SPAA 2007: the first annual convention exceeds expectations.(Sports Photographers Association of America, speech by Pat Taylor of PTP Sports Photo) - PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities

More than 150 people attended the first annual SPAA Convention, held March 8-9, in Las Vegas, Nev., during PMA 07.

'I thought the attendance was excellent,' said Pat Taylor, president of PTP Sports Photo, Eaton, Ohio, whose session, 'Lead Generation 101,' stressed the need to establish a personal commitment to getting out in the world and generating leads.

Taylor stressed the reality of the sports market as it stands today, with competition swiftly growing. 'I didn't want to sugarcoat the industry,' he said. 'It's a business where you have some very experienced photographers with well-established client lists who are struggling to survive. Advertising is a must.'

Taylor fielded many questions, several of which involved pricing structure, commissions, etc.

'I've found pricing is regional,' said Taylor. 'What a photographer in L.A. County charges for a basic package--$15 to $17--I might be able to get just $12 to $13 for in Eaton, Ohio, a county of 40,000 residents.'

Taylor stressed the need to discover the expectations of potential clients before making any sales presentation. 'You don't want to be blindsided, so ask lots of questions in preparation for the meeting.'

Jay Mired, Marco Photo Service Inc., a small pro lab with a photography component, located in Mansfield, Ohio, used audience participation throughout his session, 'Keeping Your Clients--Developing a Long-Term Business Relationship.'

'I want to make this a meaningful session by helping you know your strengths and weaknesses,' Allred said, adding that audience members represented lots of years of experience to mine for ideas. To emphasize all companies lose clients, Allred began by telling how he lost two of his own. The first was a studio that did schools and sports, and conducted its lab work with Marco from out of state via the Internet.

'This long-term client was so easy to do business with, plus they did a lot of their own marketing in-house and knew what to do to make our end go smoothly. I'd call them a couple times a year; and that was that--an easy client.'

So Allred was surprised, to say the least, to be replaced by another lab. Why did this happen?

'The client felt I had been taking her work for granted. I had fallen short of her expectations,' Mired explained. 'I thought I was handling business in exactly the way she wanted; instead, I learned the hard way I was wrong.'

Allred says keeping a long-term client happy is very similar to keeping a personal relationship healthy. 'I had assumed she was a low-maintenance client, the kind we all want to land because high-maintenance clients take more work and time to keep happy.'

Allred is still trying to win her back and said it costs a whole lot more to win back a client than to give each client extra attention.

On the high-maintenance side, Allred lost a client that was nearby geographically, and a client for which Marco had regularly achieved 98 percent of its commitments on time.

'The client needed more help--and got more help--at a premium price for the added labor. They were paying for that high maintenance, but we lost the client regardless,' Allred said. 'Sometimes, a 2 percent let down is enough to destroy a three-year relationship.'

SPAA Sports Photography Seminars may be coming near you

Photographers seeking to learn the fast-growing business of sports photography should attend one of the tour stops of the SPAA Sports Photography Seminar. This will be the second year SPAA has taken its efforts on the road to educate attendees, including these who have been involved in sports photography for years and those just starting. Attendees will learn techniques to achieve higher gross sales, better net margins, and greater customer satisfaction.

John Zimmerman, innovative sports photojournalist, dies at 74 - AP Worldstream

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Dateline: LOS ANGELESJohn G. Zimmerman, who introduced groundbreaking techniques in sports photojournalism as a staff member of Sports Illustrated, has died. He was 74.

Zimmerman, a native of Los Angeles, died Aug. 3 of complications of lymphoma in Pebble Beach, his family said.

He was among the first to put a remote-controlled camera inside a hockey net to capture action around the goal. He also positioned cameras behind a basketball net to show Wilt Chamberlain at work and underwater to catch the action of divers and swimmers.

Though the techniques currently seem familiar, Zimmerman broke new ground when he perfected them more than 40 years ago.

During his career, he shot 107 covers for Sports Illustrated, including action shots of stars such as Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax and several swimsuit issues.

"He basically was the godfather of sports photography at Sports Illustrated," said Steve Fine, director of photography at the magazine. "He took shots from angles that had never been seen and pioneered techniques that had never been used _ including slow shutter speeds, blurs _ and produced interesting studies of motion."

Zimmerman, who was born in Pacoima, California, attended Fremont High School and participated in the school's three-year photography course, which was considered one of the best vocational programs in the country.

Zimmerman served in the Navy during World War II and was eventually hired as a lab technician at the Time-Life office in Washington. He was hired by Sports Illustrated in 1956, one of just two photographers.

He left the magazine's staff in the early 1960s to pursue his photography career on a free-lance basis. Zimmerman covered 10 Olympics for Time, Life and Sports Illustrated and his work also appeared in the Saturday Evening Post.

Zimmerman continued to contribute frequently to Sports Illustrated into the 1980s and retired a decade ago to Pebble Beach.

He is survived by his wife, Delores; three children, Darryl, Greg and Linda; a sister, Molly Bishop, and a brother, Ed Zimmerman.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be sent to the American Cancer Society.

