KEH Serves As Presenting Partner for Atlanta Falcons HBCU Shadow Experience 

At KEH Camera, giving back to the creative community is at the core of what we do. Through our continued partnership with the Atlanta Falcons, we recently had the opportunity to bring that mission to life in a meaningful way through a special student shadow activation. 

KEH proudly served as the Presenting Partner of the Atlanta Falcons HBCU Shadow Experience, a hands-on educational program designed to provide aspiring photographers with real-world exposure to professional sports photography. 

For this program, we selected two talented HBCU students—Kayla Rivers of Spelman College and Norman Thompson of Morehouse College—and invited them to the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia. The students had the rare opportunity to shadow Falcons team photographers Brandon Magnus and Jay Bendlin during an open media portion of practice, gaining firsthand insight into professional shooting techniques, workflow, and the fast-paced realities of working in a professional sports environment. 

For Norman, the experience was especially meaningful. “I’ve always admired my grandad—he was a photographer. I was already familiar with KEH and even bought some of my gear from them, so being able to go out and shoot practice was an amazing experience.”  

Working alongside the Falcons photographers and a KEH representative Andre Buchanan, Kayla and Norman stepped onto the field to experience what it’s like to capture content at the NFL level. Throughout the practice, they were able to familiarize themselves with their new equipment while receiving real-time, hands-on guidance from Brandon and Jay. From where to position themselves on the field and how to safely navigate a live practice environment, to anticipating peak action moments and dialing in camera settings on the fly, the photographers shared insights drawn directly from their own professional experience.  

To ensure the students could fully focus on learning and creating, KEH provided professional camera kits and telephoto lenses for the day, allowing them to work with the same caliber of equipment used by working NFL photographers. Each student also received KEH Certified pre-owned gear tailored to their individual needs, giving them the tools to continue developing their craft well beyond the day’s experience. Both students expressed immediate gratitude, sharing how access to this level of gear and mentorship could have a meaningful impact on their growth and future careers. 

Programs like the HBCU Shadow Experience highlight what’s possible when brands, teams, and creatives come together around a shared goal. By opening doors to professional environments, sharing knowledge gained through experience, and putting the right tools in the hands of emerging photographers, KEH and the Atlanta Falcons are helping build meaningful pathways for the next generation—one hands-on experience at a time. 

 To see the experience come to life, watch the recap video highlighting the students, mentors, and moments from the day: