Capturing the Everlasting Art of Sports

Rob Arra has heard that familiar refrain countless times. His response: "We enjoy our work immensely.

It seems, however, what is often overlooked is all the time, energy and money spent to capture the perfect sports image at a historic game.

Rob, Jeff and Loring are traveling constantly, looking to capture "the moment" yet again. Meticulous in his attention to detail, Rob refuses to sell some of the over 500 world-wide stadium shots they've done because they subjectively fail to meet his high standards.

The emotional connection sports fans have with their favorite sports and teams prompts Rob Arra and his crew to photograph events which possess historic significance as well as staunch supporters. The Rob Arra Collection, which specializes in panoramic sports stadium images, was founded with the philosophy of creating artwork with a virtually limitless customer base.

“Look at one of our stadium prints. Every person in these pictures is a potential customer,” says The Rob Arra Collections co-founder, Loring Holtz. “We wanted to create something that makes people feel as if they have the best seat in the house.

Collectors tend to predominantly buy their favorite teams, however some fans have as many as 40+ prints from the Rob Arra Collection. Each picture reveals thousands of fans, with many of them easily recognizable. “People who have been to these sporting events have an emotional tie to the image,” says Mr. Holtz. “They are looking for themselves or family members and friends. It’s a memorable occasion, and they can identify with the experience.”

In an effort to appeal to sports fans’ enthusiasm, the Rob Arra Collection boasts many historic events, such as Mark McGwire’s record breaking home run, Dale Earnharts Sr.’s only win at Daytona 500, a large selection of first and last pitches at major ballparks around the country, many Superbowls, Stanley cups, NBA finals, World Series and Nascar events. In addition, the Rob Arra Collection includes most of the major college sporting events.

Rob Arra is responsible for over 500 stadium images, and firmly believes in capturing memorable moments on film. He has been a professional photographer for over 34 years, and is known as a perfectionist. This perfectionism inspired Rob Arra to design a specialized camera system that eliminates the blurring and striation often present in panoramic photographs.

Rob Arra, over the years, has established many friendships with professional athletes, who not only autograph Rob Arra’s images, but also have their own collection of photographs from the Rob Arra Collection.

The Rob Arra Collection, which contains over 400 released images, is prominently displayed in many retail store chains, halls of fame, hotel chains and sports bars around the world. The Rob Arra Collection has been display on the sets of many television shows and movies. Rob Arra also has the pleasure of being one of the few living artists to have his work displayed on the walls of the Boston Museum of Fine Art.

Currently the Rob Arra Collection is distributed in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Japan, Spain, China, Ireland, Australia, Russia, Italy, Argentina, Chile and South Africa.

The company aggressively markets its prints most effectively through a company website, inbound and outbound telephone sales, and appearances at art industry and restaurant trade shows. The Rob Arra Collection also runs an extensive ad campaign in many recognized magazines, such as Sports Illustrated and Parade magazine. It has established licensing agreements with all sports organizations, including the MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL, CLC, ISC, IMS, USTA, NASCAR and numerous sports organizations.

Although he believes marketing is integral in expanding the companies revenues, “the best way to generate business is to produce positive word of mouth.” The Rob Arra Collection is involved with many non- profit organizations, including Major League Baseball Charities, New York City’s Child Abuse Center, Children Hospitals and many others. Recently, in an auction for the Children’s Hospital of Boston, one of Rob Arra’s photographs of the World Series was acquired for $28,500. The Rob Arra Collection donates artwork for auction to these causes, and is often signed by various athletes.

Rob, Jeff and Loring have over 30 stadiums on the docket this year. The schedule remains frantic. They constantly glance at the Weather Channel to see where they are going that morning. It’s not unusual to find them in Monte Carlo on Friday hanging out of helicopters riding alongside 100 mph power boats and Paris Saturday, London Sunday for soccer and on to NY or LA for Monday Night Football.

Although the pace is hectic, they love their work. So next time you’re watching a history making sports event, chances are you are being captured by the men whose job you want.