Disaster Strikes in the UK

[UKSnapper]

Dan, Sports Photographer UK - [My Website]

Well it's all gone **** up my end. You ever get the feeling somebody up there doesn't really like you? Well, hey we're in the same boat!

I'm a semi-pro sports photographer based in a tiny student-village in Wales (UK). I shoot soccer and rugby for local newspapers, using a faithful Nikon D70. All my kit it self-bought...and that's the problem because none of it is either insured or under warranty. That means if something goes wrong, in essence my friends, I'm well and truly shafted.

Today I was shooting a rugby game with a good crowd (about 2,000) and my camera just died. No error code, nothing obviously wrong...it just died. Now I have nothing for the paper, nothing for the club and nothing to pay my expenses. Well and truly shafted!

This leads me to ask a question - Should budding young freelancers/semi-pro's either spend a fortune on back-up kit? Always use newspaper equipment? or use hire equipment?

[UKSnapper]

Here's some of my recent photo's:

1. The News Stadium Swansea - Wales v Slovenia


2. Preparing to shoot - Wales v Slovenia


3. Tackle - Wales v England


4. Another tackle - Welsh Soccer League


5. Wing-Play - Welsh Soccer League


6. Rhys Shellard - Welsh Rugby


7. Balancing Act - Welsh rugby


8. RUMBLE!!! - Welsh Rugby

[JSPhoto]

Ouch Dan!
Well, us freelance types are in a boat that can sink at any moment. I just lost my Pro body and sent it in for repair, but was fortunate to have a somewhat suitable backup for emergencies. My main body is a Canon 1D, my backup a Digital Rebel. Hopefully one day I will get a 1D MKII and have the other two as backups.

As freelance photogs we are responsible for our equipment, insurance and backup gear if something does go wrong with primary gear. On the rare occasion the paper has a spare body I can use it if shooting for them but that has yet to happen. Most papers don't let freelancers use any gear at all.

Back later...gotta go shoot football tonight. BTW, nice work there Dan!

JS

[mjs1973]

Welcome to the Forum Dan,

Sorry to hear about your gear troubles. I'm not a freelancer or a sports shooter, but I am venturing into portraits, and hopefully some weddings in the future. I don't have a studio, so everything will be done on location. Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable showing up to a shoot without some backup gear. You wouldn't have to spend a fortune on your backup gear. Get a good used body that you can use your lenses with, and you can keep on shooting. That wouldn't save you if a lens dies on you tho, but hopefully you have an extra lens that can get you thru in a pinch. I have a couple kit lenses that haven't seen action in a while, but I keep them with me, just in case. They aren't as sharp as some of my other lenses, but soft pics are better than no pics.

Just my thoughts.