Ganing credientals

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Ganing credientals

gome1122
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p.1 #1 · Ganing credientals

Do you think it would be a problem for me, a 16 year old photographer, to gain credentials to a minor league baseball game? This is the site of the specific team I had in mind. I looked through most of their site and it says nothing about photographers. Do you think a phone call or email to the GM would get me somewhere? I would also like to try and get into Watkins Glenbut their site says strictly no freelance work. There is a few local papers (http://thebatavian.com/ and http://thedailynewsonline.com/) papers. Do you think that would be enough to get in by their standards of a publication or would I need a bigger paper source. My neighbor used to be the right hand photographer with Watkins Glen, do you think it's possible to get in there with his suggestion some how(He's very willing to help with my photography)? Any one have any advice on getting in on places to shoot?

Jan 21, 2013 at 10:35 PM

hleidich
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p.1 #2 · Ganing credientals

Your high school is probably the best place...hook up with some yearbook staff and offer to shoot some of the sports...you'll have easy access and it is a perfect place to learn...don't limit yourself to baseball...you'll get more practice and much of the art of photography can be learned in a variety of settings.

Jan 21, 2013 at 11:25 PM

gome1122
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p.1 #3 · Ganing credientals

hleidich wrote:
Your high school is probably the best place...hook up with some yearbook staff and offer to shoot some of the sports...you'll have easy access and it is a perfect place to learn...don't limit yourself to baseball...you'll get more practice and much of the art of photography can be learned in a variety of settings.
I've been the school photographer since it started. I'm looking for some summer stuff. I know my camera inside and out right now, for the most part. I'm looking to go bigger now.

Jan 21, 2013 at 11:37 PM

Widgic
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p.1 #4 · Ganing credientals

Asking won't hurt... You probably have more chances with the local baseball minor league team than Watkins Glen.

Here are a few tips to increase your chances of success

Have a web site with a portfolio that you can point to when you contact people. The cleaner looking (both the photos and web site) the better.
Know who to contact. The GM probably doesn't care and has lots of other things to do. Find the communications / PR / Marketing people. If they are local, go visit their office and talk to them. Dress your best and bring a camera with you. You never know what might happen (maybe they'll let you shoot practice for example to get started).
If you know a player and / or can find a link to a player on the team, that might be something you can use. For example a guy on the team comes from a local high school / university and the school might be interested in doing a story on that person.
Contact the local papers and see if they'll be interested in getting some picture.
For the racetrack, see if you can find a local team looking for pictures and they might be able to get you a set of credentials.

Denis
www.widgic.com

Jan 22, 2013 at 12:00 AM

Marty Bingham
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p.1 #5 · Ganing credientals

Your young age may be a draw back, if so I don't know how to get around that. Otherwise your best bet would be to see if one of the papers you mention would be willing to send you. In that case they will file for the credentials for you.

Good luck,
Marty

Jan 22, 2013 at 12:27 AM

gome1122
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p.1 #6 · Ganing credientals

Widgic wrote:
Asking won't hurt... You probably have more chances with the local baseball minor league team than Watkins Glen.

Here are a few tips to increase your chances of success

Have a web site with a portfolio that you can point to when you contact people. The cleaner looking (both the photos and web site) the better.
Know who to contact. The GM probably doesn't care and has lots of other things to do. Find the communications / PR / Marketing people. If they are local, go visit their office and talk to them. Dress your best and bring a camera with you. You never know what might happen (maybe they'll let you shoot practice for example to get started).
If you know a player and / or can find a link to a player on the team, that might be something you can use. For example a guy on the team comes from a local high school / university and the school might be interested in doing a story on that person.
Contact the local papers and see if they'll be interested in getting some picture.
For the racetrack, see if you can find a local team looking for pictures and they might be able to get you a set of credentials.

Denis
www.widgic.com
I will do all of these and probably more. If I wanted to try and go through the paper, do you think they would hire a 16 yo photographer?

