4/26/2012 --- Orange Coast College v. Irvine Valley College Baseball --- Costa Mesa, CA: Bijan Rademacher (#28) slides into home adding another run to the Orange Coast College Pirates 5-2 win over Irvine Valley College. Photo by Elaine Villaflores, Sports Shooter Academy (c)

“Out of the 4 days of intense training, there was one event that stood out to me: baseball.”

By Elaine Villaflores

Last fall I attended the Sports Shooter Academy to improve my sports photography, build my portfolio, and most of all work with a great lineup of instructors.  It was the most intense four days of photography I had ever experienced and to be honest I was a bit overwhelmed.

At one point I was a bit frustrated that I was not able to create the images I wanted. One of the instructors saw that I was struggling and came by and gave great pointers, advice and most of all encouragement. I really appreciated that the instructor took the time to give feedback and it really pushed me to produce better images.

By the end of the workshop, I felt that my sports shooting had improved in just a few days. While I had gotten better, I knew there was much more I needed to learn.

Sports Shooter Academy IX held in April had a truly amazing line up of instructors. But most importantly to me, it featured many different sports on the schedule that I have not shot before. Sports like baseball, rugby, track and field and a session with Dave Black on high-speed shutter action photography. I knew I had to make another trip to Southern California.

4/26/2012 --- Orange Coast College - Irvine Valley College Baseball ---Costa Mesa, CA: Orange Coast College Pirates 3rd baseman jumps over an Irvine Valley College base runner as he tries to tag him out. Photo by Elaine Villaflores, Sports Shooter Academy (c)

Out of the 4 days of intense training, there was one event that stood out to me: baseball. People in the room kept saying: “Don’t fall asleep at baseball!” I had never shot baseball before so I was not sure what to expect. But one thing I knew for sure: I would think of the experience as a challenge and soak up as much information and advice I could.

The instructors a the Orange Coast College – Irvine Valley College game were John McDonough and Shawn Cullen, who both work for Sports Illustrated.  I was really excited to work with both of them.  While Shawn was helping some of the other photographers with their remote setups, I was soaking up all the words of wisdom from John.

He gave us his insights on where to position ourselves on the field, how to read the different plays and most important of all, he said look for the emotions and details of the game. These words of advice really struck home with me.  John said: “Use your cameras to tell the STORY of the game.”

Once the game started, I went around the field looking for different angles and perspectives always with an eye toward storytelling. John came by to talk about the game and asked if I had any questions. he was also interested in what I had shot, so we did a little “chimping”.

In the end, I was very happy with my images and feel comfortable shooting baseball in the future.

One of the reasons why I come back to the Sports Shooter Academy workshops is the photographers that are on the faculty. Their tips and the immediate feedback are invaluable… you’re out covering these sports and they are right there to help. The nightly critiques also helped me improve over my past workshop experiences. It was nice to hear from one of the SSA instructors he felt that my photos improved from the last year.

Thank you Sports Shooter Academy faculty for the advice, confidence, and for giving back!

(You can view samples of Elaine’s work at her Sports Shooter member page: http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=9548)

Sports Shooter Academy instructor John McDonough of Sports Illustrated, checks in with workshop participants, including Elaine Villaflores (right) during the Orange Coast College - Irvine Valley College baseball game. Photo by Christy Radecic, Sports Shooter Academy (c)

By Christopher Mast

Before I set off to participate in Sports Shooter Academy IX a few weeks ago I was very excited but nervous about how I’d stack up with so many other talented photographers shooting at the same events.

Nonetheless, I had the goal of capturing one of the ‘best of the day’ photos before I left.  I quickly learned after day one that having a goal and achieving a goal were two entirely different things.  When the group sat down for the first critique session, my photos just did not stack up to some of the beautiful images that were captured the day before.  I was motivated from that review though.  After looking at all of the images I knew I could do it.

Then came day two of the Academy. I feel I performed better, but my images were nothing to write home about yet.  I adjusted my goal from capturing an image of the day to just making the final instructor selects.  All the while I was getting invaluable feedback from the instructors. On day three I had an image make the final three in the instructors selects. All week, the instructors encouraged us to seek out unique images, to work differently than the other students.

