Possible Change of Photography? t

<p>Hi, I have been primarily a lifestyle and fashion photorapher. It seems as though recently I have been getting many offers and actually just got three contracts with sports event photography companies. Now, I am a photographer at heart, I'm happy no matter what the subject is as long as I have a camera or two in my hand. I am new to sports and action photography I will be shooting a Marathon, the first one this coming saturday, and the saturday after that team portraits as well as soccer photography. <br>

Does anyone have any advise that might help? I'm really nervous about the marathon, we are not allowed to moterize shots. I have been practicing shooting cars traveling at high speed. Composing and just shooting no motor, I'm expected high volume. <br>

I didn't plan on being a sports photographer but it seems to be going that way and I will take all the advise I can . Thanks in advance. I will be uploading some shots to my photo.net port, if anyone is interested. </p>

<p>Mandy - </p>

<p>Not sure what you mean by you can't "moterize" shots. A little help? Never heard that term with digital - with film most newer slrs have motor drives - so really confused. </p>

<p>For the team / individual shots - do a pre-pay method - where the parents pay / order up front. It's far too easy for them to "forget" and not order /pay if you do an after event order. <br>

Also remember that these are momentos of the team, year, etc... Not portraits. Not fashion, Not senior photos. Get 1 good shot of each kid, and then get the team lined up and shot- done. </p>

<p>For any sport - know the sport - watch it - learn it - anticipate the action. The shots that sell are the ones that have the ball in frame and catch the action at the right time. For Soccer - you're going to need something longer than a 70-200 zoom... and be aware of the ball and players at all times. The players aren't looking for a photographer and if they come running full bore - you'll get pancaked. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

<p>Ty first of all for your response Dave, :) what I mean by moterize is I can not use continuous high speed shooting as in bursts of 5. I must compose and shoot one shot at a time. I must do it quickly as they expect 1000 shots in an hour. I will not handle any of the selling. I just shoot and hand over the CF Card. I will not edit or be able to do anything with the images. Mostly it's the Marathon that worries me a bit. As I said Ive been practicing shooting cars driving on the road in bunches and isolating each car as they approach in anticipation for the runners. I figure If i can Isolate 40 cars coming at me shooting each one individually I should be able to do the same with runners. I shot about maybe 60 well composed isolated shots of cars coming at me at the same time. </p>

<p>Mandy, have you looked at the math of trying to pull 1000 shots in an hour ? Once you realize, you'll see how much quality you can put in it. Most firms that are serious about quality will dispatch several photographers to cover the event properly. Some will do side shots, some will do full body, some will do close ups, some will do crowd and so on. By the way, cars are not people. If you need to practice you may want to try similar event such as cross country run, etc. <br>

The reason I said something about math is because you're expected to have a shot within 3.6 seconds. Not sure this is reasonable....maybe you do Furthermore, you haven't said what sort of equipment you'd be shooting with. If you have a camera with fast and accurate AF you could pull off some fast shots. Still, 3.6 sec makes me scratch my head. <br>

<br />In order for you to have a somewhat larger view of the contestants (as they approach) you'd need to be elevated and your focusing has to set to 3D following. Another way would be to preselect a spot where each person will pass (a bush, line, rock etc)...and you'd have the camera prefocused for that spot. But, you need to give yourself some room (DOF) to make sure you are able to catch the person within that frame and space. Once you get the hang of it, all you need is a remote control (wired or wi-fi) and keep clicking...while your camera is on the tripod. Make sure the viewfinder is blocked from the sun. If you light conditions are consistent, I'd set the camera/lens to manual....so each person will be exposed evenly. I'd go a step further and put some ductape on the lens or whatever you wish to use to keep the lens from changing focus on you. If you show up early, you may even get someone to help you to stand (be a stand-in) where the runners will travel....so you could focus accurately w/live view function. Sure, it will be a static view, but there is no other way to shoot this many shots....singularly.<br>

Depending on the distance, you need to figure out whether you'll need 70-200, 100-300 or even 200-400. Sometimes 70-200 + TC1.4 could work. Soccer is quite different...and you have to consider the light....and whichever lens you use will be constantly focusing if set on 3D AF. It would help if you understood the game, but try capture actions shots where a ball leaves someone's shoe or when the player tries to maneuver the ball by hitting it with his head to score a goal. These things are not easy to anticipate, but it would be easier with longer lens like 200-400.<br /><br /><br>