SWOCO YOUTH SPORTS - The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, VA)

CAVE SPRING HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS

Note: Hidden Valley High School spring sports ran April 10. Toview those photos, visit The Notebook on swo-co.com

Cave Spring Girls Track

Row 1: Melissa Schaefer, Allison White, Edy Ndem, Tatum Tyler,Samantha Snyder, Lauren Bosche, Reema Azar, Jessica Coleman

Row 2: Nicole Smith, Kristina Eichblatt, Amanda Grubb, ShannonCraighead, Sarah Iler, Alice Periin, Anmuk Supachaiyakit, CourtneyTamaro, Justine Olsen

Row 3: Molly Western, Megan Gulliford, Melina Mercier, AnnaEllen, Amanda Sizemore, Tyler Pace, Brooke Carr, Jamie Phlegar,Jessi Fortner

Back: Coach Washington, Coach Currie, Coach Barrett, and CoachMaguire

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Boys Track

Row 1: Skip Carpenter, Thomas Buchko, Jason Snebold, JordanSpangler, Neil Aneja, Cody Seymour, Taylor Bohon, Tanveer Bhatia,Cris Corbero

Row 2: Sam Wright, Erik Zimmerman, Jake Hosterman, MarkOverstreet, Daniel Swaffar, Andrew Conley, Justin Plymale, TallmanMcBride

Row 3: Zack Lacy, Elliot George, Andrew Paul Smith, Owen Shaw,Dontrell Brailsford, Taylor Mclemore, Zev Woodstock, Parker Vascik

Row 4: Conor Martin, Tyler Francis, Kasey Neil, Andrew George,Louis Alvarez

Row 5: Coach Washington, Coach Currie, Coach Barrett, CoachMaguire.

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Varsity Girls Soccer

Sitting: Taylor Graves, Sara Walton, Meredith Walker, LizWilson, Jessica Durham

Kneeling: Kayla Funk, Tori Doyle, Loretto Alarcon, Sara Zillioux,Charlotte Welch, Kasey Ford

Standing: Coach Esteban Martinez, Marion Whisnant, Jordan Reid,Lauren Markey, Kylie Kerr, Jennifer Wade, Kate Moore, Coach MeredithGrunewald

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Junior Varsity Girls Soccer

Sitting: Bailey Jenkins, Abby Daniels, Jourdan Markey, AshleyFunk, Brittany Boughal

Kneeling: Clare Burton, Liz Capps, Erin Smith, KatherineZielinski, Meredith Brammer, Lauren Stiles, Sarah Gordon

Standing: Coach Christine Torzewski, Christina Elliot, KendellScott, Erika Garrison, Rachel Gilbert.

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Varsity Boys Soccer

Sitting: Simon Urrea, Murray Joiner, Tim Henderson, AndresMorales, Scott Harriman

Kneeling: Pratik Mody, Graham Holley, Evan Johnson, MichaelDonato, Ethan Hafey, James Kennedy, Frazier Howes, Ben Nowak, TomMurphy

Standing: Manager Thomas Boehling, Head Coach Matthew Neale,Landon Epperly, Will Dooley, Taylor Moore, Brennan Scott, TaylorWoodrum, Assistant Coach Bryan Ryberg, Assistant Coach AndrewMarke.

Assistant Coach Rob Eanes not pictured.

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Junior Varsity Boys Soccer

Sitting: Philip Anderson, Michael Bier, Adam Guyes, ChaseBrittain, Jacob Sortore

Kneeling: Michael Zhang, Michael Conley, Michael Paone, MarkMercier, Saim Mustafa, Matthew Blades

Standing: Drew Seymour, Josh McDearmon, Zach Gude, Justin Katz,David Kegley, Coach Palazzola

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Varsity Softball

Front row: (from left) Hannah Sitze, Morgan Shannon, KaylaMalkos, Dani Duff, Danielle Stump

Middle row: (from left) Mariah Stump, Courtney Gaddy, TaylorParris, Tory Parris

Back row: (from left) Jackie Harris, Monica Boatwright, OliviaFerguson, Alea Bier, Renee Mastrangelo

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Junior Varsity Softball

Top row (from left): Madi Billings, Amory Mayo, Taylor Sloan,Bailey Click

Middle row (from left): Victoria Muncy, Erin Tanner, CaitlynRagan, Hannah Ferguson

Front row (from left): Devon Tanner, Kellie Gingras, BrookeCraighead, Lauren Roach

Not pictured: Amanda Simmons

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Varsity Baseball

Sitting: Luke Munson, Jeremy Wimmer, Graham Harkey, Anthony Mead,Aaron Clary, Michael Crouch, Andrew Brammer

Kneeling: Luke Feldenzer, Brian Kluge, Coach David Dunstan, CoachFL Slough, Steve Klaiber, Kris Dionnes

Standing: Justin Sloan, Carter Mull, Tucker Green, Nathan Wimmer,Eric Gladfelter, Steven Koll, Ted Lyle

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Junior Varsity Baseball

Sitting: Andrew Peterson, Zach Utterback, Tanner McCoy, DrewCrane, Dominic DeLotto, Nick Bredinger

Kneeling: Austin Clayton, Storm Furrow, Ryan Gearhardt, ReeceKingery, James Didas, Nick Frohock, Dylan Cohan

Standing: Coach Justin Garland, Coach Derrick Roth, HarrisonRichards, Ben Walker, Jordan Bryant, Coach Pete Matthiessen

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Boys Tennis

Bottom row (from left): Nick McFarland, Sean Gould, ChrisCoffman, Alex Bond

Top row (from left): Justin White, David Dodson, Reece Griffith,Cory D'Orazio, Coach Harvey

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Girls Tennis

Front row (from left): Caroline Whisnant (8th grade -- TeamManager), Laura Dodson, Erin Fothergill and Lindsey Goetsch. LeahWilkes is not pictured.