A running falls just before the finish line during the women's 800 meters at the Steve Scott Invitational Track & Field Meet at U.C. Irvine. Photo by Christopher Mast

I decided to shoot the Steve Scott Invitational Track & Field Meet on the last day of the Academy. Before the meet I made the decision that with all of the events that would be happening, I’d stay light and mobile and not carry around a ton of gear. The second event of the meet was the women’s 800 meter race.

I noticed a lot of the photographers set up on the first turn to capture the final straight and finish line with big glass.  I needed to find a different location so I opted to sit about ten feet off the finish line with my 70-200mm. I was hoping for a close finish and that I could catch a tight shot of two runners battling out at the finish line from the side. While the runners came down the straight and completed the first lap of the race I worked out my plan and practiced as the runners went by.

As the race neared its conclusion I was ready to shoot and the unthinkable happened. The leader in the race, a Long Beach State runner, fell about 75-feet from the finish line. I grabbed my backup camera with a 24-105mm lens on it and shot as she fell. I shot loose enough to capture the other runners on the infield react to what was happening. I stayed with the runner as she fell, got back up and stumbled and fell again across the finish line, finishing third in the race. At this point I left the spot and went to photograph the other events during the meet.

Christopher Mast with SSA instructor Michael Goulding at the La Habra Boxing Club during Sports Shooter Academy IX. Photo by Rafael Augstin Delgado

When I got back to the hotel to edit my photos I saw that I had captured this perfect moment when the runner had hit her face on the track with the reaction of over athletes in the background.  I cropped the photo as tight as I could to really draw the viewer’s attention to the fallen runner and the faces of the people in the right of the frame. I learned through the week that capturing the story was what photos should show. Nobody could plan for a runner to fall in the final moments of a race but I did plan for where I wanted to shoot from and how.

There were many beautiful images made on this day by each photographer, but this image captured an entire story. It was the emotion, the human side to an athletic event that draws us to sports. At the end of the workshop, with a little luck and some planning, I was successful in achieving my goal that I had set for myself: A photo of the day.
(NOTE: Christopher Mast’s image was also selected the Best Of SSA IX.)

(Thanks to SanDisk and Nikon for sponsoring the awards for the Photo of the Day; Thanks to Think Tank Photo for sponsoring the Best Photo of SSA IX award.)

By Annika af Klercker

My winning picture is a remote shot during the men’s long jump competition at the Steve Scott Invitational Track Meet at U.C. Irvine on Saturday of the workshop.

When I mounted the remote camera, I didn’t have the chance to use a colleague or a friend to assist me in setting the focus. Instead I had to set it as best as I could while the jumpers were warming up. Unfortunately I was a bit fooled about that because the athletes don’t jump as far — if they jump at all! — during the warm ups as they do while actually competing .

A long jumper hangs in the air during the men's long jump at the Steve Scott Invitational. Photo by Annika af Klercker

Personally, I was not that satisfied with my remote pictures – so I was really surprised and REALLY happy that the faculty selected it as the best picture of the day! (And thanks to SanDisk for my new memory card!)

I decided to convert my picture to black and white because I felt it give it a more timeless feeling. I also thought it made it cleaner.

I traveled all the way from Sweden to participate in this workshop and I can tell it was totally worth it! The Sports Shooter Academy gave me an opportunity to play, try new angles, look for interesting lightning and let go of all thoughts of performing and work.

I have a desire to constantly develop myself as a photographer and my goal is to do something stimulating every year. Attending a class or a workshop is a way to accomplish this. I really wanted to take my sports photography to the next level and the Sports Shooter Academy workshop was a perfect kick off for that. And like many of the other participants, learning about remotes was one of the top items I wanted to learn more about. For me, working with remote cameras will allow me to be in two (or more!) places at the same time and also to set up cameras in places where I can’t be.

Annika af Klercker sets up a remote at the long jump with the help of SSA IX instructor Shawn Cullen. Photo by Christy Radecic, Sports Shooter Academy

In the end this picture was more or less a gamble — when the remote was fired in the long jump pit I was most of the time a hundred meters away, shooting the pole vault and firing the remote as much as I could!