<br />Anyway, hope you have enough memory cards and batteries....and most important: hope they are paying you some serious pesos for being able to pull this off...plenty to deal with.</p>

<p>Les</p>

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<p>@les - if it is the typical shoot and turn over the CF card to the selling company - no they are not paying serious peros, dollars or pounds. I've been contacted by them in the past and turned them down. </p>

<p>@Mandy - Thank you for the clarification - never heard the term "motorized" applied to high speed continuous shooting before. Basically they have told you they don't want 10 - 20 images of the same runner at the same spot in the course. </p>

<p>For what you're probably getting paid (if it's the same group that contacted me a couple of times) I'd suggest that you go to your assigned spot the day of - and hope that by the time the runners get to you, they have spaced out a bit - so you can shoot individuals and do so fairly fast. </p>

<p>The taping of your lens is only going to work a) if your lens is an external af (ie the barrel or af collar rotates on AF) and b) all the runners have to single file pass through the same spot. Otherwise your effort will be for naught. </p>

<p>My advice to maximize keepers (and that is what this is about) - go to a local park / running track - preferably outdoors and practice a) picking out a single runner b) how the af and exposure behave (I'd actually go center weighted and single (center) point AF for this. c) learn to move to the next runner as soon as you have current shot. </p>

<p>I would not actually take any photos while doing this - since you'd be adding wear and tear to your camera for no money. Unless of course you could find a cross country or track event that needs a photographer. </p>

<p>I'd shoot the event (marathon) at f2.8 or 3.5 - you don't want the background in focus for any sports shots. </p>

<p>As for the 1,000 shots per hour - it will be tough. There's a reason these guys are looking for new photographers every year or two in the same city. Hopefully your camera can handle the writing of that many images that fast. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

<p>When you take photographs with a camera with a motor drive you do not have to press the shutter button and let it run away mindlessly. A motor drive, used correctly, gets the camera ready for the next shot which may be a very small part of a second but longer than if you just put the camera on full motor drive. I sure as heck would not shoot the event without a camera that lets you take the next photo in a hurry.<br>

Obviously, non-photographers are telling cameramen how to shoot an event. Reality never enters the picture. I would be very leery of this company. I shot sports team photos years ago and one firm wanted to pay me a penny a shot. And only the shots they wanted would count. A boy with a bat, full length. Closeup. Medium shot. Boy with his coach. Boy with a team trophy. On and on. I said no thank you very much. Your guys want and need a smart robot.</p>

<p>He's using a Nikon D700. There is no "motor drive."</p>

<p>Ok, guys I got through the 8 hours, of shooting it was tiring but I love shooting and I had fun. Who ever sent me the email was completely in correct. Your right guys no way I would have gotten 8500 shots with the just shooting one image at a time. Yes of course each shot had to be composed and taken quickly but it was done in bursts of 3 to 5. I shot mostly in burst of three, reason for that being to make sure you get a sell-able shot. During the last part of the day I took it 5, just because I was tired. The head on my mono-pod broke early morning so I shot free hand all day. The marathon started out slowly I barley got anything the first two hours at the obstacle course I was positioned at. I had to stop and take group shots as well so that brought my numbers down but all and all I shot about 3000 more than the other photographers at the even. I'm assuming that is because I barley took any breaks or leave my obstacle. It was my first time shooting for them I wanted to make sure I at least kept up on my numbers. Thanks so much guys for your input it helped alot!!! I'm including one shot I took. </p><div></div>

<p>If U ever said what camera(s) & lens(es), U use, I missed it. Obviously U pulled it off & quite well, judging from the shot U posted! If I were the guy in the black outfit, I'd be happy to pay for that photo.<br>

BTW Did U get infinitesimal pay or was it something reasonable, not that it's any of my beeswax. I'm just curious in case I were in a position to do something similar, although I'd have to learn digital photography. (something I got to do anyway) In any case U certainly earned whatever it was.<br>

Best wishes for continued success, Jay Drew<br>

Oh yeah, take your huge earings & buy a good ball head. Such as a an Acurite, RRR, Kirk or other well U.S. made, reasonably priced one. I like my Acurite very much. Or if it already was a well made one, have it repaired. Just try to not compromise & get a cheapo.</p>

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