{"id":114472,"date":"2025-12-19T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=114472"},"modified":"2025-12-26T14:16:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T19:16:10","slug":"adorama-and-panasonic-s9-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/adorama-and-panasonic-s9-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Adorama and the LUMIX S9: Bringing Creativity to the Streets of NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Five Photography students from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) took part in the Adorama and LUMIX photo challenge in Union Square, recently. They were equipped with nothing more than a boldly hued LUMIX S9<\/a> camera. And, of course, a lens. Their task? To capture the essence of New York City while experimenting with the entry-level, full-frame camera\u2019s vivid color profiles and built-in LUTs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The outing marked the first student-focused collaboration of its type between Adorama and LUMIX. It was an experience designed to spark creativity while giving emerging photographers hands-on access. Access to new tools, mentorship, and room to play. This was clear while talking to Adorama’s Key Accounts Marketing Manager, Keith McCord, and LUMIX’s Manager of Marketing, Ivonne Maldonado. Supported by Adorama\u2019s Classroom Connect EDU program and LUMIX’s newly launched LUMIX EDU initiative, the challenge became a meeting point for new technology and education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven more importantly,\u201d adds FIT Adjunct Professor Curtis Willocks, who provided the photo talent, \u201cis that these students now know there is support out there for them. And that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about in this industry, for these young photo students rising through the ranks to have access to community and networking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"NYC
Photo by Samantha Simpson-Katztook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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A New Kind of Classroom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve wanted to put the LUMIX S9 in the hands of students who are the future of the photography industry since its inception in 2024,\u201d says LUMIX’s Maldonado. \u201cMany photo students often start their schooling with a basic or older camera,” they remarked. This was a chance for these students to step up into the full-frame system and play with the Real Time LUTs, the full-frame lenses, and all the features that make the S9 such an intuitive entry point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Willocks selected eight promising students from his classes\u2014most were second-year photography majors, except for one who was a fine-art painting student, and another who was working as a nurse while also pursuing photography as a second career. The Adorama team reviewed the portfolios of all eight and from there selected five finalists whose work showed variety, promise, and strong creative instincts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cBefore the challenge,\u201d adds Maldonado, \u201cwe held a one-hour tutorial\u2014led by LUMIX expert Sean Robinson\u2014to introduce the students to the S9\u2019s key features, including Real Time LUTs. That way, they had enough familiarity to hit the ground running.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"stickers
Photo by Chloe Valdez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Three-Part Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the pressure of a prompt and a two-hour time frame to work within, each student chose their camera color\u2014from Jet Black, Night Blue, Dark Olive, Sakura, and Crimson Red. Only then did they learn the rules of the assignment. Their final submissions of three images had to meet three criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n