News Guys.

[spacey]

Hi, I'm new hear, relatively young and new in the buisness but I did still work early on and moved into ENG (Electronic news gathering). I shoot with a Sony PDW530, and a Ikegami HLV55, along with a fleet of other cameras, and I've noticed still photography guys can be really agressive. In the past week alone, I've been shoved aside (literally) by a Nikon weilding shooter, in a perp walk, and in the middle of a presser, I found a freelancer, crawling on the floor, trying to get closer to the podium. I respect a still photographer, and their role in the news world has been a hot topic in the ENG world, I'd like to hear you're opnions, as still photographers.

[ken1953]

Video vs. Still...Hello Spacey, I am relatively new to photography, but this topic intrigued me and I'd like to venture an educated guess at why it's this way. I have never been to a news gathering, but I would think that the reason the "still" photographers need to be aggressive is that they have only one medium to tell their story whereas the "video" photographer has a multitude of mediums at their disposable. By that I mean, with video, you have movement, sound, action, hundreds to thousands of feet of video to clip from, sound bites, frequently reporters directing your shooting, or just shooting the action while a reporter is describing it. In still photography, they have to get the interesting angles, the one perfect shot that is going to "sell" itself to the newpapers, magazines etc.. It requires a lot more diligence and hutzpah to be able to get that. And on top of that, they still have to get the story to go along with the shot. So, I would think, this is why they may be a bit more aggressive. But if you ask me, from what I've seen on news shows and other places where photogs, of all venues, gather in droves, most all of them are agressive just simply to survive in their dog eat dog world of news photography.
Does this make sense or am I just way off base?
Anyway...again...welcome to the forums and hope to see some more from you. And, great topic!!
Ken

[drg]

The freelancer at least wasn't blocking someone else's shots, video or still! Perp walks are all about competition. Akin to the old days in journalism of "if it bleeds, it leads" now it has become something like "not the first, its the worst" or if you don't get your photo to he buyer before someone else, you are not going to get paid. Depending on the buyer and if the photo is a paparazzi/freelance/independent type, it is very competitive. Even the services have an intrinsic requirement as they resell and if another puts up equal images first, they lose sales.

The video people better get ready! The distribution capability is starting in some markets to approach or equal the still environment and whoever uploads first gets the check!

The next gen of (and some current) of HD cams are wired and don't story anything, it goes right to a feed or an external storage medium. Put a van within a 100 yards or less, take the camera, shoot, and by the time you get back to the truck your producer has it edited and it may be on the air, EDITED not live.

Still and video are still envious of each other, still only has to make their shot interesting for a moment, the video people don't miss anything. Its a matter of how you view the world and want to capture a story I suppose. Decisive moment vs. detailed coverage.

[freygr]

These are the guys that give photographers a bad name. Its get the shot at all cost to h#%% being polite about it. It all comes down to $$$ being paid for the sensational photograph.

[spacey]

I just got off my dayside shift, with a new bruise. Another perp walk (they get to be fun) and another Nikon Weilding shooter, had his backpack on him. Now around here, Perp walks (defined below) are bare equipment only. It's rare for anyone to have a bag or kit with them, just a body, and if you have a vest - lenses. This guy had a full backpack on, and Gitzo monopod attatched. Mid way down the block, the bottom clip came loose and caught me on the side. Still, he kept walking.

A Perp Walke (Perpetrator Walk) - Typically outside of a court building or from a jail, the media group surrounds the subject, walking with him in a croud, typically backwards. Much like a mob, with thousands of dollars of equipment.

Later today while cutting a VOSOT (voice over sound on tape, sound, interviews, sound effects, under the voice of a reporter, at a presser, when the main subject began to speak a litter of still photographers jumped up. Typically, at press conferences, video is on a tripod, for quality, and very little could be done. Unfortunately, not even the best of us can frame out a subject in our shot. And rarely, do we have a reporter with us. If you watch closely (and listen) it's images with sound over the image.