Jan 22, 2013 at 12:33 AM

gome1122
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p.1 #7 · Ganing credientals

Marty Bingham wrote:
Your young age may be a draw back, if so I don't know how to get around that. Otherwise your best bet would be to see if one of the papers you mention would be willing to send you. In that case they will file for the credentials for you.

Good luck,
Marty

Yeah, this is my biggest concern. Hopefully a good portfolio will help out a lot. Maybe some references too? Like other photographers and maybe a teacher(photo and coach).

Jan 22, 2013 at 12:35 AM

brian_f2.8
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p.1 #8 · Ganing credientals

Im not sure if they will let you because you are under 18.

Jan 22, 2013 at 01:03 AM

Paulthelefty
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p.1 #9 · Ganing credientals

brian_f2.8 wrote:
Im not sure if they will let you because you are under 18.

To elaborate on this, I would think it would be a challenge gaining access to a racetrack for liability reasons. Show your best work, maybe the powers that be can look past it and recognize the value you can bring. Best of luck!

Paul

Jan 22, 2013 at 01:13 AM

ElanKawesch
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p.1 #10 · Ganing credientals

Age shouldn't be a problem, I started shooting D1 basketball when I was 15, and now at 16 I shoot D1 games and other large events multiple times a week.

Getting your first credential is all about being honest and professional. The email you send must be perfect, and you should say that you are looking to expand your portfolio- be honest with them, they won't give you a credential if you say you are a freelance photographer, because then it sounds like you will be selling pictures to outlets that they don't know about. At the same time, don't come out and say "I'm 16 and love photography..."

The hard part is getting a 2nd credential after they see that you're 16

Jan 22, 2013 at 01:18 AM

gome1122
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p.1 #11 · Ganing credientals

ElanKawesch wrote:
Age shouldn't be a problem, I started shooting D1 basketball when I was 15, and now at 16 I shoot D1 games and other large events multiple times a week.

Getting your first credential is all about being honest and professional. The email you send must be perfect, and you should say that you are looking to expand your portfolio- be honest with them, they won't give you a credential if you say you are a freelance photographer, because then it sounds like you will be selling pictures to outlets that they don't know about. At the same time, don't come out and say "I'm 16 and love photography..."

The hard part is getting a 2nd credential after they see that you're 16

Great advice. It's like lying but not. In other words business. Will try not mentioning my age at first.

Jan 22, 2013 at 02:00 AM

gome1122
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p.1 #12 · Ganing credientals

Paulthelefty wrote:
brian_f2.8 wrote:
Im not sure if they will let you because you are under 18.

To elaborate on this, I would think it would be a challenge gaining access to a racetrack for liability reasons. Show your best work, maybe the powers that be can look past it and recognize the value you can bring. Best of luck!

Paul
I'll try my hardest to get some good shots to present. Going to the track before this probably so I can get some fresh shots in the category.

Jan 22, 2013 at 02:03 AM

Frank Lauri
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p.1 #13 · Ganing credientals

gome....I'll speak for the MiLB. Go for it. My own personal experience is when the AAA Yankees moved from Columbus to Scranton, PA. I contacted the PID and asked if I could have credentials for some games to enhance my portfolio with the option of them reviewing my images and if they liked what they say...we could discuss further.

We never made it to opening day and they called me about a month later.....blind without ever seeing any of my work to shoot the public unveiling of the new team name and logo with Brian Cashman and all the NY Yankee brass there.....and it was a paid gig. That was in 2007 and I've been the team photographer even since.

Since I've been there I've seen young HS aged shooters at various times....so call and present your pitch. Just remember....if you are fortunate enough to land one of these venues.....there are rules. Learn them, abide by them and don't color outside the lines.

Good luck with your quest.

Jan 22, 2013 at 02:48 AM

brian_f2.8
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p.1 #14 · Ganing credientals

race tracks are a lot different than what the ncaa can offer. remember there are prodigy's in college. nothing against the kid but i can verify that lime rock would not credential a kid because he was 17. this is lime rock and you are asking for a credential at the glen? good luck i hope it works out, i do.

nothing stopping you from going and still shooting.

