When the Empire State Winter Games returned to Lake Placid this year, so did a crew of Newhouse students with Sony Alpha cameras in hand – and an appetite for the kind of learning you can’t replicate in a classroom. In conditions that dipped to -21°F and with schedules shifting by the hour, the team turned adversity into a catalyst for sharper instincts, better photos and professional-caliber workflows.
Reed Granger from the stands during the Opening Ceremony. BTS photo by Isaac Williams/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II.
Now in its fifth year, the collaboration between Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, Sony and the Empire State Winter Games continues to give students an immersive assignment at a massive multi-sport event. Under the guidance of Newhouse professors Jon Glass and Seth Gitner, the program blends hands-on coaching with access to a fleet of Sony Alpha bodies and G Master lenses, empowering students to produce work that stands alongside seasoned pros.
An Immersive Experience For Aspiring Sports Storytellers
“We build these trips so students can translate everything we teach – anticipation, positioning, exposure – into fast decisions under pressure,” says Jon Glass, who coordinates logistics and coverage plans across photo, video, audio, and social teams. “By the end of the weekend, you can see the shift from ‘How do I shoot this?’ to ‘I know where to be and when to press the button.’”
Maggie Robinson capturing video during adaptive sled hockey. BTS photo by Isaac Williams/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II.
This year’s assignments spanned hockey, figure skating, speed skating, adaptive sled hockey, luge, winter triathlon, and more. Even as some outdoor competitions were canceled for safety during the most extreme cold snaps, the team pivoted quickly, learned to work lean, and found fresh vantage points that told the story of the Games.
Photo by Alexa M. Hernandez/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/50-sec., f/4.5, ISO 320
Photo by Sky Zhuang/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 400mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/400-sec., f/2.8, ISO 12800
Mentorship On The Ice (And Everywhere Else)
On the photography side, Professor Seth Gitner helmed on-the-spot coaching – everything from fine-tuning autofocus behavior for figure skating to dialing in shutter speeds and angles for speed-skating pans. “Day one we saw a lot of misses on the pans,” Gitner notes. “By day two, students had sharper frames and more intention. That’s the value of immediate feedback, then going right back out to execute.”
Professor Gitner coaching student photographer Rebecca Beckas about capturing moments during figure skating. Alpha 9 III. 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master.
Gitner with Sky Zhuang and Alexa M. Hernandez during the Opening Ceremony. BTS photo by Isaac Williams/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 24-70mm f/2.8. Master II.
The program also expanded its video leadership this year, bringing in alum and Sony shooter Zach Ornitz, who is the current director of multimedia in SU's marketing department, to guide the multimedia team and help students think in hybrid terms. For example, how to capture motion and atmosphere for daily sizzle edits while still producing publish-ready stills.
Sony Gear That Raises The Ceiling
From the rink to the oval, Sony’s autofocus and high-speed capture were difference-makers – especially in sub-zero conditions.
- Cameras students used included the Alpha 9 III and Alpha 7 IV, paired with Sony cinema bodies like the FX3 on the video team.
- Lenses ranged from the fast, versatile 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II and 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II to longer glass like the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master and Sony’s remarkably lightweight 400mm f/2.8 G Master for outdoor action.
“Having lightweight, fast telephoto options matters when you’re moving nonstop in snow and ice,” says Gitner. “Autofocus held brilliantly on figure skaters and hockey sequences, and students quickly learned to use continuous modes thoughtfully – frame with intent, then let the camera’s AF tracking do its job.”
Collin Snyder photographing figure skating. BTS photo by Isaac Williams/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II.
Student Spotlights
Rebecca Beckas
- Cameras: Alpha 9 III, Alpha 7 IV
- Lenses: 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II, 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master
- Sports covered: hockey, figure skating, speed skating, adaptive sled hockey
“The advanced tools like pre-capture and tracking focus were especially useful,” says Beckas. “It was exciting to try them at an event where you could experiment and take creative liberty while still capturing journalistic, visual storytelling moments. I was able to capture high-quality photos of figure skaters mid-air, speed skaters warming up before their race, and hockey players celebrating their big win.”
Photo by Rebecca Beckas/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/40-sec., f/18, ISO 1250
Beyond the technical growth, the weekend reshaped her trajectory. “Capturing the Empire State Winter Games was very meaningful to me. I hadn’t photographed sports much before, and this pushed me outside my comfort zone. The feedback from my professors, support from classmates, the personalities of the athletes, and the Sony equipment I could experiment with – it all drove me to grow as a visual storyteller.”
Photo by Rebecca Beckas/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/400-sec., f/6.3, ISO 1000
Check out more of Rebecca’s work in her portfolio at beccabeckas.com.
Charles Henry Scott
- Camera: FX3
- Lenses: 24-105mm f/4 G, 700-200mm f/2.8 G Master II, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master
- Sports covered: Opening Ceremony, luge, winter triathlon, sled hockey, speed skating, figure skating, orienteering
“Using the Sony gear was incredible,” says Scott. “Shooting 4K 120 fps in 10‑bit S‑Log3 let me really play with exposure and color – it unlocks a different way of thinking about motion and mood. Slowing to 20% in post made fast sports feel tactile and immersive.”
For Scott, the novelty of the disciplines sharpened his eye. “These aren’t sports most people see every day. Framing differently, anticipating the peak moment, and making it visually engaging became the challenge – and the fun.”
Check out more of Charles’ work in his portfolio at charliehscott.com.
Reed Granger
- Camera: Alpha 9 III
- Lenses: 700-200mm f/2.8 G Master II, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master
- Sports covered: Figure skating, hockey, synchronized skating and cross-country skiing
"The Empire State Winter Games was my first opportunity to put Sony cameras to work, and I am so glad I was able to," Reed explains. "As someone who is not necessarily a 'sports photographer,' the gear was well-suited to support my naivety in this photography niche."
Photo by Reed Granger/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/1000-sec., f/5, ISO 3200
Even with the lack of experience in sports photography, Reed could easily tell the camera feature that would mean the most. "The most outstanding feature, in my opinion, was the autofocus system. Even while shooting hockey, not once was I disappointed about a potentially strong image not being sharp - each photograph was sharp, thanks to the Sony in my hand."
Photo by Reed Granger/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/400-sec., f/5.6, ISO 2500
Check out more of Reed’s work in their portfolio at reedgranger.com.
From Classroom Concepts To Portfolio Pieces
Both Glass and Gitner emphasize that the real win is transformation. “You see it when a student moves from a safe angle to a storytelling angle,” says Gitner. “They stop chasing the puck and start finding the moment.”
Isaac Williams photographing athletes on the ice during the Opening Ceremony. BTS photo by Jack Henry/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II.
By weekend’s end, the team’s takeaways included decisive timing on net-front scrums, clean isolation on spins and throws, and thoughtful sequences that capture atmosphere before action – images and clips that feel ready for publication and reel-building.
The Empire State Winter Games have become a proving ground for Newhouse students – and a testament to how access to pro-grade Sony cameras and lenses accelerates the jump from coursework to real-world performance. “The partnership lifts the floor and raises the ceiling,” says Gitner. “Students leave with pictures they’re proud of and a process they can trust.”
Adeline Taylor during the Opening Ceremony. BTS photo by Isaac Williams/Newhouse School. Alpha 9 III. 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II.
Learn more about the Empire Winter State Games here.
Learn more about Syracuse University’s Newhouse School here.