Back row (from left, standing): Mary Wynne Lawrence, Piper Hagan,Aynsley Haviland, Ann Wheelock, Rachel Kennedy, Lauren Sledd, KarenRucker (coach).

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Keith Myburgh represents Virginia in the Eastern Zone swim meet

Virginia Gators swimmer Keith Myburgh of Southwest Roanoke Countyrepresented Virginia in the recent Eastern Zone swim meet inRochester, N.Y., from April 1 to 3. Keith is 9 years old andattends Cave Spring Elementary School.

Synergy Cheer of VA to hold 2009-10 team placements

Nationally recognized Synergy Cheer of Virginia will hold teamplacements for their 2009-10 Allstar Teams on May 2 on the followingschedule: Grades Pre-K-5, 11to 12:30 p.m., Grades 7-12, 12:30 to 2p.m.

For interested athletes unable to make the May 2 date, we willalso be taking registration during team practices through May 30 onthe following schedule: Mondays ages 8 and under, 6 to 7 p.m.,Wednesdays ages 12-18, 6 to 8 p.m. and Thursdays ages 11 and under,6 to 7 p.m.

Open to all athletes, pre-K through 12th grade, novice throughadvanced, wanting to become part of the award winning Synergy Cheercompetitive allstar teams. Synergy Cheer competitive cheerleadingcombines tumbling, dance and stunting and compete in approximately6 local and national competitions per season.

Synergy Cheer is housed in the former CMT building at 3473Brandon Ave, that offers 6,400 square feet of climate controlledspace (full heating and air conditioning) dedicated to everythingcheer. Our coaches are all experienced and safety certified.

Visit us on the Web at www.synergycheer.net or call (540) 725-1285 for more information.

Submitted by Jana Williams

Virginia Extreme Force 16U team looking for softball players

VA Extreme Force 16U Elite girl's fast pitch softball team willplay in seven college showcase tournaments this summer in VA, NC, SCand PA.

For serious players interested in pursuing exposure to collegecoaches. Need pitcher and utility players by May 24 to fill 2009roster.

Contact Don Hall at (540) 309-5085 for tryout.

Sophomore Lara Min wins Blue Ridge Conference Tennis Championshiptitle

On April 4, Lara Min won the Blue Ridge Conference singleschampionship in tennis. The tournament was held at EasternMennonite High School in Harrisonburg, VA. Lara attends North CrossSchool.

Min had a bye the first round of the tournament and then defeatedplayers from Chatham Hall (Chatham, VA) and Carlisle School (Axton,VA) to make it to the championship game. In the finals, she facedoff against the returning champion from last year, Katy Beregy ofEMHS. Min started off with a lead and was up in the match 7-3.However, Beregy fought back and at 8-8 sent the match into atiebreaker. Min won the tiebreaker 7-0 and was crowned BRC championfor 2009.

Min has been a member of the NCS women's tennis team since 2008.The team is currently in the middle of their season with a 5-1record overall and a 2-0 conference record.

Submitted by North Cross School

Roanoke Juniors 16 National team advances to national tournament

The Roanoke Juniors 16 National team went into the Bid tournamenton March 21-22 as the No. 1 seed. This tournament is held everyspring to see which travel volleyball team will represent Virginiaat the National Championships in seven different age groups. Afterwinning their first four matches on Saturday, March 21, the teamlost a 25-18, 23-25, 17-19 match to the Coastal 16 National.

Because of that loss, the Roanoke team went to the final four onSunday as the No. 2 seed, thus had to win two matches in successionin order to win the tournament. Roanoke first defeatedFredericksburg -- the two-time defending state champions -- 25-15, 25-16, then defeated Clash, a team from Northern Virginia, 19-25, 25-14, 15-8.

The team now advances to the National Tournament in Miami FloridaJune 26 to 29. But before that, the team plans to attend atournament in Atlanta and possibly others that will be determined.

This is the third such championship for Roanoke Juniors. Theyalso won the 17's division in 2005 and the 15's division in 2006.

You can see more info on the team at http://www.coachhouser.com.

Cave Spring Varsity Baseball

Sitting: Luke Munson, Jeremy Wimmer, Graham Harkey, Anthony Mead,Aaron Clary, Michael Crouch, Andrew Brammer

Kneeling: Luke Feldenzer, Brian Kluge, Coach David Dunstan, CoachFL Slough, Steve Klaiber, Kris Dionnes

Standing: Justin Sloan, Carter Mull, Tucker Green, Nathan Wimmer,Eric Gladfelter, Steven Koll, Ted Lyle

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Junior Varsity Baseball

Sitting: Andrew Peterson, Zach Utterback, Tanner McCoy, DrewCrane, Dominic DeLotto, Nick Bredinger

Kneeling: Austin Clayton, Storm Furrow, Ryan Gearhardt, ReeceKingery, James Didas, Nick Frohock, Dylan Cohan

Standing: Coach Justin Garland, Coach Derrick Roth, HarrisonRichards, Ben Walker, Jordan Bryant, Coach Pete Matthiessen

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Boys Tennis

Bottom row (from left): Nick McFarland, Sean Gould, ChrisCoffman, Alex Bond

Top row (from left): Justin White, David Dodson, Reece Griffith,Cory D'Orazio, Coach Harvey

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

Cave Spring Girls Tennis

Back row (from left, standing): Mary Wynne Lawrence, Piper Hagan,Aynsley Haviland, Ann Wheelock, Rachel Kennedy, Lauren Sledd, KarenRucker (coach).