One of the first and most important things the instructors repeated was never to trust the remote. Every picture you get from it is a bonus but nothing you can ever count on!

After Sports Shooter Academy IX, I definitely felt I gained a lot more confidence to use remotes more often. Because of what I learned and my experience during the workshop I now have a greater understanding of how remote cameras work technically. The workshop also gave me the opportunity of using remotes in real-life situations.

(Note: Thanks to SanDisk and Nikon for sponsoring the awards for the Photo of the Day.)

By Jane Gershovich

(Note: Second in a series)

I had heard a lot about Sports Shooter Academy from many colleagues. I was nervous, excited, and anxious to see what was to come. I was at the point in my photo career I was ready to really push myself, and what an opportunity than to learn from some of the best in the business.

I’ve never photographed lacrosse before, and when the opportunity during the workshop came I was excited. We arrived at University High School in Irvine, CA and photographed the high school’s baseball game and followed up with the lacrosse game across the way.

University High School lacrosse player celebrates his goal the end of the game Friday, April 27, 2012. Photo by Jane Gershovich

Not knowing the rules of the game made shooting interesting. The energy from the players was exciting and I tried to focus on capturing the action and reaction as much as I could.

At around 6PM and the sun was beginning to fall near the end of the lacrosse game and that golden light started to shine through. Matt Brown, Sports Shooter Academy co-founder, was nearby and was consistently reminding me to not zoom in and out and just focus on what’s going on during the game and most especially, not to “chimp”. I was shooting with a Nikon D3 and a Nikon 200-400 zoom lens. Matt had me stay at about 400mm.

Jane Gershovich has her hands full as she balances two cameras while covering the Belmont Shore rugby playoff match during SSA IX. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

No “chimping!”  That was a huge part of Sports Shooter Academy IX; keep shooting, keep shooting – you’ll see what you got later. The more you focus on the situation around you and really try to capture the “moments”, the better your photos will turn out.

Near the end of the game University High School scored. I immediately tried to focus on the all the reactions on the field. I concentrated on the player that scored and finally caught him celebrating with his teammate. I positioned myself to get the opponent, with the dejected reaction in the background.

This picture is an example of that. As one of the teams scored to take the lead, I searched for reactions after the goal from both sides. I captured this image, finding jubilation and dejection in one shot. The epitome of sports and what we as sports photographers aim to accomplish, telling a story with our photos.

I shot this photo using a Nikon 200-400mm f/4 zoomed in all the way at 400. I shot at ISO 400, f/4, and at 1/2000 of a second.

(Thanks to SanDisk and Nikon for sponsoring the prizes for the photo of the day.)

4/26/12 - Irvine Valley College and Orange Coast College players react as the umpire calls the base runner out during a baseball game between Irvine Valley College and Orange Coast College. Photo by Luke Johnson

By Luke Johnson

(Note: First in a series.)

Going into Sports Shooter Academy IX the one thing I really wanted to learn and take back with me was an understanding how to set up a remote camera.

On the first day I was intent on learning as much as I could about remotes, so I decided to shoot the Irvine Valley – Orange Coast College baseball game.

SSA instructor John McDonough checks out the Luke Johnson's remote. Photo by Christy Radecic, Sports Shooter Academy

One of the important things about remotes that instructors stressed, was arriving early to the game. This gave me the time to look around the stadium in search of the perfect spot to hang my remote. I decided to mount my camera on the third base side, aimed at home plate.

With the help of SSA instructor Shawn Cullen, I attached my Nikon D700 and a 70-200 zoom to the fence along the 3^rd base line using a Manfrotto Arm and Super Clamp.

Another thing that we were taught is to never think of a remote as a sure thing. Even if you’re prepared, there’s a lot that could go wrong.

I pre-focused on home plate, hooked up a set of PocketWizard Plus III radio triggers and just hoped for the best.

A while later in the middle of the game, I was shooting on the opposite side of where my remote was located and I saw this play begin to develop at the plate. I quickly grab my PocketWizard, smash down the trigger, just praying that it’s receiving on the other end.

