Clarkson profiled for Final Four

msewick — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:14:41 +0000

Local Denver media, 9news, profiles Rich Clarkson and his run of the Final Fours. He shares some of the most epic Final Four moments and more below. Take a look.

How Clarkson got his start

msewick — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:52:52 +0000

As the 75th Final Four approaches and everyone’s brackets start to wither and die, we will see who will make it to The Big Dance in Atlanta this year.

Clarkson will be photographing his 59th Final Four this year and all because of a start he made back in 1950′s with Wilt Chamberlain.

Take a look below to hear how he got his first published photograph in Sports Illustrated.

History of the Final Four: White vs. Black

msewick — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:45:41 +0000

As the 75th anniversary of the NCAA Final Four approaches, we take a look back into history through the eyes of long-time Final Four photographer, Rich Clarkson.

A turning point for the evolution of the sport of basketball was the Civil Rights Movement. Clarkson documented an All-White team losing to an All-Black starting lineup for the first time — the story was later told through the motion picture ‘Glory Road’.

Watch the video below to hear his story:

March Madness game changed history

msewick — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 22:18:09 +0000

It’s called the “Game of Change” and for good reason.

The 1963 game with Mississippi State vs. Loyola Chicago is one of the most memorable sporting events in the civil rights movement. It served as a vehicle to challenge racial segregation in athletics helping to forever change college basketball and advance civil rights in this country.

Mississippi State’s team had to overcome unwritten laws that prohibited them from playing integrated teams. The team snuck out of town in darkness before the Governor could order them to not leave.

The Loyola Chicago team, which featured four African-American starters, eventually went on the win the National Championship.

Rich Clarkson was there to document and photograph it all — his pictures are showcased in the video along with some players from that game.

Check it out here on Yahoo Sports!

Clarkson Final Four

Chris Steppig — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:05:07 +0000

March Madness this year will mark the 75th anniversary of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships — the Final Four. The individual who had attended, and covered with cameras, more Final Fours than anyone else is our boss Rich Clarkson.

Rich’s work is chronicled in a story and 12 pages of pictures in Sports Illustrated which is on newsstands now.

Sports Illustrated writer Lars Anderson tells of Rich’s first basketball championship while a freshman at the University of Kansas. His portrait of newly-arrived basketball star Wilt Chamberlain was his first published photograph in Sports Illustrated and led to the first of many assignments that spans 59 years.

Rich will be courtside April 6-8 for this year’s Final Four — his 59th tournament.

Along the way, Rich has become friends with many of the nation’s basketball coaches ranging from Dr. Forrest C. “Phog” Allen, the Kansas coach when he attended KU, to Bob Knight, John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith and Ted Owens.

Another accomplishment on a list that never seems to end. Below is a link to the SI article, it is worth getting out and buying a copy!

We are all very proud to have been a part of a handful of them!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1207041/index.htm

RCA welcomes newest photographer Peter Lockley

msewick — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:32:48 +0000

A graduate of the University of Colorado and former student of the Summit Workshops, Peter Lockley is always searching for new ways to capture the energy and excitement of a sporting event.

A versatile storyteller with a background in studio lighting, Lockley served as the chief sports photographer at the Washington Times from 2005-2010, where he covered everything from Final Fours and Boxing Championships to Olympics and Presidential Inaugurations.

Since leaving the Times, Lockley has helped launch several projects and business including a weekly magazine dedicated to the Washington Redskins.

Family and friends brought him back to Colorado where he is excited to be a part of the Clarkson team. Check out the gallery below to view some of his work:

Peter Lockley Sports Portfolio – Images by Rich Clarkson

Broncos Heartbreak

jduplechian — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:12:05 +0000

Brett Wilhelm and I had the pleasure of freezing our tails off while photographing the Broncos lose in dramatic and in most Broncos fans opinion infuriating manner to the Baltimore Ravens last week. ESPN The Magazine hired us to cover the game and specifically to focus on the two starting quarterbacks. We both covered the action on the field, but each of us stuck to one side to get features of the qbs during breaks in the action. I thought I was wise to pick the Broncos side due to my confidence that Peyton Manning and the Broncos would wreck havoc on the aging Ravens defense. Turns out my overconfidence and the Broncos may have paralleled each other and Brett ended up with a ton more coverage of the winning qb and thus a much better chance at getting a cover of the magazine. As it turns out, Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers trumped us all and will be the cover. You never know though. It was at least fun to weather the storm and shoot a little playoff football. Here are a couple of our favorites from the game.

Jamie

When I met Stan Musial

msewick — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:39:57 +0000

When Stan Musial began his final tour of the league, writer Ted O’Leary and myself accompanied him for a Sports Illustrated story. And that was when I began to understand the great respect and affection he held throughout major league baseball.

For in every city before his final game there, there were recognitions, gifts and celebrations. Many of them were giving him rocking chairs. Stan graciously accepted the accolades as his career in baseball wound down. But I think he missed as much as anything, having dinner at his favorite restaurant in each league city — for Stan savored good food almost before anything else. We accompanied him to several of his favorite haunts, but they should probably not be called haunts — for at each, the maitre’d greeted him with great aplomb as they were all five-star restaurants. He was greeted as a patron, not a baseball superstar. Stan could have written restaurant reviews for Gourmet magazine, but preferred to just eat.

Shortly after his retirement from baseball, Lyndon Johnson appointed him Director of the President’s Council on physical fitness and sport succeeding Bud Wilkinson. Stan was more of a figure head, but the job entailed traveling to various cities for public appearances, which meant dinners. Stan probably enjoyed finding new restaurants at cities not on the National League circuit as much as any part of the job, and it was during this time, V. L. Nishonlson working for the Council, commisioned me to make photographs at an event at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. When we all got to the hotel, the reservations were confused and everyone was doubling up. Thus, my roommate was Stan Musial. We checked in, sat down on the beds, each trying to think of something to begin a conversation. I didn’t know that much about baseball and he didn’t know that much about anything else. Until I suggested it was time to think about dinner.

After retirement from baseball, Stan and his friend Biggie started a restaurant in his beloved St. Louis which was always the place to go. And for many years, Stan was there to visit with patrons and have dinner.

That time at Colorado Springs, talk of dinner triggered the converstion and a long evening in which we were joined by others in the Council group. (The restaurant didn’t make Stan’s A-list but it was a great time.) In the course of those years photographing him, one of my pictures — an informal portrait sitting on the bench during batting practIce — became perhaps Stan’s favorite picture of himself (so he said) and I reprinted it many times for him to sign for others. When he would ask me for a print, he was always apologetic for causing me the trouble.

He was the most gracious and beloved athlete that I have ever encountered in my 60 or so years photographing sports notables and events.

And his picture, signed to me, hangs in the favorite place in my home today…

Happy Holidays from the RCA crew

msewick — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:32:20 +0000

We wish you all a Happy Holiday season and look forward to 2013! It’s been quite a busy year and we are already gearing up for the next one. We have such a great group of individuals with whom we interact (that’s you!) and that keeps us motivated everyday to bring out the best.

Take a look at the video above for a special holiday treat!

From all of us at Rich Clarkson & Associates, we wish you the best.

Behind the Lens with Rich Clarkson

msewick — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:08:03 +0000

Watch as photographer Rich Clarkson shares his favorite photographs and stories from KU athletics, NCAA Final Fours, Sports Illustrated, Topeka Capital Journal, and more in a conversation with broadcaster Gary Bender.