Front row (from left): Caroline Whisnant (8th Grade-TeamManager), Laura Dodson, Erin Fothergill and Lindsey Goetsch. LeahWilkes is not pictured.

Courtesy of Wing IT Photography

----------------------------------------------

* CAVE SPRING - LORD BOTETOURT BASEBALL PHOTOS FROM REBECCA EVANS

A COUPLE OF PICS

PHOTO: swoco_csvslb1_0501 and swoco_csvslb2_0501

Cave Spring vs. Lord Botetourt

Thursday, April 16

swoco_csvslb1_0501: Aaron Clary delivers a pitch for Cave Spring.Photo by Rebecca Evans

swoco_csvslb2_0501: Anthony Mead runs to base. Photo by RebeccaEvans

-----------------------------------------------

* VA EXTREME FORCE 16U NEEDS PLAYERS -- TEXT

Virginia Extreme Force 16U team looking for softball players

VA Extreme Force 16U Elite girl's fast pitch softball team willplay in seven college showcase tournaments this summer in VA, NC, SCand PA.

For serious players interested in pursuing exposure to collegecoaches. Need pitcher and utility players by May 24 to fill 2009roster.

Contact Don Hall @ (540)309-5085 for tryout.

---------------------------------------------

* SOPHOMORE LARA MIN WINS BLUE RIDGE CONFERENCE TENNISCHAMPIONSHIP TITLE--TEXT

Sophomore Lara Min wins Blue Ridge Conference Tennis Championshiptitle

On April 4, Lara Min '12, won the Blue Ridge Conference singleschampionship in tennis. The tournament was held at Eastern MennoniteHigh School in Harrisonburg, VA. Lara attends North Cross School.

Min had a bye the first round of the tournament and then defeatedplayers from Chatham Hall (Chatham, VA) and Carlisle School (Axton,VA) to make it to the championship game. In the finals, she facedoff against the returning champion from last year, Katy Beregy ofEMHS. Min started off with a lead and was up in the match 7-3.However, Beregy fought back and at 8-8 sent the match into atiebreaker. Min won the tiebreaker 7-0 and was crowned BRC championfor 2009.

Min has been a member of the NCS women's tennis team since 2008.The team is currently in the middle of their season with a 5-1record overall and a 2-0 conference record.

'This year's tennis team is a joy to work with,' said CoachHeather Lawrence. 'Some of the girls have natural talent whileothers have worked very hard for a couple of seasons to get wherethey are today. We have a lot of depth on the team, with 13 girls onthe roster. I am eager to see how this team does in the BRC teamtournament at the beginning of May.'

Submitted by North Cross School

-------------------------------------------

* KEITH MYBURGH REPRESENTS VIRGINIA IN THE EASTERN ZONE SWIM MEET

PHOTO: swoco_keithmyburgh_0417

Keith Myburgh represents Virginia in the Eastern Zone swim meet

Virginia Gators swimmer Keith Myburgh of Southwest Roanoke Countyrepresented Virginia in the recent Eastern Zone swim meet inRochester, NY from April 1-3. Keith is 9 years old and attends CaveSpring Elementary School.

-----------------------------------------------

* ROANOKE JUNIORS 16 NATIONAL TEAM ADVANCES TO NATIONALTOURNAMENT

PHOTO: swoco_juniors_bid

Front row: Lauren Sledd (Cave Spring), Macey Tyree (LordBotetourt), Sarah Church (Hidden Valley), Kimberly McDow (HiddenValley), Shannon Craighead(Cave Spring), Sam Washburn (FranklinCounty).; Back row: Coach Shannon Haynes, Morgan Shannon(CaveSpring), Erin McIntyre (Jefferson Forest), Emily Quesinberry(Christiansburg), Jordan Hawkins (Jefferson Forest), Liz Brailsford(PH), Aidan Guilfoyle (Roan Catholic), Coach Tom Houser.

Roanoke Juniors 16 National team advances to national tournament

The Roanoke Juniors 16 National team went into the Bid tournamenton March 21-22 as the #1 seed. This tournament is held every springto see which travel volleyball team will represent Virginia at theNational Championships in 7 different age groups. After winningtheir first 4 matches on Saturday March 21, the team lost a 25-18,23-25, 17-19 match to the Coastal 16 National.

Because of that loss, the Roanoke team went to the final four onSunday as the #2 seed, thus had to win two matches in succession inorder to win the tournament. Roanoke first defeated Fredericksburg -- the two-time defending state champions -- 25-15, 25-16, thendefeated Clash, a team from Northern Virginia, 19-25, 25-14, 15-8.

The team now advances to the National Tournament in Miami FloridaJune 26 - 29. But before that, the team plans to attend a tournamentin Atlanta and possibly others that will be determined.

This is the 3rd such championship for Roanoke Juniors. They alsowon the 17's division in 2005 and the 15's division in 2006.

You can see more info on the team at http://www.coachhouser.com/

------------------------------------------------

PAGE 25 FOR WHAT'S LEFT (OR MORE SPACE IF THE SPRING SPORTS DON'TFILL SIX PAGES):

* SYNERGY CHEER TEAM PLACEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT (TEXT ONLY)--MUSTRUN

Synergy Cheer of VA to hold 2009-10 Team Placements

Nationally recognized Synergy Cheer of Virginia will hold teamplacements for their 2009-10 Allstar Teams on May 2, 2009 on thefollowing schedule: Grades Pre-K-5, 11to 12:30 p.m., Grades 7-12,12:30 to 2 p.m.