Luckily it did.

(Thanks to SanDisk and Nikon for sponsoring the prizes for the photo of the day.)

Luke Johnson at the Irvine Valley - Orange Coast College baseball game. Photo by Christy Radecic, Sports Shooter Academy

By Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

The saying goes “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

For me, the Sports Shooter Academy turns that saying on its head. This workshop keeps me young and I always learn … a lot.

So with apologies to David Letterman, here are:
Top 10 Things I learned (or relearned) at Sports Shooter Academy IX

Workshop faculty member Mike Goulding with a order of chili cheese fries at The Hat. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

10 I love the The Hat’s chili fries (but it sure doesn’t love me!)
9 The Nikkor 200-400mm zoom is the IT lens
8 Rugby players are the toughest SOBs out there

Stephanie Moebius had her smile on throughout Sports Shooter Academy IX. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

7 Biggest smiles of the week: Stephanie Moebius
6 We need to start off the workshop with eliminating P from the alphabet (NO PROGAM MODE!)

Sparring at La Habra Boxing Club. Photo by Swikar Patel

5 Projects live! (i.e. Swikar Pitel shooting a cool picture story at the La Habra Boxing Club)
4 I am going to fix the Chinese Fire Drill that is the event signups (I promise!)

Looking over workshoppers' images is a highlight. Here I am looking over images with Carrie Jesenovec and Merrian Lucando (far left). Photo by Christy Radecic, Sports Shooter Academy

3 Looking at workshoppers’ images makes me re-fall (is that a real word?) in love with photography
2 I’ve grown more patient over the years … but I need a bit more
1 Chimping is the biggest stumbling block to shooting

There are many people and companies that make the Sports Shooter Academy work and simple thanks is not sufficient in thanking them. But I can at least acknowledge them and give them all a big shout out…

The faculty, staff and speakers educated and inspired us all: Wally Skalij, Rod Mar, Shawn Cullen, Michael Goulding, Myung Chun, Sean Haffey, John McDonough, Dave Black, Christy Radecic, Rafael Delgado, Dave Honl, Matt Bailey and Mike Greenlee.

The #1 reason this wonderful educational program exists and continues is because of Matt Brown. His contacts, business acumen, experience, talents, sense of humor and sense of purpose drives The Academy, giving us the fuel to propel this (sometimes unweildly) bus.

Bill Pekala and Nikon provide The Academy with the resources, support and the funding that enables me to make this program tuition-free for college students. On the ground in O.C. during SSA IX Nikon’s Sara Moosebrugger, Mike Corrado and Ronal Taniwaki gave us their time, knowledge, experience and good humor. Nikon and their people share our dedication to education and photography… which is truly cool.

Nikon's Sara Moosebrugger talks to Jane Jane Gershovich during a rugby match.(Yes, both are shooting with the IT lens: the Nikkor 200-400 zoom. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

Samy’s Camera provides the SSA with support, including marketing help and resources to help us throughout the year with planning and logistics. Thanks Sam, Louis, Terry and Patrick.

Think Tank Photo has been a part of the Sports Shooter Academy since Day One. Whatever we ask for, they provide without hesitation. Thanks Doug, Brian, Deanne and Kurt…you’re gear and your support of the SSA is the best and appreciated.

Working with remote gear is always on the top of participants’ list of what they want to learn at these workshops and having PocketWizard involved has allowed up to really amp up our teaching in this area. Thanks to PocketWizard and to Ian Ray who journeyed from Vermont to be a part of our faculty.

Sports Shooter Academy Class of 2012.

liveBooks is the SSA’s home on the Internet, providing us with a wonderful website plus they are an active part of the SSA, as exhibited by co-founder Matt Bailey’s appearance at the past two workshops. His vision and words on wisdom both inspire and educate us.

My good friend Dave Honl is always there when we hold an event, need Honl Photo gear or to have him speak. When they coined the expression cool dude they must have had Dave in mind.

Thanks to CameraBits and SanDisk for providing their wonderful products for us to give to the workshop participants.

