photos by Gracey Evans
Photojournalism professionals talk in a panel at the Canon Explorers of Light and Photojournalism event last Wednesday in the JVH Auditorium. Pictured left to right: Jared Wickerham, photographer for DK Sports; Jasmine Goldband, photojournalist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; Steve Mellon, photographer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; and Chris Rolinson, professor at Point Park.
Point Park University’s School of Communication brought Canon Explorers of Light photographer Simon Bruty to speak with a sports photography panel on March 23.
The free event was held in the JVH auditorium from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The event was hosted by Point Park’s School of Communication, National Press Photographers Association Point Park Chapter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the American Society of Media Photographers.
Bruty is a world renowned Sports Illustrated photographer, who has won numerous awards for his work and has photographed sports stars such as Michael Phelps and Lance Armstrong, according to his website and Canon Explorers of Light profile.
“The Explorers of Light is a program organized by Canon to showcase the photographers who they think are pretty good at what they do…and photographers who use Canon photographic gear,” Bruty said during a phone interview.
“I don’t know how many Explorers of Light there are, but they all seem to be experts in all those fields, from sports to wedding photographers,” said Bruty.
A panel discussion took place before Bruty spoke. Featured on this panel was Point Park photojournalism professor Chris Rolinson, Jasmine Goldband from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Steve Mellon from the Post-Gazette and Jared Wickerham from DK Sports.
There was a portfolio review at the beginning of the event available for anyone in the field who was interested.
Registration before the event was required for anybody who wanted his or her portfolio reviewed. A wide array of people showed up for the portfolio review including high school students, photography professionals and an even an engineering student from the University of Pittsburgh. Only one Point Park student participated in the portfolio review.
The event was open to the public, and all students of Point Park who were interested in sports photography.
“If there’s other folks out there that are in maybe sports, arts and entertainment management area would have an interest in this because this is a different perspective,” Rolinson said.
Gracey Evans, a freshman photojournalism major and National Press Photographers Association member, said that the event piqued her interest sports photography.
“It interested me because I am a sports photographer and he [Bruty] is a sports photographer, too,” she said. “I think this was good also for other students because maybe it’ll get them interested and to get them to start shooting more photojournalistic stuff and sports because I know that there is not enough sports photographers out there.”
“I want them to be inspired to know what it takes to take a photograph,” Bruty said.
Bruty hoped the students took away something meaningful his speech and the panel discussion.
“The most important thing is, to them, to not just learn about how to expose a photograph or turn a camera on, but to see what went into it, what made it work.”
Theo Schwartz, mechanical engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh, gets his portfolio critiqued by Steve Mellon, Pittsburgh Post Gazette photographer, during the portfolio review before the Canon Explorers of Light event last Wednesday evening.