The standards of video have risen over the years, now Audio must constantly be in check and a shot constantly focused. In our defense, still photographers can tell a story with one two maybe four shots, while vide is...30 frames per second. Maybe 4 to 5 minutes in each story. 20 maybe 30 minutes per event. That's over 600 frames!

I mean this in a nice tone, not cocky, I would still love to hear everyone's opnions. Keep it comming.

Oh in a perp walk, everyone is always in everyone's shot

[Photo-John]

I haven't shot the kind of stuff you're talking about here. I mostly shoot cycling events. But more than once I've been told by video guys that I need to stay out of their way or they'd call the promoters and have me removed. So I guess it works both ways. At one event I argued with one of the promoter's flunkies and then decided to leave and not give them any free coverage. The TV guys at the events I shoot aren't there day in and day out. But since there's more ad money involved in TV, they get priority.

[Cowgirl]

Howdy!

As a full time wedding and freelance still photog, I have to put in my 2 cents.

As a wedding photog, we are quite used to folks surrounding us, watching us, getting in between the camera and B&G. So a good wedding photog will know how to out-manuver guests to get the shot. Yes, we have to watch out for running kids, pushy uncles with their p&s digital cameras, nosey friends.... So we learn to squeeze through crowds, carrying our expensive gear and bumping other's elbows, legs, chairs, and whatever else is in our way. Yes, even video guys get right in front of us still photogs at weddings.

As a freelancer, I photographed ex-Pres George Bush at a speaking event. Although I had my pass to get closer, I chose to stay with the video guys. Yes, I even chatted and had some good conversations with the crews! I was actually fun!

I'm not as aggresive as others and I am courteous and careful. I wish that everyone could just be a little more careful - but it is a very demanding and competitive field.

Better luck next time!
Kathy

[freygr]

Howdy!

Clip...

I'm not as aggresive as others and I am courteous and careful. I wish that everyone could just be a little more careful - but it is a very demanding and competitive field.

Better luck next time!
Kathy

Alot of them think being aggresive will get the next great shot. I doesn't mater which field there in there are other ways of getting your great photos. And there a A## H$%#% in all fields of work that thing aggressive will get them ahead but some times it back fires.

[jar_e]

I agree with Photo John, there's definitely some give and take needed.Any press conferences I've been to have involved a harsh talking to if I endup in front of somebody's video camera.

Jared

[Chunk]

Hi, I'm new hear, relatively young and new in the buisness but I did still work early on and moved into ENG (Electronic news gathering). I shoot with a Sony PDW530, and a Ikegami HLV55, along with a fleet of other cameras, and I've noticed still photography guys can be really agressive.

Welcome to the group Spacey.

I'm not in the business so I don't really know but maybe they have to be that agressive to get around the cmaera guy, the sound guy, and the talking head that each video outlet sends to cover in order to get a viewpoint that doesn't include the camera guy, sound guy, and talking head that each video outlet sends.

[JSPhoto]

I shoot a lot of races and the worst comes out in photogs once it's close to the checkers falling and they all scramble towards victory lane like a herd of elephants. Once there everyone is pushing and shoving for the best shot. I used to hate this, but when I became a track photographer I paid a few of of them back .
Even at Indy there is always pushing and shoving when there is an incident in a turn. I had an Indy Star stringer knock me out of the way once, but I had the last laugh as the AP ran my shot and all he got was the driver blocked by rescue personell. Oh, he also got a chewing out by the Star

Shooting sports really isn't much different than news, actually it may be worse because there tends to be more sports photogs than regular news. I've seen photogs get close to fighting over who belongs where on the food chain. One thing I haven't had a problem with around here is the TV crews, they don't get all worked up if you get in front of them. But they will pay you back by putting you on the nightly news at the worst possible time I made all 4 network stations news last year One really caught me off guard, actually catching me while I was working! Thanks Fox59

JS