And lastly … I am able to continue working on the Sports Shooter Academy because of the Deanna and Emma. Their unending devotion to me and my work isn’t deserved but I continue this crazy notion of “giving a little something back” to photography because of them. This workshop is always devoted to them.

(Robert Hanashiro is USA TODAY’s west coast staff photographer. He is the founder of Sports Shooter and co-founder of the Sports Shooter Academy.)

4/2/12 10:39:56 PM --- NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR/ CHAMPIONSHIP GAME/ KENTUCKY v. KANSAS --- New Orleans, LA, U.S.A: Kentucky forward Terrence Jones (3) and forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist celebrate their NCAA championship victory over Kansas at the Superdome. Photo by Robert Hanashiro , USA TODAY

E.O.G. (End Of Game)
By Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

Most of us have been there. We’ve shot great action of The Big Game and then you get the word your editors are most interested in the E.O.G.: End Of Game.

The jube and deject.

The bigger the game, the bigger the desire for getting the reaction of the players at the End Of Game rather than the action that went on before.

Monday’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game was no different and is a good example of how this situation usually plays out.

Capturing the emotions played out on the court depends on position, quick reaction, court sense, having a plan in mind and most of all luck.

Hey … just like shooting the action!

Photo Mechanic thumbnails from my down court camera (D3 with 200-400 zoom). Like game action, the E.O.G. happens quickly.

In a close game, which Kentucky’s win over Kansas ended up, the reactions are even more amped up — the winners leaping in the air in celebration; the losers walking off in apparent pain.

During the NCAA Tournament photographers are barred from Court Running — sprinting onto the court so they can stick a wide angle lens into the players’ faces. This rule is hard and fast and is for the benefit of the network so they can get their shots as much as it is for giving still photographers a clean look as well.

As the clocked ticked down to 00, the Kentucky bench rushed to embrace their teammates on the court and then the big challenge…

No, not deciding where to point your lens.

It wasn’t praying the TV hand-held camera pointers don’t block you.

It’s not cheerleaders or a team manager standing on the baseline in front of you.

It’s was the seemingly endless rain of streamers and confetti pouring down on the court.

4/2/12 10:40:11 PM --- NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR / CHAMPIONSHIP GAME / KENTUCKY v. KANSAS --- New Orleans, LA, U.S.A: Kansas forward Thomas Robinson (0) is consoled by teammates Kevin Young (40) Tyshawn Taylor (10) during the NCAA Men's Championship Game at the Superdome. Photo by Robert Hanashiro , USA TODAY

This is a time when going old school — manual focus — is the way to go.

USA TODAY had three photographers covering the NCAA Championship Game: Bob Deutsch shooting in an outside spot in the corner on one end; local freelance photographer Paul Morse shooting from an elevated spot at mid-court; and I was positioned in an inside spot opposite of Bob. USAT’s Sean Dougherty and freelancer A.J. Mast were working the computers, editing, captioning and uploading images in the digital photo workroom.

(Tech note: Bob and Sean wired and networked five handheld cameras and four remotes and they all worked flawlessly for the semis and the finals. Great work guys!)

These three different looks at the floor gave us as much coverage as possible — and it was still a challenge to get those storytelling images.

As announcer Jim McKay proclaimed during the intro to ABC’s Wide World of Sports: The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Sports is often a matter of seconds. Capturing the E.O.G. is no different.

Shooting at the E.O.G. has a lot of challenges, including streamers and confetti raining down on the court.

Looking at the time stamp on my image files, the jube/dejection images start at 10:40:08PM. By 10:40:48PM the Kentucky players started putting on those (silly) t-shirts and caps that say they won and the Kansas players had left the court…

With only seconds to get the best images, you have to find moments quickly but also not stay on them so long that you miss something else going outside your lens’ field of view.

That’s why I list “court sense” as one of the keys to capturing the E.O.G. … like a good point guard you have to be aware of what’s going on even though you don’t really see it. Just laying on the shutter release (what I call “makin’ movies”) is no substitute for anticipation, knowing the game and knowing when to move on to another shot.

