Friday, June 22, 2012

OJHL IMAGES PROGRAM CREATED

Press Release

The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) today announced the creation of its OJHL Images program that is designed to provide licensing and digital distribution of all league photography in a professional manner for editorial and commercial use.

OJHL Images will serve as the league’s official photographer and photographic partner that is another step in making it the “League of Choice.”

The goal of OJHL Images is to promote the league, and most importantly its players, via the visual medium of digital photography, while also providing a training ground for young, passionate photographers hoping to make a career in the industry.

As part of the service, all league, team and media partners are encouraged to register and take part in the service, thus allowing the potential of having upwards of 600 games shot during the 2012-13 season, including the OJHL playoffs, OJHL Governors’ Showcase weekend and the 2012 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge.

In conjunction with the announcement, the OJHL has also announced the following appointments that will guide the program moving forward (hometown/home shooting location in brackets):

OJHL Images – Director of Photography Tim Bates (Whitby, ON)

OJHL Images – East Division Director Scott Grondin (Whitby, ON/Whitby Fury)
OJHL Images – North Division Director Brian Watts (Newmarket, ON/Stouffville Spirit)
OJHL Images – South Division Director Jay Johnston (Whitby, ON/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots)
OJHL Images – West Division Director Eamonn Maher (Oakville, ON/Georgetown Raiders)

OJHL Images staff will help organize and provide proper training, as well as proper league-issued accreditation for all registered participants in the near future, helping provide a smooth transition into the program entering the 2012-13 season.

Newly appointed OJHL Images Director of Photography Tim Bates stated, “Our staff has been working very hard behind the scenes, establishing the necessary infrastructure required to support this venture.”

OJHL Commissioner Marty Savoy echoed Bates’ thoughts, “Throughout the course of the 2012 playoffs, Tim and his crew tested OJHL Images as a pilot project, which proved to be an invaluable source for the league’s marketing and promotional efforts, while also supplying local media with images above and beyond their regular supply. Their hard work and dedication was more than evident in getting OJHL Images off the ground and running, supplying a proper and professional avenue for the distribution of our photography. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this initiative in helping guide the OJHL to become the, League of Choice.”

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The high-tech and tight control expectations of this program may well discourage a lot of existing fan/volunteer local photographers. Instead, professional photographers may find opportunities to provide product for the league.