So.., you want to be a motorsports/sports/event photographer

[Kingwheatie]

Hey Phil great piece of reading and thank you for sharing it with us.
I would say 90% of my photos have been shot from the spectator areas. i thought if i could not be on the inside, i would look for different spots to shoot from the outside. DC named one of the corners @ Baskerville raceway "kingwheatie corner" because I'd be the only one to trek over and shoot from the enter/exit road to Baskerville raceway.
I find it more satisfying shooting for clubs and their state series and would like to get the "runs on the board" so to speak before getting onto bigger things, well if people want to start at the top, someone has to shot at the entry level.

If you have good shots most competitors will be happy to pay but if they contact you its vital you get back to them otherwise you will become known as the tog that never follows through, there are a couple of tog's like that about and while their work is respected, the number of competitors that say don't bother with "such and such" they never get back to you would blow your mind.

And it can also work the other way, sending a reply with prices and details and thats the last you hear from them
I have been extremely lucky and fortunate to be working in partnership with DC for the last six months and have gained more experience in those six months than in the last couple of years!

Just to repeat Phil and others, start at the local events, be the first one to arrive and the last one to leave, befriend a club and help them, set some goals, eat your weeties for breakfast and wear clean undies

I may be a small fish in a F'ing big ocean but i can say Phil's hit the nail on the head with his wise words.

[angryman]

Loving this thread

Mine started out as a hobby. I liked taking photos....period. I liked motorsport, so I merged the two. I shot from the cheap seats for years, and loved it. I was heavily into 4wding for a few years, and became one of the moderators on 4wd Actions forum. I used to show off some of my shots, and one day they asked me to start taking photos for them. The only shots I have had published are in offroad magazines. I tried for the V8s, got creds in '07 shooting for a dodgey tourism mob who never took off, and only got that gig through a mate of a mate. Then, I floundered....I had no direction where to go, didnt know who to approach, and when i did approach them, they knocked me back. So I just took photos for me, no-one else. I have thousands of photos that will never see the light of day, but i enjoy looking at them.

I sat back, looked around, and came up with a theory. You cant race a V8 without coming up through the ranks, so why think you can photograph them without doing the same. I went back to basics, started at the bottom, and its going well....

As for gear...hell i had a fuji finepix until 12 months ago. Even graced the grid of the V8s with it
I'm not brand anal, but I chose a Canon because it was in my price range and my old man has a few lenses that will fit. My bag consists of a 50D, a 1DmkII, 70-200 F4 L, 17-55 Tamron and a fisheye, two speedlites and a seedlite transmitter. In all reality, i dont need the 1D, but its nice to have a second body.

I dont make money out of it. In fact, I lose way more than I make. I struggle to justify charging people for something I love to do, so I usually undercut myself to the point its not worthwhile being there. But I enjoy it, and even if I was only shooting for myself, I would still be there shooting.

[Bacchus]

HI there Baccus,

A couple of points here. The word FREE. I made the mistake of starting off this way and 5 yrs later it was still expected from me. I agree in the free image thing when the tog is getting something in return for heir efforts. The clubs I am associated with both advertised me at every given opportunity in return for 6 photos, so in my instance it was a win win. Still didnt pay for the equipment or time.
I never missed a round of the local series here in 5 years, and to be quite honest 95% of the competitors were not prepared to pay for images, the majority quite happy to download the web versions off my gallery. There were a few people who would come and BUY images though and I am very appreciative of that. Their were even a few who paid up front for a complete season.
During the time I was taking photos, there were only two of us out there, so competition wasn't high. What I was told by most people is that they were more than happy with what their friends, partners etc were taking so didnt see the point in buying any others.

I may sound bitter, but I am far from it. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent travelling from one end of the state to the other for the rounds and events and I am very happy to have made a lot of great acquaintances with drivers and their families. I am now taking a break to get involved elsewhere within motorsport.

Wouldnt be you by chance?
http://dcpgallery.com/main.php?g2_itemId=10441
http://dcpgallery.com/main.php?g2_itemId=10455
http://dcpgallery.com/main.php?g2_itemId=10465

Hi David, to answer your question first, yes that is me and and yes I have downloaded those shots for my personal use, but only and I must stress this, only after I made several attempts over several weeks to purchase those shots from you without receiving a reply, and even now I'd be more than happy to pay for them if only I could receive a response. In other words how much do you want for them, and I will paypal it or you can collect cash at the TSS on the 14th of this month if you will be there, or you can PM me and I will pay you for you images by what ever method you prefer.

To respond to your points;

"The word FREE. I made the mistake of starting off this way and 5 yrs later it was still expected from me. I agree in the free image thing when the tog is getting something in return for heir efforts. The clubs I am associated with both advertised me at every given opportunity in return for 6 photos, so in my instance it was a win win. Still didnt pay for the equipment or time"

I'm not suggesting that anyone provide free images to anyone other than the organisers, and this only as a boon to the organisation, as I said "maybe supplying some shots to their magazine free of charge" what I should have also said is in return for advertising space, You therefore make a very valid point there, "Nothing is for nothing". I'm also not for a moment suggesting that this alone will pay expenses, if a tog is proposing photography as a career they are looking at a significant time/capital investment, that is the photographers choice as is the responsibility to recoup that investment.

"I never missed a round of the local series here in 5 years, and to be quite honest 95% of the competitors were not prepared to pay for images, the majority quite happy to download the web versions off my gallery. There were a few people who would come and BUY images though and I am very appreciative of that. Their were even a few who paid up front for a complete season."

First and foremost I wasn't having a shot at you, I was making an observation of what people have relayed to me in my current position within the my car club but not on behalf of my car club, My comments we kept generic for that very reason. I have had at least a dozen complaints from competitors over the last two years about the ability to purchase images from several photographers who have been at events, most of the complaints/comments I have received relate to the failure of the tog to respond to requests to purchase work.

"During the time I was taking photos, there were only two of us out there, so competition wasn't high. What I was told by most people is that they were more than happy with what their friends, partners etc were taking so didnt see the point in buying any others."

This is about marketing, as in any business if a tog wants to succeed they need to apply an appropriate marketing plan. Should the tog decide not to aggressively market the product that is the tog's choice, but the tog loses the right to complain about market penetration.

"I may sound bitter, but I am far from it. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent travelling from one end of the state to the other for the rounds and events and I am very happy to have made a lot of great acquaintances with drivers and their families. I am now taking a break to get involved elsewhere within motorsport."

To be honest you do sound bitter, I have respected your work for quiet a few years and in fact when asked about some promo shots of a blue Calibra some years ago I recommended the ones you had done. Having said all of the above, my comments were not necessarily about you they were comments from the perspective of an organiser and competitor and one fairly new to the game at that, but tempered with quiet a few years in the photographic industry a history in marketing and customer service.

I hope to see you out on the track, some time soon.

Craig