RIT Big Shot returns to Highmark Stadium for a last-stand season spectacle
Rochester, N.Y. — The Rochester Institute of Technology’s renowned Big Shot photography project is headed back to Highmark Stadium for its 37th edition, aiming to leave a lasting impression as the venue enters its final season. Organizers are seeking thousands of volunteers to help pull off the community-wide light-painting event.
Event details and what to expect
– Date and place: Saturday, October 11, at Highmark Stadium.
– Access and participation: The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Volunteers are asked to arrive between 6:30 and 7 p.m. to position themselves for the shoot.
– The concept: Known as “painting with light,” the Big Shot uses flashlights, strobes and other light sources to illuminate a location while a camera captures a long-exposure image, producing a single, illuminated composite.
– Public involvement: Organizers hope as many as 10,000 people will participate, moving lights around the field and seating bowl to create the final image.
– Practical notes: Participants should bring their own flashlight. Flashlights from cell phone screens aren’t used, as screen light can reflect back into the camera.
– Background: The Big Shot began in 1987 as a hands-on way to teach students about working with light and long exposures. It has since grown into a nationwide, and even international, community event, with past locations including Churchill Downs, the Alamo, and the Smithsonian.
Key voices and purpose
– The event is a signature activity for RIT’s College of Art and Design and the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. Co-coordinator Eric Kunsman, an assistant professor at RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, explains that community participation is essential to complete the image: “Without the community, we can’t actually create this photograph.”
Why it matters
– The Big Shot blends education and public participation, turning a stadium into a collaborative light-art moment. As Highmark Stadium enters its final season, the event offers a unique way for Bills fans, students, families and visitors to connect with Rochester’s arts culture while contributing to a historic, large-scale installation.
How to participate and what to expect afterward
– Registration: A link will be posted on the RIT Big Shot website in the coming weeks, which also features galleries from prior Big Shots across the United States and abroad.
– Experience and spirit: The project has a track record of generating enthusiasm and goodwill, with many participants becoming dedicated followers after their first Big Shot experience.
Additional notes and value
– This event provides a rare opportunity for hands-on learning about long-exposure photography in a stadium setting, while also supporting community engagement and public art. Parents and educators can use it as a real-world example of light painting, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.
– For attendees, it’s a chance to be part of stadium history and witness how thousands of individual light sources can come together to form a single, luminous artwork.
Summary
The 37th Big Shot at Highmark Stadium invites up to 10,000 volunteers to participate in a free, family-friendly photography project that turns the entire venue into a canvas of light. Arrive early, bring a flashlight, and be prepared to move lights in harmony with a long-exposure camera to create a shared piece of art that marks a milestone in Rochester’s cultural landscape. The event emphasizes community involvement, educational value, and the magic that happens when people come together to paint with light.