ninja Archives - Just Enough Focus

June 26, 2019June 25, 2019

Ninja Maniacs

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of covering another UNAA Ninja competition in my hometown of Palmetto at LIVE Training Center. The UNAA is not affiliated with the NBC show, American Ninja Warrior, but it’s all the same people that turn up at these events to prepare for the big show. These are professionals at the top of their game and watching them perform is both exhilarating and humbling.

Anyway, I shot stills and video all weekend. The video is a quick 2-minute recap, and these are just a few of the 1500 stills. The rest can be found at the Live Training Center Facebook Page

Highlight Video

Some of the fun and stars of the Ninja community show their stuff.

Morgan Wright

Here Morgan Wright (aka-Moose Morgan) put on a perfect pouty face after an early end to stage two. Don’t be fooled by the tomfoolery, Morgan is a ham of a character and a fan favorite on the show. I can say he’s pretty much the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. No surprise that Morgan placed number one in his category.

Ashley McConville

At 19, Ashley McConville just returned from her debut on American Ninja Warrior 2019 in Atlanta. I’ve watched her perform in many events and it’s obvious she’s a rising star. In the spring I watch in amazement when she surpassed the men in a super-human feat of rope climbing. She knows how to bring the house down.

Kyle McCreight

This year, Kyle McCreight was picked from a lottery as a walk-on for ANW Atlanta. Kyle McCreight is a regular at LIVE Training and arguably one of the most aggressive competitors in the sport. If I didn’t know better I would swear he’s the real-life Spider-Man.

Jason Kotzin

Jason Kotzin is another amazing performer that had his debut on Season 11 of ANW in Atlanta. Jason seemingly came out of nowhere to captivate the audience and rival competitors alike. He places second overall and he has the battle wounds to prove it. He features prominently in the video above.

Caleb Bergstrom

Speaking of rising stars, look no further than Caleb Bergstrom. His father is a show veteran and this year he competed with his sister in Atlanta. Now that Caleb is old enough to compete on TV, look for him to be a top contender. That aside, Caleb coaches many of the children in the juniors events and is a great role model.

January 15, 2019January 15, 2019

Morgan “Moose” Wright

Morgan Write aka The Moose is a regular competitor on the Emmy nominated hit NBC show, American Ninja Warrior.

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Morgan Wright after his third stage run in a local Ninja event.

Though not affiliated with NBC, I’ve shot several of the local Ninja competitions here in central Florida. These events are frequented by many of the show’s competitors as a warmup and training for the series. Morgan is a regular at these competitions and is a standout, not only for his physical abilities but for his overwhelming positive energy.

According to his Instagram page, he is a public figure/speaker, American Ninja Warrior, Teacher, Veteran, Husband, and Father. As a PE teacher in his home town of Cape Coral, he has integrated Ninja Warrior training into the program. Here’s are a couple of news clips on that: here and here.

There are also local events for junior ninjas, and Morgan is usually right in the middle; motivating, instructing and cheering on the young competitors (including his own children).

I have tons of pictures, but here are a few of my favorites of Morgan over the last couple of years, all taken from various events at the Live Training Center here in Palmetto Florida.

Follow Morgan on Facebook here and Instagram here.

Following is a video of Morgan’s most recent season from the Miami Qualifiers of American Ninja Warrior.

March 8, 2018

Ethan Surprenant

Today I’m continuing with another photo I shot last weekend at an athletic event in my home town. This is Ethan Surprenant of St Petersburg Florida who made it to the final round of the UNAA Qualifiers and placed third overall. Ethan is an explosive athlete and put on an amazing show.

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This shot was during the first round of the qualifiers. After maxing out his arms on a hanging traverse, there was no mercy waiting ahead. Next the salmon ladder, then rings and then an evil set of monkey bars that ascended up rather than across. Finally, the round ending in a warped wall with only four feet of runway. Ethan made it look easy as he seemingly defied the laws of both gravity and physics.

Camaraderie at the event was huge. As you can see here, all were watching with baited breath as judge Dan Lively (lower left) kept an eagle eye out for any disqualifying infractions. When someone managed to complete a round, the look of triumph on their face said it all. For the full video of Ethan’s epic run check out his FB link.

March 5, 2018March 5, 2018

UNAA Regionals

Over the weekend I was at Live Training Center in Palmetto to shoot some images of the UNAA Regionals. UNAA stands for Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association and here’s the link. This is Calle Alexander from Miami who made it to the third round. Here he’s dismounting one of the obstacles in a cloud of chalk. The next section involved a lot of hanging and so he had an abundance of it on his hands as he moved on.

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This type of sport is not necessarily mainstream, but it’s become wildly popular due to the NBC Ninja Warrior series. Some of the competitors here have been on the show and are regulars each season.

links to the photos from the two-day event

There’s a real sense of community and camaraderie when the athletes get together. They are competing fiercely, yet everyone is cheering and high-fiving everyone else. It’s not easy to finish any one round and most don’t. But whether someone falls at the beginning or makes it to the end, they’re all roundly cheered.

It was a great weekend photographing the competition and more than anything I enjoyed hanging out with the amazing athletes of the ninja community.

July 5, 2017July 5, 2017

Dale on the Warped Wall

Palmetto Florida. Recently I’ve been doing a few photo sessions with him to highlight some of his talents and dedication to health and fitness. This is a shot at the final instant of ascending the warped wall. Actually, this is the smaller of two warped walls in his gym. He can easily do both but we stuck with the small one because the perspective was better for this type of shot.

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Dale on the Warped Wall at LIVE Training Center in Palmetto Florida

On my blog I post mostly landscapes but behind the scenes I also shoot people or events, which, by the way, is a lot of fun. Aside from being fun, it’s also meaningful when capturing a moment in the lives of people in a way that will last forever. Anyway, I shot this a few months back in one of our earlier sessions using a couple of Profoto mono-lights and a Sony G-Master 80mm f1.4 prime. Basically the equipment lets me control the lighting and freeze the action.

Dale is a consummate gentleman and a fierce competitor. However he is also an inspired mentor, coach and motivator in his community. Perhaps he is best known in the growing community of OCR and Ninja Warrior competitors who regularly flock to LIVE Training Center to perfect techniques and obstacles for competitions and media appearances.

I’ve been attending his gym for boot camp and personal training for many years now. Despite my best efforts I still get my butt kicked by super moms at the 5:45am weekday sessions.

more people and portraits

Most of all, Dale is a proud father and loving husband; he and his wife are expecting a new arrival soon. Having an opportunity to work with Dale has been a blast, getting to know him has been a privilege.