For interested athletes unable to make the May 2 date, we willalso be taking registration during team practices through May 30 onthe following schedule: Mondays ages 8 and under, 6 to 7 p.m.,Wednesdays ages 12-18, 6 to 8 p.m. and Thursdays ages 11 and under,6 to 7 p.m.

Open to all athletes, pre-K through 12th grade, novice throughadvanced, wanting to become part of the award winning Synergy Cheercompetitive allstar teams. Synergy Cheer competitive cheerleadingcombines tumbling, dance and stunting and compete in approximately6 local and national competitions per season.

Synergy Cheer is housed in the former CMT building at 3473Brandon Ave, that offers 6,400 square feet of climate controlledspace (full heating and air conditioning) dedicated to everythingcheer. Our coaches are all experienced and safety certified.

Visit us on the Web at www.synergycheer.net or call (540) 725-1285 for more information.

Submitted by Jana Williams

----------------------------------------------

* CAVE SPRING - LORD BOTETOURT BASEBALL PHOTOS FROM REBECCA EVANS

A COUPLE OF PICS

PHOTO: swoco_csvslb1_0501 and swoco_csvslb2_0501

Cave Spring vs. Lord Botetourt

Thursday, April 16

swoco_csvslb1_0501: Aaron Clary delivers a pitch for Cave Spring.Photo by Rebecca Evans

swoco_csvslb2_0501: Anthony Mead runs to base. Photo by RebeccaEvans

-----------------------------------------------

* VA EXTREME FORCE 16U NEEDS PLAYERS -- TEXT

Virginia Extreme Force 16U team looking for softball players

VA Extreme Force 16U Elite girl's fast pitch softball team willplay in seven college showcase tournaments this summer in VA, NC, SCand PA.

For serious players interested in pursuing exposure to collegecoaches. Need pitcher and utility players by May 24 to fill 2009roster.

Contact Don Hall @ (540)309-5085 for tryout.

---------------------------------------------

* SOPHOMORE LARA MIN WINS BLUE RIDGE CONFERENCE TENNISCHAMPIONSHIP TITLE--TEXT

Sophomore Lara Min wins Blue Ridge Conference Tennis Championshiptitle

On April 4, Lara Min '12, won the Blue Ridge Conference singleschampionship in tennis. The tournament was held at Eastern MennoniteHigh School in Harrisonburg, VA. Lara attends North Cross School.

Min had a bye the first round of the tournament and then defeatedplayers from Chatham Hall (Chatham, VA) and Carlisle School (Axton,VA) to make it to the championship game. In the finals, she facedoff against the returning champion from last year, Katy Beregy ofEMHS. Min started off with a lead and was up in the match 7-3.However, Beregy fought back and at 8-8 sent the match into atiebreaker. Min won the tiebreaker 7-0 and was crowned BRC championfor 2009.

Min has been a member of the NCS women's tennis team since 2008.The team is currently in the middle of their season with a 5-1record overall and a 2-0 conference record.

'This year's tennis team is a joy to work with,' said CoachHeather Lawrence. 'Some of the girls have natural talent whileothers have worked very hard for a couple of seasons to get wherethey are today. We have a lot of depth on the team, with 13 girls onthe roster. I am eager to see how this team does in the BRC teamtournament at the beginning of May.'

Submitted by North Cross School

-------------------------------------------

* KEITH MYBURGH REPRESENTS VIRGINIA IN THE EASTERN ZONE SWIM MEET

PHOTO: swoco_keithmyburgh_0417

Keith Myburgh represents Virginia in the Eastern Zone swim meet

Virginia Gators swimmer Keith Myburgh of Southwest Roanoke Countyrepresented Virginia in the recent Eastern Zone swim meet inRochester, NY from April 1-3. Keith is 9 years old and attends CaveSpring Elementary School.

-----------------------------------------------

* ROANOKE JUNIORS 16 NATIONAL TEAM ADVANCES TO NATIONALTOURNAMENT

PHOTO: swoco_juniors_bid

Front row: Lauren Sledd (Cave Spring), Macey Tyree (LordBotetourt), Sarah Church (Hidden Valley), Kimberly McDow (HiddenValley), Shannon Craighead(Cave Spring), Sam Washburn (FranklinCounty).; Back row: Coach Shannon Haynes, Morgan Shannon(CaveSpring), Erin McIntyre (Jefferson Forest), Emily Quesinberry(Christiansburg), Jordan Hawkins (Jefferson Forest), Liz Brailsford(PH), Aidan Guilfoyle (Roan Catholic), Coach Tom Houser.

Roanoke Juniors 16 National team advances to national tournament

The Roanoke Juniors 16 National team went into the Bid tournamenton March 21-22 as the #1 seed. This tournament is held every springto see which travel volleyball team will represent Virginia at theNational Championships in 7 different age groups. After winningtheir first 4 matches on Saturday March 21, the team lost a 25-18,23-25, 17-19 match to the Coastal 16 National.

Because of that loss, the Roanoke team went to the final four onSunday as the #2 seed, thus had to win two matches in succession inorder to win the tournament. Roanoke first defeated Fredericksburg -- the two-time defending state champions -- 25-15, 25-16, thendefeated Clash, a team from Northern Virginia, 19-25, 25-14, 15-8.

The team now advances to the National Tournament in Miami FloridaJune 26 - 29. But before that, the team plans to attend a tournamentin Atlanta and possibly others that will be determined.

