RANT: A change, high school football

[Tyson L. Sparks]

Last year I spent the football season on the side lines shooting for the local news paper. This year I am going to be spending a limited amount of time shooting for the paper. Unfortunately the rear end in my truck has gone completely out. I am waiting on parts to rebuild it, not a cheap repair. My son is marching in his high school band so I have to take him back and forth every week and we only have one car now. This means I am going to miss a lot of the other games the news paper wanted me to shoot. It's funny, they know my son is in the band and I live right next to the high school but they want to send me across town to a different game. makes no sence.

With fuel costs up and every tom dick and harry with a DSLR, I am not needed. I stood by 6 other people taking pictures of their kids at half time. All of which thought they were pros. After all the work I have done, all the games I have shot. I am slowly being run out of town by people that want to give their pictures to the paper. Making it hard for me charge as a freelancer. The local paper will sign just about anybody who wants to shoot as a freelancer.Half of them not knowing their arse from a hole in the ground.

People use to ask me if I "take pictures anymore" always looking for a free photographer. I use to help them out but I am done now. Everyone always wants something for free. I tell them no now. I am not above helping out an underprivileged senior or a friends wedding. But I think from now on I am going to shoot for me.

The business of photography had changed with the introduction of the DSLR. Professional photojournalist are going to be replaced with moms armed with a DSLR. Locally, photographers working for the news paper make as about as much money as a full time McDonald's employee.

So off the side lines I go and into the stands, pooo.

[jorgemonkey]

I feel for ya. When I started getting into photography I wanted to be a sports photographer. It will probably always be my passion, my favorite thing to shoot. But, I'm in the same boat. All the parents want the photos for free, everyone with a DSLR is out and seemingly giving out photos for free as well.

Now I'm moving onto weddings & stuff like that to help pay the bills. Also having a kid now is really helping my drive to create better photos & be better than others.

[Frog]

Problem is no body expects good photos in a newspaper, I think and the number of people willing to give their stuff away makes it lucarative for the paper.
I've been amazed at the local tv news stations asking for photos, especially of weather, from viewers and everyone sends them in for the bragging rights, I guess. Some are good, most are mediocre.
I don't know personally but know people who are replacing rear-ends in their 4x4s on a regular basis.....isn't it cheaper to get one from a junk yard than to repair it?
Anyway....good luck guy!

[jorgemonkey]

Oh yea, on the car part.... We had a wierd noise coming from the right front wheel of our Taurus, and $800 later we've replaced part of the steering, front struts, and a couple other parts

[Tyson L. Sparks]

To buy a used one it's $1200.00 for the parts we are talking $200.00- $400.00

[Greg McCary]

This is sad. But here is Rome what little printed news I read I have always had admiration for the photographers. Their compositional skills always surprise me. But the sports area has become a big competition between teachers that are allowed on field level and who sell thier pictures to the local paper and run web sites selling to parents.
One I know started with basic epuipment and funded some very expensive Canon equipment and also photography lessons through her efforts. She struggles now because of so many others doing it but at one timed owned the market. She worked the Middle School area and up, all sports. I think she still does better than she lets on, just disgusted with dealing with the free market. She always seems jealous over the other photogs equipment and work.LOL
Tyson maybe it is just time to take your skills into different areas of photography. I feel for you and good luck.

[Old Timer]

Same old story. I've seen it over and over. I meet a newspaper photographer on the silelines this weekend that had top notch equipment provided by the paper and didn't know how to set ISO, shuter speed or aperature. The only setting was program. She ask me why all her pictures were blurry. Go figure.....

[another view]

I've always said that my definition of a pro is someone that has to bring back the shot. IOW, failure is not an option. Most of the time, anyone can come back with one or two good shots from a game, wedding or anything else. And if there are a half dozen of these people, you can piece together a story. If one or two don't have anything decent, then you're still OK overall.

However, sooner or later there will be a problem. The big moment will have the subject's head cut off or be terribly underexposed. Plus, the editor probably has to spend a lot more time looking at images. I tend to share only a small percentage of what I shoot - only the ones I really like. Seems like a lot of serious photographers are the same way but when so-and-so with the new dslr just returns from their vacation in Maui, they want you to look thru six hundred shots on a DVD (with half out of focus, etc). That drives me nuts...

[jorgemonkey]

but when so-and-so with the new dslr just returns from their vacation in Maui, they want you to look thru six hundred shots on a DVD (with half out of focus, etc). That drives me nuts...

I'm in the process of going through 100's of photos from my trip to UT last week, and I was tempted to do something like that as a joke, then I decided not to and just show the best 30-40 pics

[Tyson L. Sparks]

I really really enjoy being on the sidelines shoot for the paper. But it doesn't pay any were near what would be considered worth the time and effort. The Photo Editor for the paper (Newark Advocate) told me I learnd more, faster then anyone that has ever worked for him. I have no formal traing or schooling in photography, just what I have learnd here.

I am going to miss it.

[another view]

But it doesn't pay any were near what would be considered worth the time and effort.

It never does, at least from the little bit of experience I have with it. Since they were giving you something, they put a value on it. People tend to value things a lot more when they have to pay for them - there's a chance that sooner or later your phone might ring.

Shooting for free doesn't get you anywhere. I was told this years ago and still "volunteered" to shoot occasionally (no assignments) for a small weekly paper. There was another guy doing it too, then it turned political for whatever reason. I just stopped submitting anything and they never called to ask why. I guess I know the value of that work...