography Workshop

Lucas Gilman

Metro State University Athletic Center

After already working with high speedy sync and tennis, Dave Black is joined by fellow Nikon Ambassador Lucas Gilman to work with students on Profoto strobe lighting with lacrosse athletes. Even in broad daylight, the Profoto B1 lights are able to overpower the sun and produce amazing, lit action shots. Dave and Lucas are able to utilize multiple lacrosse models to create several different, posed looks. Students take shots from all sorts of angles, from just feet away from the lacrosse models with a wide-angle lens, to far away from the models with long lenses.

Student Photos

Lightpainting Baseball

Dave Black - Summit Lighting Workshop

Instructor: Dave Black

Metro State University Athletic Center

The master of lightpainting, Dave Black, takes the class out to the baseball fields at night to capture stunning lightpainted portraits in the dugouts. Using long exposures and flashlights, students literally paint in where they want the light to be. Although the ambient light of the downtown Denver skyline partially lit up the baseball field, students were still able to capture stunning lightpaintings.

Student Photos

Lacrosse Portraits with Strobes

Joey Terrill - Summit Lighting Workshop

Instructor: Joey Terrill

Metro State University Athletic Center

Like Dave Black's strobe lighting class, Joey Terrill takes a group out to photograph lacrosse players but with an emphasis on lit portraits. Using Profoto B1 lights, Joey helps students work on their exposures while capturing our lacrosse model, Luke, in the perfect light. Unlike action shots of the lacrosse players, taking portraits allows Joey and the students to do more with the lighting and move it on the fly.

Student Photos

SPORTING EVENTS

Motocross

Mark Reis - Photographer

Instructor: Mark Reis

Colorado Springs Wild Rat Raceway

Lucas Gilman - Adventure Photography Workshop

Instructor: Lucas Gilman

Colorado Springs Wild Rat Raceway

Motocross is a staple at the Sports Workshop. Every year, students capture incredible portraits and images of athletes flying through the air and doing amazing tricks. And every year Mark Reis and Lucas Gilman are there to help students capture those pictures. Through there experience with lighting and photographing the sport and track, Reis and Gilman are experts in helping to capture great motocross moments.

Student Photos

Sunrise at the Racetrack

andrew hancock

Instructor: Andrew Hancock

Arapahoe Park Race Track

Students woke up early in the morning and headed out to photograph horses on the track at sunrise alongside Nikon Ambassador Andrew Hancock. Andrew has photographed countless sports including horse racing, and he's done things with remote cameras at race tracks that no photographer has ever done. His creativity and know-how in the sport makes him a great instructor for experienced students and students with little experience photographing horses, alike.

Student Photos

Women’s Basketball

John McDonough - Sports Photography Workshop

Instructor: John McDonough

Metro State University Gymnasium

Students had the rare opportunity to go out to the nearby Metro State Gymnasium and photograph dozens of women's basketball teams as they competed in a tournament. They also happened to be accompanied by one of the best basketball photographers in the nation and the world, John McDonough. Alongside John, students explored different angles to capture action shots, team shots, reaction shots, and much more.

Student Photos

Denver Outlaws Lacrosse

John McDonough - Sports Photography Workshop

Instructor: John McDonough

Sports Authority Field at Mile High

Mark Terrill - Sports Photography Workshop

Instructor: Mark Terrill

Sports Authority Field at Mile High

Many students had never photographed lacrosse before, so who better to introduce them to the sport than John McDonough and Mark Terrill, the two men who have photographed just about everything. John is an expert from the sideline, finding different angles and shooting positions for the students to utilize. Mark is an expert with remote cameras, giving students insight into where cameras can be mounted and tethered within the stadium.

Student Photos

Rodeo / Dock Dogs / Mutton Busting

Jeff Jacobsen - Sports Photography Workshop

Instructor: Jeff Jacobsen

Arapahoe County Fairgrounds

andrew hancock

Instructor: Andrew Hancock

Arapahoe County Fairgrounds

The knowledgable and charismatic photographers Jeff Jacobsen and Andrew Hancock make a perfect team for leading a group out to photograph rodeo events. With events like dock dogs and mutton busting, this group photographs everything in a rodeo setting from the animals to the cowboys. These were perhaps the most fun sporting events to photograph, and when the images were shown during the image critique they brought smiles to everyones faces.

Student Photos

Horse Racing

andrew hancock

Instructor: Andrew Hancock

Arapahoe Park Race Track

For the second time in the week, students were able to head out and photograph horse racing alongside Nikon Ambassador Andrew Hancock. Horse racing had not been an event at the Summit Sports Workshop for quite some time, but when it became available this year it did not disappoint. Students captured breathtaking photos at the race track, and during image critiques instructors had nothing but constructive critiques and good things to say about them.

Student Photos

Skateboarding / Rugby

Mark Terrill - Sports Photography Workshop

Instructor: Mark Terrill

Denver Skatepark

andrew hancock

Instructor: Andrew Hancock

Lowry Sports Complex

Mark Terrill joined students at the downtown Denver skatepark and helped them organize separate shoots with Profoto lighting. Meanwhile, Andrew Hancock joined a group of students down to Lowry Sports Complex to photograph a rugby practice. In both cases, students were able to come away with well-composed and creative photographs that the instructors really enjoyed.

