Eclipse Sportswire Preakness Week Photo Workshop 2023

Sponsored by Eclipse Sportswire and Pimlico Race Course

May 17-18, 2023

Maximum Of 10 Students (Preference for Prior ESW Workshop Students)

Introducing the sixth Eclipse Sportswire Horse Racing Photojournalism Workshop at Pimlico Race Course on May 17-18, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland.

ESW Preakness Week Workshop

This one-of-a-kind immersive workshop will allow photographers of varying skill levels the chance to learn how to make great images of horse racing from three of the industry’s leading visual storytellers.

During the course of the workshop, students will start with the basics of photography, learn how to strategize and scout the best images. Participants will then work on shooting morning workouts, setting up remotes and photographing races. Students will also be exposed to horse racing images through daily classroom instruction. They will get to see the images and then learn to understand the forethought that went into making the image. Coursework will also cover ethics, rules, customs and safety regarding racing photography – with a focus on making the safety of the horses as the primary concern.

Additionally, there will be live editing and critique sessions where all attendees will show their work for the day and, as a group, the instructors and other students will work their way through the entire editing and post production process.

Students will learn from Eclipse Sportswire’s Scott Serio and Alex Evers. Eclipse Sportswire is the official photographer for Breeders’ Cup and routinely has images published throughout the racing and mainstream media. Publications include Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Evers and Serio have won the Eclipse Award for Photography.

Tuition for the three-day workshop is $750+tax. Travel arrangements are the responsibility of the attendees. The workshop will take place at Pimlico Race Course, with the exception of check-in and classroom instruction. Equipment must be brought by the participants. Additionally attempting to secure SONY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES for the workshop - not confirmed yet.

ESW Preakness Week Workshop

WORKSHOP OUTLINE AND SYLLABUS

^{May 16th}

Attendees will "check-in" at virtually 7pm via Zoom or meet at a location TBD off-site for equipment loans:

• meet the other students
• meet the instructors
• sign the appropriate course paperwork and waivers
• receive workshop materials
• go over the basic rules for the workshop
• receive final instructions for their first morning of photography.

^{May 17th}

Sunrise is at 5:51am, but we will arrive at Pimlico at 5:15AM in the parking lot at the corner of Rogers & Bland Avenues. Participants will again be advised of the rules regarding shooting. The horse’s safety is of utmost importance.

Participants will be allowed to photograph the entire backside area around (but not inside) the Stakes Barn under the supervisions of workshop staff. This will help establish a baseline for the instructors to understand each photographers skill level and thought process for making images. With no racing in the afternoon and only classroom and editing in the afternoon, student will be able to photograoh the entire morning workout session.

After getting breakfast or early lunch, participants will head to the classroom (location to be determined). In general, transportation will be the responsibility of the student, with carpooling options discussed beforehand at the orientation meeting. Topics for the first session will include:

• horse safety, ethics
• working with other photographers
• working with track photographers
• review of the basics of photography
• basic settings used to make various horseracing images.

The afternoon classroom instruction will include a live editing critique session where various images made by students from the morning will be used as examples for editing. This editing and workflow process will segue into the variety of action and feature images that are made at a racetrack. After completely live editing and instruction, the class will head to the track to finish by photographing the remainder of the afternoon's races.

ESW Preakness Week Workshop

^{May 18th}

We will repeat the morning workout process of taking photos at Pimlico Race Course. We will attempt to arrive when horses are exercising. Photographers will have the freedom to find different angles from the apron, but smaller groups will also look at the barn area, paddock and walking path for prospective photographs. These are sensitive areas where horses have less experience seeing photographers. Students must be under direct supervision if they are off the track apron. Students will continue making photographs from sunrise until the end of training.

Students will then have a break for food and come back to the track to go over remote camera photography and prepare them for placement for a full after of shooting. Afternoon and evening live editing location TBD.

*****IMPORTANT NOTE: There are no refunds once payment has been made. Personnel and travel decisions are made based on expected attendance*****

ESW Preakness Week Workshop