This is the 3rd such championship for Roanoke Juniors. They alsowon the 17's division in 2005 and the 15's division in 2006.

You can see more info on the team at http://www.coachhouser.com/

Life's a blur for sports photographer - The Charleston Gazette (Charleston, WV)

sandyw@wvgazette.com

It looks more like a painting than a photograph. Amid a colorful,swirling smear of flailing arms and legs, the image of Michael Jordanis unmistakable.

A muscular shoulder shiny with sweat gleams in the defining light.He cups the basketball in one hand, ready to make his move - a splitsecond forever captured by a lens with a lazy shutter speed.

'He was playing against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1990-91season when I started covering the NBA,' said the photographer, ChrisHamilton. 'I felt compelled to do something different than a pictureof somebody dunking a basketball.'

A 4-by-6-inch lithograph of the time-lapse photograph will be upfor grabs at the 12th annual spring auction to benefit the GreaterKanawha Valley Mental Health Association May 10 at Berry Hills CountyClub.

A nationally recognized sports photographer based in Atlanta, Ga.,the 50-year-old Hamilton is the son of Betty Hamilton of Charlestonand the late Paul Hamilton. He donated the lithograph to the mentalhealth event.

Bidders may need a fat billfold. During an auction to raise fundsfor the Atlanta Hawks, a picture he shot of Magic Johnson and MichaelJordon sold for $10,000.

'Evander Holyfield wanted it, and so did Dominique Wilkins,'Hamilton said. 'They got into a bidding war. Evander won it, and Isigned it for him.'

Created with Hamilton's signature time-lapse technique, the motion-streaked photograph shows Magic leaping under the basket with theball cradled in one hand.

'Michael Jordan is on the side, and on the other side is JamesWorthy. It looks like Bill Cartwright is going to block the shot.It's mesmerizing because everyone watching the play has their eyes onMagic with their mouths open. What's he going to do? Nobody's talkingto the person beside them. It's like a ballet. Everyone's just intheir seats, watching.'

The photograph appeared in Sports Illustrated. So did the picturehe contributed to the May 10 auction. 'That's one of the pictures Ishowed to Sports Illustrated to get the assignment,' Hamilton said.

'The assignment,' as he so casually puts it, launched his career.In 1991, the most famous of all sports magazines asked Hamilton toshoot the 1991 NBA finals. His photographs appeared in a 12-pagespread in the magazine's NBA playoff preview the following year. Theyalso used shots he took of regular-season play.

'It all took off from there,' he said. 'It was like buying 12pages of advertising in Sports Illustrated.'

Now, credits for Chris Hamilton Photography include the WorldSeries, the Super Bowl, NASCAR, the Olympics, World ChampionshipWrestling and the Indy 500. His client list sounds like a corporatewho's who. Eastman Kodak, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Nike, Reebok,Mattel, the Atlanta Braves.

The U.S. Sports Academy named him Sports Photographer of the Year.The Art Institute of Atlanta named him its Most Distinguished Alumni.

His photographs appeared in the Nikon House Exhibition in New YorkCity and in the book, 'Visions of Glory - a Century of SportsPhotography.'

And so on.

Much of the acclaim stems from his time-lapse photography. Heintentionally blurs his photographs, giving them a streaked,surrealistic look without losing definition.

'Some people call it motion photography,' he said during aninterview from his Atlanta office. 'It's just a longer shutter speedinstead of being instant. Whatever is going on in the camera in thatsegment of time is recorded, so it's not a sharp image.'

He tweaked the process until he got it right, then took somesamples to a professor at the Atlanta Art Institute, his alma mater.'We decided to go straight to Sports Illustrated with them. I didn'twant to look back and wish I had if I started with someone else.'

His wife, Rita, a business major, arranged the meeting with SportsIllustrated staffers. After they saw his work, they assigned the '91NBA playoffs.

'So out of the blue, there I was, sitting at the end of the courtphotographing Magic and Michael. I was at the end of the court whenMichael did that famous thing with one hand up looking like he wasgoing to dunk the ball and then switching hands for a layup.Unfortunately, the referee blocked half my view.'

How could a kid growing up on Charleston's Gordon Drive imaginesuch a heady future? He didn't even own a camera.

'But I remember being interested in it. When we went on our sixth-grade patrol trip to Washington, I took tons of photographs with mysister's camera. That was my initial photography. I didn't have adecent camera until college.

'My mom was always into art,' he said, 'so I felt I had prettygood taste. When I had a camera in my hand, that came through, firstwith scenic landscapes and sunsets, which I still do.'

He traces his love for sports to his early years in Charleston. 'Iplayed on George Washington High School's champion tennis team andplayed basketball at Christ Methodist. I'm a big sports fan, all theway back to the Charleston Rockets.'

The sports/photography combination nearly lost out to a career inarchitecture or mechanical engineering. He started college at Clemsonas an architecture major but graduated with a degree in engineering.He married Rita fresh out of college and they moved to Greensboro,N.C. She worked in marketing. He worked as a mechanical engineer. Helasted one year.

The photography bug bit him in college and wouldn't let go. 'I hada show of scenics in college, and I shot a football game for anassignment ...

'I decided to go into photography. I felt I was in a no-losesituation. If I went to Atlanta to photography school and wanted toquit, I could always turn around and get an engineering job. So I hada lot of insurance.'

He started Chris Hamilton Photography with his wife after hegraduated from art school. For 10 years, he specialized inarchitecture photography. 'But I got burned out. So I startedshooting sports. About that time, they announced the Olympics werecoming to Atlanta, and everything took off.'