As the clock ran out, I focused down court with a 200-400mm zoom on a couple of Kentucky players as they ran toward their bench, hugged and jumped up and down in celebration.

After a few frames the streamers began to fall onto the court and some Kansas players in the foreground started to block me. That’s when I switched to my camera with a 70-200 zoom and spotted Jayhawks’ star forward Thomas Robinson, bent over in obvious dejection. In a few seconds teammates came over to console him and he became overcome with emotion, surrounded in a swirl of steamers and confetti. Even in those few scant seconds, I could actually feel his disappointment and pain and I paused for a second. But only a second.

The game was 59 minutes and 45 seconds of flying dunks, diving bodies, several spectacular blocked shots and a near unbelievable comeback by the Jayhawks…

But in the end, it was all about the jube (and dejection).

You can check out USA TODAY’s gallery of images from the Kentucky -Kansas game at this link: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/gallery/2012-ncaa-championship

(The Bottom Of The 9th is an occasional column by Sports Shooter founder Robert Hanashiro. He is also USA TODAY’s west coast staff photographer.)

My USA TODAY colleague Bob Deutsch checks his floor remote on the baseline of the court before the NCAA Men's Final Four. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

Remotes At The NCAA Final Four
By Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

At the NCAA Final Four there are a couple of primary remote camera spots: On the floor in front of the baseline and along the side of the court in front of the press table.

The side remotes used to be placed under the press tables and partially hidden by the black drapes. But when the NCAA went to a podium-style court configuration a few years ago — meaning the court was actually raised several feet above the floor of the arena — it meant that the cameras were no longer hidden by the tables.

Fortunately for photographers, we are still allowed to place cameras along that one baseline, as long as you don’t use a floor plate or tabletop tripod that raises it too high which blocks the view of the sports writers.

The side remote gives you options — farther toward the middle of the court you can put a telephoto looking back at the hoop; toward the corner many put a wide as a “3-point” camera giving you an overall look.

Remote install day is Wednesday if you want to get a good spot along the side. (Thursday, which was the day we used to install remotes, the network has now closed access to the press.)

Wednesday is also the day you can install remotes in the catwalk if your organization was approved for that.

For many newspapers and wires, placing the camera is about 1/3 of the work. Setting up the tethering network for the cameras means lots of Ethernet being laid out, switches and repeaters positioned (and finding AC power for them) and hours of configuring cameras and computers.

The other remote primary spot is in front of the baseline photographers. Because things are tight (not to mention there are two rows of photographers along each baseline) there is often some negotiating that goes into getting your remote spot positioned.

My spot at the Final Four is “inside” meaning close to the basket. I am in spot two, with SI’s John McDonough in the #1 spot. These inside spots are prime for floor remotes.

Photographers sitting farther out may want a floor remote near an inside spot, to give them a “second look” at places — and the 1 and 2 spots tend to be less in the “ref ass” zone. Also photographers on the opposite side may want a remote under the other basket so they have both ends covered.

Side remotes at the Final Four are in front of the press tables. Before the start of the game the cameras are covered in a black drape. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

Because you can’t put a lot of cameras in front of you, photographers will often do a quid pro quo — for instance AP’s David Phillip has a camera in front of me because he’s helped us a lot in the past.

(Being nice and being a professional in this business goes a long way!)

During Friday’s workout day, I had about a half dozen shooters ask if they could put down a floor remote in front of me. Because of the limitation in space, we ended up only able to fit two cameras.

All remotes are repeatedly checked by the NCAA to make sure they are positioned behind the lines of the photo box on the baselines and the side remotes cameras are draped completely with just the lens hoods sticking out.

Post remotes (camera mounted on the stanchion) are not allowed — so you don’t see a forest of cameras like you do during NBA games. Glass remotes are the purview of NCAA Photos only and are distributed as “pool” photographs.

Covering the biggest college basketball games of the year are a lot of work, long days but exciting and always fun to shoot.

