View of the event from a nearby building.  All Images © Tomasz Lazar

On assignment from the event organizers, Tomasz Lazar photographed a professional pole vault competition in September 2012. Many pole vaulters from around the world were invited to take part in the competition including Björn Otto, winner of the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The entire square of the city of Szczecin, Poland was closed because of the event which provided an unusual backdrop for his images.

(more…)

Given their star-studded lineup, it’s hardly a stretch to think that A.J. Ellis and the Dodgers could run away with the NL West.

All Images © John Huet for ESPN The Magazine

Major League Baseball’s opening night is Sunday, March 31st, Rangers vs. Astros. ESPN the Magazine’s MLB Preview 2013 issue features photographer John Huet‘s total-access shoot at the Arizona spring training camps of the Angels and Dodgers. Huet spent 4 days shooting each team’s workouts, an experience that went better after “Picture Day,” when he created an assembly line of photographer/set-ups to shoot 70 Angels and 68 Dodgers within a 2-hour period each (translation: less than 2 minutes per player). Getting brief one-on-one time instantly made the players more comfortable, Huet says, and eased his access as he roamed the camps. For more, follow ESPN the Magazine on Twitter @espnmag.

(more…)

© Steven Lippman

Steven Lippman shot these self-portraits (gnarly, right?!) using the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition. Surfing with a camera attached to your arm or board takes some getting used to. It’s all about personal preference on what type of angle you want…GoPro has done a really great job of making the camera small, lightweight and versatile.

Lippman loves to surf in Malibu during the winter, but also enjoys traveling and surfing in remote parts of Indonesia. “The best time [to surf] is when all the elements come together – wind, swell direction and tide.” Follow his adventures on Instagram @stevenlippman.

Moments: Surf Culture by Steven Lippman opens March 21st at 5th & Sunset Studios in Los Angeles. GoPro donated equipment for the show which will be auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going to  A Walk On Water. Lippman is represented by Stockland Martel. (more…)

Game 4 of the Los Angeles Kings versus the New Jersey Devils. © Andrew D. Bernstein, NHLI via Getty Images

During his 30-year career as a sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein has used technological innovation (he helped develop the Flash Wizard II system) and a connection with his subjects to capture athletes in a unique and personal way. His photographs have appeared in notable magazines like Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, TIME and Newsweek as well as in Phil Jackson’s book Journey to the Ring: Behind the Scenes with the 2010 NBA Champion Lakers. Bernstein is based in Los Angeles and is the team photographer for many of the city’s professional sports teams including the Lakers, the Clippers, the Kings and the Dodgers. He’s also had the opportunity to shoot the American basketball team at five Olympic Games.

As part of his duties as team photographer for the Los Angeles Kings, he was able to capture history during their 2011-2012 season when they won the Stanley Cup Championship for the first time. To celebrate the team’s victory and Bernstein’s photography, the Los Angeles Kings and the Staples Center opened a recent exhibition called “Los Angeles Kings Road to the Stanley Cup.” Now on view through June 2013, the exhibit is free for any ticket holders attending NHL or NBA games at the Staples Center, and includes over 50 images captured by Bernstein and his team including aerial shots from the games, exciting actions shots, photos taken moments after the Kings won the Stanley Cup Championship and posed images of the Stanley Cup at various landmarks throughout Los Angeles (a longtime tradition for Stanley Cup Championship winners). For more information about the exhibition, visit staplescenter.com/kings-photo-exhibit.

“The word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League.  Los Angeles Kings name and logo are registered trademarks of the NHL team.  All Rights Reserved.”

(more…)

  Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, September 2011. ©Darren Birkin

Emphasizing close-up action and breathtaking scenery, Darren Birkin’s BASE jumping photographs are a vicarious thrill. The Hertfordshire, England-based photographer has been photographing BASE jumping friends for about seven years, tagging along on trips with his climbing gear “so that I can safely hang off cliffs, wind turbines, stadiums or suchlike” to take pictures, he says. BASE jumpers launch from fixed surfaces, free falling, and use a parachute to finally break the fall. (Although Birkin is an experienced skydiver, he doesn’t BASE jump).

“When shooting BASE I try to get a sense of the action but also of the environment,” he explains. “I found that shooting with wide angle lenses often gives a distorted view and inaccurate perspective that doesn’t really do justice to the environment. To counter this I often use longer focal lengths to create multi-shot, panoramic images.” He then stitches the images together using Photoshop or Autodesk Stitcher Pro. “This technique can give a much better representation of the environment and also allows me to capture a field of view and perspective that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.” More of Birkin’s images are posted on his web site. (more…)