He's the official photographer for the Paralympic Games, an eventfor athletes with physical disabilities. It's the world's second-largest sporting event and follows the Olympics by several weeks atthe same site.

'When Atlanta got the Olympics, they also got the Paralympics.There isn't a good source of photographers for disabled sports, sothey asked me to go to the Barcelona Paralympics, and if it workedout, I would do Atlanta.'

It worked out. After Barcelona and Atlanta, he covered the eventin Sydney and Athens. The contestants inspire him. 'It's fascinatingbecause it's like sports used to be, when people do it because theyreally love it, not because they're going to be a millionaire. It'sthe real thing.

'After the Paralympics, I don't complain about small stuff for atleast two or three months.'

Every sport he covers has special challenges, he said. 'WithNASCAR, there's a lot of walking involved to get to the spot you needto be in. With baseball, the play may happen at the plate or it mayhappen at second base, or there might be a fly ball two feet in frontof you. It's hard to figure out what's going to happen next. Withbasketball, you know they're going to be back from the other end ofthe court in 42 seconds.'

He covers NASCAR for Autoweek magazine and other clients. Hisposters of Jeff Gordon and Bill Elliott are sold on ESPN. 'I havefriends with infield camping spots at Atlanta and Darlington,' hesaid, 'so I get a slice of the infield life.'

Other items on the auction block for the Mental Health Associationbenefit include a Porsche Cayman, a Bahamas cruise and a sternwheelerlithograph by boat artist Michael Blaser, 'Three Ladies ofCharleston.'

For additional information, call the Greater Kanawha Valley MentalHealth Association at 340-3512.

Snapping new profit: PMA marketing research explores the sports and event market.(Sports & Events 101) - PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities

Growing a portrait business in today's saturated market is a challenge. An understanding of current consumer trends and factors that influence the market greatly betters the chance at success. While some photographers struggle to grow in very mature markets such as school portraits, others are finding there are still areas with great potential--namely, sports photography.

More than Little League

Youth sports encompass much more than just children playing traditional sports like baseball. First, an expanded view of what a 'youth' is broadens the market. According to the National Council of Youth Sports, Stuart, Fla., there were approximately 38 million children, up to age 19, playing sports in 2000. Students are playing sports through middle school and high school, and photographers need to remember to capitalize on all ages and not just elementary school participants.

Broadening the definition of what is included in sports leagues also reveals a much larger market. According to the PMA 2005 Professional Portrait Survey, the most popular sports portrait packages in 2005 were soccer (20.8 percent), baseball (16.5 percent), basketball (12.6 percent), football (9.0 percent), softball (5.7 percent), and cheerleading (4.6 percent). Gymnastics, golf, and hockey make up another 3.7 percent. So what made up more than a quarter of the rest of the market? Interestingly, 27.5 percent of sold packages were of 'other' sports. There are more recreational activities available now than ever. Photographers need to find segments whose needs are not being met and fill that void.

Market potential

How large is the sports market potential? There are more than 38 million youth sports players, and many of them play several sports throughout the year. Taking that into account, there are actually 52 million sports participants. According to PMA Marketing Research, there were only 8.7 million sports portrait packages sold in 2005. So there are underserved areas photographers can target.

Redefining the portrait

Taking advantage of digital imaging benefits, action photography is a growing segment of the portrait industry. Photographers can capture large volumes of photos during sporting events. Then they can display the photos on screens and either print on site or hand out cards with a website to place orders. While in the past, ordering portraits online would have been impossible or very foreign to customers, consumers' growing familiarity with online photo sites now makes it a viable option. Online ordering is one of the fastest growing digital print methods for consumers' photos. According to the 2006 PMA U.S. Consumer Photo Buying Report, 17 percent of households making prints of their digital images placed orders online for some of their prints. Parents are even more likely to own a digital camera and make prints online than the overall population. To implement an online ordering system, photographers can set up their own websites, or they can partner with specialty sites that will even handle the printing for them.

Another positive of shooting action photography is slightly higher spending by consumers. In 2005, purchasers of sports packages spent an average of $25.95 on still photos, but spent $28.39 on action photos. Also, unlike still photos, photo opportunities are not limited to a one-time session. Photographers can make additional sales through the same team during the same season if they shoot several games or events.

Action photography requires an investment in equipment and time; but with the right mix of capabilities and marketing, photographers can successfully sell photos from the events.

Sports Photojournalism.(a sports photojournalists talks about his craft)(Brief Article) - PSA Journal

A Changing Experience

In college I was an all-around sportsman, not excelling in any particular sport or game, but enjoying them all. That interest led to my becoming a sports photographer, though in the beginning I did not have the proper equipment or know-how.

My first experiment in photojournalism was shot in 1970 with a 35mm measure focus, fully manual camera with a 50mm lens, and without even a light meter. Attempted with limited facilities and experience, the result was a grand success and helped pave the way for my photojournalism career. Professional photographers in India then mostly used 120 size Rolleiflex or Rolleicord cameras, and larger format Speed Graphic or similar cameras for their work. SLR cameras weren't seen in those days.

In 1972 I came to the U.S. to study sports and wildlife photography, and in 1974 joined PSA. Since 1973 it has been my pleasure to do my own processing of transparency films, color negative films and black and white films. I later shot pictures for a few sports weeklies and newspapers in India using a fully manual 35mm SLR with a built-in, dependable exposure meter, a tripod, a monopod, and a few zoom lenses. With that equipment I did not find any difficulty in composing, focusing, and clicking at the right moment to capture properly exposed, good pictures, but I always had to be very alert. Those using TLR 120 cameras in India gradually started using 35mm SLR cameras for sports photography. My work helped for speeding up that process in Trivandrum.

