5-2-07 – Sports

True. And in reality, all you’d get is just the zit on the end of one of their noses, with that tight a zoom. Better swap out lenses (:

Well my first thought at getting a cheerleading shot would be to try and catch one of them in the air during a stunt. So it’s either aim a big tele at them, or throw a wide angle on theire and shoot up their skirts. =D Actually a wide angle would make a great look if it wouldn’t get me arrested.

At high school games, a big tele *is* your press pass. Srsly. I shoot high school sports for a local cable TV station and my big professional ENG camcorder gets me anywhere, I don’t even have to tell them who I’m with most of the time. I can’t imagine photo gear is that much different, a lens with a white barrel (which you can get for as little as $700 for the 70-200 f/4, maybe even less used) on a monopod should let you do anything.

I shot all of the photos I entered in this weeks contest while working on assignments for the TV station, so I was hauling a big professional ENG camcorder plus its tripod with my still gear. Does twice as much gear give you twice as much access? Well it doesn’t keep other photogs from setting themselves up in your shot. No really, I was at the track meet standing there with my video camera set up on a tripod, no way you can’t see it, and this still photog set himself up RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME when the race started. That guy was rude too, I walked up to him afterward and said “uh, sir, you were in my shot during that race” and he didn’t even acknowledge me. Asshole. He was way too close to the finish line too, racers had to dodge around him during their runoff. And then later when I set up for the shot of the hurdler a guy stood right in front of me right as the runners reached that set of hurdles, not noticing my camera clicking away in full 5fps drive. Okay, rant over.

Anyway, I’m not all that good at getting people to perform for the camera. All the time when I’m doing truck shows with the TV station I’ll ask some people in the crowd “You wanna give me a big cheer when we come back from commercial?” and hardly anyone will even notice me. All those shots you see on TV of people cheering for the camera? Those came from other people. For the D&D players out there, my CHA stat is low. =(

For the D&D players out there, my CHA stat is low. =(

did you try putting on your robe and wizard hat 🙂

At high school games, a big tele *is* your press pass. Srsly.

There’s a couple factors at play here. I shoot prep sports/community events for $SMALL_LOCAL_WEEKLY, and I shoot a D70 and D70s. Some of the “team moms” for visiting teams are out there shooting with better gear than *I* have- D200s and pretty fancy lenses and flash. But the Athletic Directors at the school are generally pretty cool about letting parents have good access (on the field or floor) so long as we behave ourselves! If you’re worried, show up early, and ask the person taking tickets to point you to the Athletic Director, or the school official in charge. Talk to them well before the national anthem gets going. I bump into parents shooting for their kids and teammates pretty regularly. When it gets to district or regional or state championships, though, they start making noises about wanting to see for real creds. But the lens is part of the “uniform,” that’s for sure.

More on “uniforms”- When I covered district wrestling championships a year ago, the guy at the door was very firm, everyone pays, no exceptions. When I opened my coat to pull out my wallet, he saw “photo vest,” he decided all of a sudden that I knew what I was doing, and waved me in. My gear was in plain sight the whole time, my body language didn’t change a bit… still cracks me up when I think about it. Whether it’s getting in to cover the event, or having access to the track/floor/etc, it’s all different aspects of the same thing.

When I go to the track I have media credentials arranged in advance so I never worry about getting in. Once there, though, I take the attitude that I’m welcome anywhere I want (within reason) until someone stops me. Walk around like you own the place and you can get away with a lot. But it’s also important that when you’re stopped and it’s for a legit reason, not to throw a hissy fit, just thank the guy for doing his job and find another place to shoot from. I try to appear fairly professional even if deep down inside I’m really not.