Student Photos

WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES

Portfolio Reviews

At every Summit Workshop, students have the opportunity for their portfolio to be reviewed by several of the greatest editors and photographers in the industry. This year’s Sports Workshop was certainly no different, as students were able to get instant feedback from the likes of Brad Smith, Deanne Fitzmaurice, Nate Gordon and many more instructors. Through portfolio reviews, students are able to expose their work to some of the nation’s top hirers and top talents — which in many cases leads to new opportunities for students in their careers.

Final Banquet

The final banquet is a fun night for everyone. After a long week of classroom instruction and photographing countless sporting events, both students and instructors have a final night to socialize, have dinner, and reflect on the great week. Additionally, instructors pick the students who they believe were the most determined to learn, network and improve their photography — and those students walk away with prizes!

Sheila Haddad and Mark Brown won G-Tech hard drives from the vendors, and Catherine Thuaux and Cyndi Chambers won G-Tech hard drives for winning the Workshop Innovator Awards – awards given to the students who try the hardest to capture great shots and improve their skills. Todd Michalek and Logan Bowles won ThinkTank Photo bags from Deanne Fitzmaurice for being exemplary and charismatic students.

Finally, the three students who personified everything that the workshop stands for won the Spirit of the Workshop Award – one of them receiving a free workshop tuition and two receiving paid sports assignments. Sara Hertwig, a photography student at Metro State University, won the first Spirit of the Workshop award and a free tuition to Dave’s Lightpainting Workshop. Mark Brown won the second Spirit of the Workshop award, a paid sports assignment from Brad Smith and Brad Smith Creative. Finally, our Summit Photo Contest winner Mel Lyons won the 3rd Annual Bill Eppridge Memorial Award – a paid sports assignment from Nate Gordon and The Player’s Tribune.

Bill Eppridge was one of the world’s finest photojournalists and a very close friend of the Summit Workshops. Every year, we’re thrilled that we can honor Bill by giving away such a prestigious award in his name.

Swipe Left for the Original // Swipe Right for the Goofy Version

Deanne Fitzmaurice with the women of the 2016 Sports Workshop. Every year there are more and more women at the sports photography workshop, and this year we were happy to have two women fly out from Australia to attend.

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

I expected the workshop to be excellent but I exceeded my expectations. Not only were the staff helpful and fun but the other students were too. I'll be back for another workshop in the future.

-Doug Turney, Oakdale, CT

It was better than I expected. It's more than just a workshop. I've made connects and friends that will last a lifetime.

-Logan Bowles, Jacksonville, FL

You couldn't ask for better staff or instructors for the workshop. It's amazing to go to a workshop and learn from the best of the best. I was really surprised by the number of Nikon Ambassadors that were the instructors. I don't know of any other workshop that you can go to and have the combined years of experience that the instructors, vendors and staff have. Thanks everyone.

-Al Milligan, Longmont, CO

Mindblowing! Whether professional or want to be, you have to attend this workshop.

-Colleen McCloskey, Catonsville, MD

I'd like to compare this workshop in a parallel approach to the NFL. If the NFL said, "Hey fans, we are putting together a workshop where Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and many other stars will be there. They will throw passes to you, help you with your route running, allow you to throw them passes, let you eat with them, ask them questions, socialize, etc." Who wouldn't do that if they wanted to get better at their craft? It was a no brainer for me to attend based on my desire to improve my photography. Think about it...who wouldn't do that. Can you image all the athletes that would sign up for the NFL scenario ?

-Todd Lester, Birmingham, AL

This was my second time attending the Sports Workshop. I knew what to expect coming back to the workshop, and the those expectations were exceeded. I know it sounds like a bunch of nonsense but if you just sit back and actually listen to what the instructors are saying you will be amazed as to what you remember and how it will change your life. These workshops have been the best thing I have done to advance my career in photography.

-Mark Brown, Rumson, NJ

This Sports workshop has been a game changer for me, the support of the instructors was first class. After this workshop I feel I have the confidence to take my photography to the next level.

-Mel Lyons, Victoria, Australia

The Summit Workshops were an amazing experience that I would readily attend again. The level of professionalism, real life experience, industry knowledge and general insight was beyond expectations. I would highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in taking their sports photography to the next level.

-Charlie Abrahams, Boston, MA

Faculty and staff agree that the students from the 2016 Sports Workshop were a very unique bunch, and that the photos they captured were some of the best photos ever captured at Summit Sports Photography Workshops.

For the first time being held in the Mile High City, the Summit Sports Workshop was a Mile High success. We’d like to thank everyone who attended and helped make it an incredibly fun learning experience.

We’d also like to give a special thanks to Julio Aguilar and Jessi Dodge for assisting the workshop staff and for being a joy to be around during the workshop. Additionally, we’d like to thank Julio Aguilar, Sara Hertwig, Marcus Gipson, Mark Brown, Sheila Haddad, and everyone else who provided behind-the-scenes images and footage.

Thank You

© 2016 Joey Terrill

© 2016 Joey Terrill

To Learn More about the Sports Workshop and to Sign Up for the 2017 Sports Workshop:

Visit our Sports Workshop Page.

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