(For a gallery of photos from the Final Four check this link at USATODAY.com: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/gallery/2012-ncaa-semifinals )

3/31/12 7:02:40 PM -- New Orleans, LA: Kentucky Wildcats guard Marquis Teague (25) shoots over Louisville Cardinals defenders. This was taken with floor remote positioned in front me; Nikon D300 with a 24mm. Photo by Robert Hanashiro , USA TODAY

(The Bottom Of The 9th is an occasional column by Sports Shooter founder Robert Hanashiro. He is also USA TODAY’s west coast staff photographer.)

3/30/12 -- New Orleans, LA: Your "standard" workout day photos: Kentucky head coach John Calipari (left) and Ohio State's star player Jared Sullinger dunking. Photo by Robert Hanashiro , USA TODAY

Workout Day At The Final Four
By Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

The day before the NCAA Final Four each team holds a 50-minute “workout” on the floor of the host venue — this year it’s the SuperDome in New Orleans.

This city is probably the perfect site for any big event and it has certainly held more than it’s share over the years. New Orleans is a wonderful city filled with history, culture, great food, wonderful people, a large tourist area, bad strip clubs and lots of hotels (especially Marriott properties to keep the sports writers happy collecting more awards points!).

Workout day for the four teams can be basically a walk-through on the court,coach schmoozing with the court-side big-wigs  (Louisville) or a full-out, hustle-your-ass, coaches yelling like it’s the final 2 minutes of a game deal (Ohio State).

3/30/12 -- New Orleans, LA: One of the players on our list of advance features was on Kansas Jayhawks center Jeff Withey (5). The "standard" photo would be something like the image of Withey, shot tight with a 200-400 (above). But after making several images like that, I went with a low, wide angle look to not only show Withey but give a sense of place with the large NCAA banner on the score board. Once you get the "safe shot" don't repeat yourself, look for something (anything) a little different. Photo by Robert Hanashiro , USA TODAY

And it’s also a huge photo-op.

For photographers that have to cover the workout day, it’s a chance to make sure the remotes you installed Wednesday are still working, check the camera system you’ve set up to tether your cameras and shoot the players and coaches that are on the story list from the sports writers.

3/29/2012 --- New Orleans, LA : Ohio State Buckeyes run through drills the day before playing Kansas in the NCAA National Semi-Finals. Looking for something different and using a technique --- like blurs --- is a good to do during the workout day. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Staff

The challenge is to get all of the setting up stuff done, tested, ready to go for the real games plus check off those names on “the list” … and get out of the dome at a reasonable hour. (So you can get a nice dinner at a place like Gautreaus near the Garden District — thank you very much Ron!)

The second challenge is to get a couple of nice, interesting images and (for me) not just settle for the “usual”.

Most of the photographers work on things that you’ll be doing for the next day when it really counts — tweaking remotes (like my buddy John McDonough from SI and David Phillip for the AP were doing), double checking color balance and exposure and for me, deciding whether to go hand-held or with a monopod on my down court camera with the Nikkor 200-400.

After shooting four practices, I decided I’m going to “man-up” and go without the monopod.

I can always change for the finals on Monday.

3/30/12 -- New Orleans, LA: Shooting a lithe wider to show photographers photographing Kansas head coach Bill Self. And then look for the little details, like team managers lining up the rack of basketballs before a practice session starts. Photo by Robert Hanashiro , USA TODAY

(The Bottom Of The 9th is an occasional column by Sports Shooter founder Robert Hanashiro. He is also USA TODAY’s west coast staff photographer.)

Think Tank Photo Airport TakeOff packed with gear and placed in a Lightware 1629 MultiFormat Case to check on my flight to New Orleans. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, SSA

Heading To The “Big Easy”
By Robert Hanashiro, Sports Shooter Academy

Traveling with camera gear is like putting together a big jigsaw puzzle. Trying to get all of the pieces to fit, while keeping the baggage fees as low as possible, stay under 50 pounds per case … and get it all to your destination all in working order.

In the “old days” — aka getting two checked bags for free — it wasn’t as much of a concern to me. If I went over, it cost me (or rather my newspaper) $25 or $50 for being over by one piece or being overweight by a few pounds.

Present day? You could probably book a seat on the flight for your 400mm for price they charge for checking bags —-especially if you’re at 3 or 4 pieces and/or one is 5-pounds overweight.