Jan 22, 2013 at 02:59 AM

Carl Auer
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p.1 #15 · Ganing credientals

Talk to your yearbook advisor, school newspaper, councilor or advisor, tell them what you would like to do, and see if they will contact the team on your behalf.

Jan 22, 2013 at 03:04 AM

matt.garnett
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p.1 #16 · Ganing credientals

I think definitely the best way to get credentialed is to have a link with the team and try and get them to ask for them for you. That's what I was able to do with TCU (and I'm only 16). I'd say your second best bet is to cold call them. It's a lot harder to say no to someone on the phone than it is to type. Otherwise you're pretty much out of luck unless you can score some sort of affiliation with a local team/player/paper.

I hate to say it, but age is a bit of a disadvantage in sports photography. It doesn't matter how well you know your gear, how much gear you have, how professional you act, or how great your portfolio is. Most people will simply see you as a kid, and it takes a tough mentality and some perseverance to break through that.

Good luck bud!

Jan 22, 2013 at 03:22 AM

matt.garnett
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p.1 #17 · Ganing credientals

Retracted

Edited on Jan 26, 2013 at 04:44 AM · View previous versions

Jan 22, 2013 at 03:25 AM

ElanKawesch
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p.1 #18 · Ganing credientals

matt.garnett wrote:
I think definitely the best way to get credentialed is to have a link with the team and try and get them to ask for them for you. That's what I was able to do with TCU (and I'm only 16). I'd say your second best bet is to cold call them. It's a lot harder to say no to someone on the phone than it is to type. Otherwise you're pretty much out of luck unless you can score some sort of affiliation with a local team/player/paper.

I hate to say it, but age is a bit of a disadvantage in sports photography. It doesn't matter how well you know your gear, how much gear you have, how professional you act, or how great your portfolio is. Most people will simply see you as a kid, and it takes a tough mentality and some perseverance to break through that.

Good luck bud!

Great advice right here, but also remember that being young could be an advantage. If you go to the game dressed nicely, interact well with the other people there, and (most of all) be professional overall. I have tried to do this, and it has paid off- in my case the other members of the media treat me like any other guy, and the SIDs have been more than nice and have even referred me to other schools for work. Be professional and things will work out- no one expects a 16 year old kid to act professionally, so when you do, it pays off.

Jan 22, 2013 at 03:44 AM

Scott Sewell
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p.1 #19 · Ganing credientals

matt.garnett wrote:
And also, if you can see what the press passes look like just make yourself something along those lines, act like you're supposed to be there, and don't get in anyone's way. For smaller games/teams whatever, the event staff most likely won't take a second look, or even care.

Did I read this right? Find out what the "press passes" look like and make something to look like it to "act like you're suppose to be there"? Hot damn!! This is easily in the Top Five of all-time WORST advice I've ever read on this forum. Take this advice and you risk becoming a 16-year-old who is black listed and will find it tough to get credentials to anything. If not forever, certainly for a very long time. Please don't do this. Gawd.

You've been given some good advice about MiLB from some guys who know what they're talking about. And, like others have said, you can make great images from shooting sports at your high school or other schools in the area. Access is great and your portfolio won't be lacking one bit if you can make great images from shooting high school sports. Take advantage of the many sports photography opportunities right there with your own school.

As a former newspaper reporter, I've always taken the approach that it never hurts to ask. So, just ask. I'm guessing the race track might be a bit of a stretch because tracks often seem to have an age restriction. But again, it doesn't hurt to ask.

My son started shooting high school and D2 sports when he was 11 years old, and has had opportunities to shoot D1 sports on a regular basis, NFL, NBA, NHRA, concerts, rodeos, and a lot of other events. He's done it by being respectful and polite to other photographers and not cheering or show bias toward a particular team. He also pays attention to how other photographers conduct themselves and is quiet and works in the media room. In short, let your images stand out; don't stand out as an obnoxious person who no one likes to be around.

Good luck and keep us posted how things go.

Jan 22, 2013 at 04:15 AM

Carl Auer
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p.1 #20 · Ganing credientals

Jan 22, 2013 at 05:59 AM

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