How do people get jobs working as a sports photographer?
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Also curious.
Start for your college newspaper. Work your way up from there.
is lens size inversely proportional to penis size?
Pro sports photographer here. Shot the NCAA tournament day before yesterday.
Shoot for the school newspaper to start. Shoot everything: football, soccer, baseball, everything.
You're not going to want to hear this, but: volunteer. I had to volunteer for five or six years for various minor leagues and colleges before building a vast portfolio and getting recognized.
You're not going to want to hear this either, but: as some point, it is about the gear. You need fast lenses, especially shooting inside sports or outside at night. You will need flagship bodies (or close to), for shooting in bursts and ISO management. (Buy everything used.)
There's a lot of wannabe's out there with their Rebel and kit lenses. You need to practice and find how to differentiate yourself from them.
Arizona Cardinals photographer here.
I volunteered to shoot basketball, football, track & field, tennis, and swimming at ASU. You need to know the sport and the good players to get good shots of them, this is what gets published on websites. I landed a few good shots that got published and I sent out copies to the Cardinals. They now give me access to their home and away games if I show up.
I've no plans to work at ESPN or anything, and I've never been offered a job nor have I applied. It's something I enjoy doing on the weekends now, if I've no plans. I still shoot basketball for ASU. More chances for a good photo.
>>2796804
ever shoot high school?
>>2796810
>yfw you just showed up on like 15 different government agency lists
Faces are always important. If there's not at least one face, it's not even considered a keeper. Keep the ball in frame. Do not cut off feet, heads or hands.
Also, typically, national and local news photographers are there to get 15-20 shots of peak action, to tell the story of that particular game.
However, if you're shooting for a team, you're there to shoot everything: atmosphere, fans, coaches, players standing, players in action, close-ups, pregame warm-ups, full body verticals, cheerleaders, mascots... sometimes I submit almost 200 photos of a particular game, because the school or team needs "stuff" - stock images, player headshots, photos that will become part of montages, or backgrounds on websites.
>>2796804
>>2796780
If you guys are actually lolpro why didnt you tell him about your shit fucking wages and tell him to do something else?
When photographers in certain fields (photojournalists for example) tell people how fucking shit the industry is and how they make a shitty fucking wage people always think that they are saying that as they dont want the competition... top fucking kek
>>2796780
When you land a job gear is usually provided.
On big event Nikon and Canon even provide the lenses themselves.
It's also common to rent lenses.
So I really wouldn't buy too much just to build up your portfolio.
>>2796740
this
there are so many fucking opportunities here (florida state) but I reaaaaaaally don't care for sports. I'm gonna do the crowd cam next football season though
>>2796842
When you land a BIG job (AP, Getty, Reuters), gear is usually provided. When you're a big name, you can partner with some companies.
You are not going to get those opportunities on day one, or probably even year one of year five or ever. If you're in a big city, AP or Getty probably has ten photographers on board, so you'd better offer something others can't.
It's very common to rent lenses. When those lenses are $75 - $200 for a two-day rental for most common lenses, that racks up over time. I
>>2796841
OP didn't ask if it was worthwhile. He asked how to get started.
And you're 100% right. The newspaper guys constantly complain about their shitting fucking wages and how the industry is changing and the industry does suck. And every new kid with a fancy camera is a threat to them.
But I do it because I like photography, and isn't that the fucking point?
Shoot some brazilian soccer teams last year
Keep in mind some things:
>gear matter!
some F2.8 and bigger, some good ISO are truly important for your job!
>you've to volunteer in the begging
sad, but true. Even if your gear is a Nikon D4s with a 300 F2.8. If you're new to the job, you'll need some volunteer works to get portfolio and some people to know you and call you later.
>photojounalist agencies
some of them need professionals in games! Talk to them, show your portfolio and gear. They can get you what you need to be inside the game.
>notebook and wifi
Make sure to bring a net/notebook to some games in bigger arenas. Use it to send your photo always first than the others! Break times can give you some nice time to send the most important photos
>framing
whole body! Focus on the ball or the sport subject, but keep in mind you need to get the whole body! feet, hands, head! If you want to show the expression of the moment, photography the whole body and crop later!
>bring 2 cameras
One for 300 F2.8 (or bigger lens) other with a 24-70 F2.8. Trust me, they will run to your direction some time of the game
>sponsors!
this is what give you the money! Sponsors! They are actually paying you, your agency, the papers, the internet sites! The moment of the goal, whole body, with a bigger beer name behind the player is worth your day!
>>2796732
A cheap way to get experience and a little exposure is to shoot local high school/little league sports. Smaller schools won't necessarily have a photog at them, and you can send whatever good shots you grab to the local paper.
That said, the big benefit to being a professional sports photographer is being able to be at events. That's also the big down side. You don't get to actually enjoy/watch the event. You've got work to do.
