Brian

To follow up on your point, I did notify both coaches of the situation. something like this:
"Coach, one of the players has told me the flash from the yearbook group is distracting the players, I have asked them to stop, just letting you know coach"

I have also done this when fans had to be warned about making off-color remarks.

That is why they invented 1000 speed film and SLR camaras with large appratures. So Shaq won't get a big flash in his face while he jams the ball down.

Actually, the NBA and (bigtime) NCAA arenas are loaded with strobes mounted on the ceiling structure. The photographers have radio units which trigger the flash. If you watch a slow-motion replay, you will see single frames where everything in the picture has a much whiter look to it. This is when the photographer's fixed strobe fired.

Of course the difference is the the flash is much more diffused rather than a near point source.