In the 1980s when good automatic exposure cameras with motor drives were available, it made my shooting much easier and more convenient, and it was a thrilling experience. Sports photographers all over the world found such cameras very useful, and I thought it was the ultimate in sports photography.

During my sports photography work in those days I was able to identify two outstanding young athletes studying in two different schools who could one day become athletes of international stature. One was a 15-year-old swimmer, and the other was a 15-year-old female 800-meter runner. Just as I had thought, after a few years those two athletes became Olympians, but they did not win any medals. After some time those two athletes fell in love and became man and wife, an unforgettable experience in my life.

From 1980 to 1989 1 taught photojournalism to several young men and a few women, some of whom became outstanding photojournalists.

In the 1990s, by the advent of the autofocus SLR cameras like Canon EOS, and top quality autofocus lenses in all ranges, shooting of sports photographs became very easy and foolproof for anybody who could afford to buy such cameras and lenses. Sports photography became less tedious. It became more enjoyable and thrilling.

Sports tour: SPAA Traveling Seminars blend sports photo techniques with business acumen.(Connections) - PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities

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The third year of SPAA Traveling Seminars kicks off its 2008 spring itinerary on May 13, in Columbus, Ohio. Though the course outline for the day-long seminar remains for the most part unchanged, the 2008 version approaches each topic beginning at a slightly elevated plane.

The event features three sports photography experts. Their presentation reflects the professional experience and skills of those who have attended either of the previous two seminars.

'We view the seminar this year as going from Sports Photography 101 to Sports Photography 202,' says John Pittman, CEO, Sport Stars Inc., Northampton, Pa. In the business for more than 30 years, Pittman is credited with introducing baseball cards to the Pennsylvania youth market in 1977.

Jeff Gump, owner of Gump's Sports Photography, Jacksonville, Fla., teams with Pittman for the second year, as an expert instructor. A 20-year veteran of the business, Gump is well-known in the industry for not only having photographed 800,000 athletes, but also for having developed a picture day experience that's exciting for the participants, efficient for his company, and keeps his retention rate very high.

Joining Gump and Pittman for the spring and summer stops is Randy Brister, owner of RSBphoto, Laguna Niguel, Calif., who has a 10-year history as an industry speaker, including three national tours.

Most people who attended the seminar last year were already in the industry, including lab owners who are interested in making a vertical restructuring of their business models. Brian Fowler, Quality 1 Hour Foto, Mankato, Minn., sent two employees to the seminar, but for slightly different reasons.

'We've been doing sports photography for 5 years now,' Fowler explains, 'so attending the seminar was mostly to see how others approach certain kinds of photographs. The seminar also offers a great opportunity for networking.'

'We like to say school photography is just like sports photography, only different,' says Pittman. 'Last year, we took the attitude people attending the seminar had absolutely no idea what to do. They didn't know what cameras, lenses, or flash units to buy, or how to find quality backgrounds.'

To some degree that was the case. So the challenge this year is to make the seminar more advanced, while also presenting enough of the basics to make it worthwhile for novices to attend. The manuals, handbooks, contracts, and other documents available at the seminars go a long way to achieving this goal.

'Just one of the manuals is worth the price of the seminar,' Pittman says. 'Many people know they need a code of ethics document and an employee handbook, for example, but don't know where to begin. The same goes for league contracts and other legal documents.'

Also, all manuals and other printed materials aren't just for studying. Seminar attendees are welcome to remove either Pittman's or Gump's name and put in their own. It's plug and play. Also, given their 50 years of combined experience, Gump and Pittman have spent many years behind the camera, and now devote most of their time to running their businesses.

Last year was the first time the two experts worked together, and they discovered they meshed well as a team. Each considers this very important, especially given the amount of time spent traveling and away from the office.

'We usually arrive the afternoon before the seminar to make certain that all our equipment is in place and there are no logistical problems,' Pittman explains.

To attract people who are too busy during the work week to attend, a Saturday event will be held in select cities, as a first-time experiment.

There are many questions attendees want to ask at the end of the presentation, and the instructors always stay until each questioner receives an answer.

'There is nothing better than talking to others about what we do in our businesses,' Gump says, 'and we always are asked if we are endangering our own bottom lines by teaching others how to be successful. That's the million dollar question.'

The question of the instructors creating new competition for themselves can pop up among attendees. 'I took two of my people with me to the seminar in Dallas last year,' says Dori Arnold, Photography by Dori G., Claremore, Okla.

'We knew another studio in town was doing lots of sports photography and thought it might be a good way to expand our market. The seminar was very good and gave us a great amount of the information we were seeking.'

One bit of information surprised her. 'We didn't know our competitor had already attended a seminar and had been growing its business by using the same techniques we had just learned,'

Robert Kaufman, All American Sports Photography, Sugar Hill, Ga., says the seminars help confirm his ideas and methods are indeed where he wants to be, while also taking advantage of new approaches to help him keep growing. 'The SPAA Sports Photography Tour seminars help me confirm I'm headed in the right direction.'

Though the schedule always features cities that are far from the experts' own territories, Grump and Pittman rely on good faith among competitors not to go head-to-head bidding for jobs in leagues where either of us has already landed the contract.

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