Last Updated on 10/28/2024 by Chris Gampat
Sometimes, all you need is the right guidance to discover your calling as a photographer. While there are various alternatives to help you with this, such as talks and seminars, one can’t truly understand the workings of the professional world unless one can dabble with the medium. This could be challenging, especially for underserved youth with limited access to the right education, gear, or mentor. It could also be discouraging, having to wait or see others living your professional dream. Understanding how daunting these circumstances can be, Format and Kickback have collaborated on a new program that can empower youngsters keen on pursuing the medium, including genres such as sports photography. Below, we detail the wonderful new initiative.
All images in the article are by Nicholas Williams, courtesy of Kickback. Used with permission.
Building Avenues in Sports Photography
Format is a portfolio website that has been helping artists from various creative fields build their careers. In a new initiative, it partnered with Kickback, a non-profit organization that tirelessly helps marginalized children through arts and sports. Together, they launched the Kickback Portfolio program, which allows young minds to showcase their best talent on Fomat’s website for a year.
During the initiative’s launch in August, the Canada Basketball Youth U15 & U17 tournament occurred in Toronto, Canada. For youngsters, the event became their first professional gig, where they worked as sports photographers. “For the youth coming into Kickback Portfolio, it’s taking that energy they had and helping them realize that these new, exciting things they are doing–like photography, design, cinematography, whatever–that these can turn into a job and a path for them. They can bring their love of sports, that joy, and find success in something new,” said Jamal Burger, Founder and Executive Director of Kickback.
For this initiative, Format also funded a BTS photoshoot with Nicholas Williams, a sports photographer and Kickback alum who documented the new participants. In this regard, the Canada Basketball event became a gateway to getting hands-on experience in the world of professional sports photography. Aliya Ahmed, one of the current participants, shared her experience with sports photography: “Being surrounded by so much young talent—both the basketball players and photographers—has been incredible. I feel a responsibility to represent young women in sports photography. It’s important to break barriers in this field.”
We Need More Initiatives Like Kickback’s
Seeing Nicholas’ trajectory, where he now works with Canada and the Raptors, proves that what most underserved youth need is a helping hand. A good mentor can have an immense impact on a child’s life. They really can shape the trajectory of the child’s career.
But a mentor is not alone. You need institutions that are willing to invest time and funds. Who will help you get sponsors on board to teach youth sports or any genre of photography? It is a challenging task that requires 100% from anyone who is invested in it. In fact, when the youngster at Kickback’s program grows up to step into the world of sports photography professionally, they will certainly be changing the narrative. As Aliya said: “I don’t want to always go to a basketball game and see only boys taking photos because girls can take photos too—girls can take really, really good photos. Even aside from being a young woman, I think that anytime you bring a new artist into a space, they add their perspective–it’s always fresh and new and exciting, and I’m really hoping to be a part of the change to come.”
Photography can only be saved when we give the younger generation the right tools and values to carry on our tradition long after we are gone. Whether it is sports photography or any other genre, diversity, and inclusion are the only ways to ensure the building of meaningful visual narratives.
For more information, visit Kickback’s and Format’s websites.