That long glass would look good buckled into a (coach) seat!

Since I couldn’t book my flight to New Orleans for this weekend’s NCAA Men’s Final Four on Southwest —which does not charge for your first two checked bags— it meant a little bit of a change in my packing strategy.

Normally I carry onto the plane a computer backpack AND a Think Tank Rolling case.

The Think Tank ShapeShifter will be my only carry-on for my flight to the Final Four. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, SSA

(I’ve recently “down-sized” from the TTP Airport Security roller to the smaller Airport TakeOff after having some problems getting the larger case into the overhead bin on several flights late last year.)
But since I wasn’t flying Southwest couldn’t buy my way into the front of the first boarding group, I didn’t want to take the chance of getting the most dreaded words a traveling photographer can hear: GATE CHECK.

So I decided to board my UAL flight to New Orleans (via Houston — there are no direct flight to the New Orleans from LA!) with just a fully loaded computer/camera backpack.

I would load the roller into my trusty, 20-year-old Lightware 1629 MultiFormat Case (aka: The Travel Kit Case) and check it.

Using a digital luggage scale, I sorted and packed my gear into the TTP Airport TakeOff and a small rectangular shaped duffel bag I bought at the “Supply Sargent” (an army surplus store in Burbank). The duffel I bought recently to use to pack and check a Kart-A-Bag equipment cart and load some more stuff into it — like my clothes.

After some trial and error, mixing and matching things to keep the two pieces under 50 pounds, this is how it broke down:
Think Tank Photo Airport TakeOff Roller/Lightware 1629 MultiFormat Case (48 pounds)
- Nikkor 200-400mm zoom
- Nikon D300 camera body
- Nikkor 50mm
- Nikkor 24mm
- Nikon CoolPix P7000
- External liveview LCD monitor
- Card wallet
- Camera battery charger
- 5 camera batteries
- Small core gaffer tape
- Pouch with a set Pocket Wizard MultiMAXs plus cords
- TTP ChangeUp belt bag (w/ GoPro Hero and small clamp w/ ballhead)

Army Surplus Duffel Bag (36 pounds)
- Kart-A-Bag equipment cart
- Gitzo Monopod
- Nikon SB800 Speedlight w/ off-camera TTL cord
- HonlPhoto Traveler8 softbox
- Nikon fold-up camping/basketball chair
- Small tool kit
- Clothes (for 6 days) in Eagle Creek Packet-In
- Shaving Kit

Think Tank Photo ShapeShifter backpack
- Nikon D3S camera body
- Nikon D3 camera body
- Nikkor 24-70mm zoom
- Nikkor 70-200mm zoom
- MacBook Pro 15″ w/ power supply
- TTP Cable Management pouch with laptop accessories
- The latest “Lucas Davenport” and “Stephanie Plum” crime books

A few notes: A few notes:
- I use spare dividers from the Think Tank rollers as padding around and on top of gear during transport
- The Kart-A-Bag cart goes with me everywhere
- The Lightware 1620 MultiFormat is the best shipping/transport/storage case ever. Get one — well worth the investment.
- Nikon gave away the basketball chair several years ago at an event (the best, most useful schwag ever)
- I’m not sure what’s happened to the overhead bins, three Southwest flights the Airport Security would not fit wheels or handles first — so I had to place it sideways. All three of the flights the Southwest flight attendants gave me a bit of grief for not getting the roller in wheels/handles first. (But when I opened the roller and showed them what was in it, they were a bit more forgiving.
- The TTP Airport TakeOff has no problem fitting in the overhead wheels/handles first.
- Remote gear was shipped to New Orleans last week — 60 pounds worth.
- After I land at Louis Armstrong International I am heading straight to Coop’s Place and order the Cajun friend chicken with the rabbit & sausage Jambalaya!

An army surplus store duffel bag is used to check my equipment cart and give me room for other items --- like my clothes! Photo by Robert Hanashiro, SSA

(Bottom Of The 9th is an occasional column by Sports Shooter founder Robert Hanashiro. He is also USA TODAY’s west coast staff photographer.)