1adam-12 Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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Frank Lauri wrote:
Dave....you've received some top notch feedback and advice here and depending on what you say...how you say it and where it is said...you will receive a lot of different opinions, advice, criticisms and what not. You have to go through it all and see what side of the fence you want to be on.
You asked how else could you get noticed. Well it does happen and I’ll put it there with the same analogy of the quote in the movie Field of Dreams….build it and they will come - so I’ll offer my story.
Years ago I was the president of a Little League and it was about the time I started to get serious about sports photography. So I had a venue where I could practice and enhance my skills and make contacts and practice.
As time went on I got better and so did my gear. After I left Little League my youngest son played baseball and football for his school team and he also did travel baseball that gave me more opportunities for me to practice. All this time I basically kept to myself and really didn't advertise anything because frankly...I didn't think I was where I needed to be skill wise to charge and sell my work. I knew eventually some day I wanted to make $$$ taking pictures but I knew it wasn’t then and I didn’t want to ruin any reputation for selling crappy work so I knew the timing wasn’t right.
When my son was a sophomore in HS his coach asked if I wanted to do the T&I for the entire baseball program (Jr. High to Varsity) and he also allowed me access to the dugout area and also field access to shoot action shots.
Then one day I out of the blue I was approached by the head photographer for one of the local papers who asked if I'd be interested in doing some freelance sports assignments for them and wanted to know if we could meet after the game and we could discuss everything and he would give me all the details on the compensation….deadlines…everything I needed to know.
That was about 7 years ago and right now it's like a part time job without having to work an 8-hour day. In fact within the last year there were 2 permanent photographer positions that opened but I didn't apply because I'm also recently retired and thought why do I want to get back into working 8 or more hours a day. Currently I can either accept or decline an assignment and if I accept it I'm done afterwards. And I do it all from my home office. So if I want to edit pics in my underwear with a beer...so be it ☺. And over the years…I eventually got into covering news assignments, entertainment, feature articles…just about everything the newspaper covers.
But never has it been for FREE. I won't get rich shooting for the paper but it has been so much of a rewarding and fun experience for me.
I've met so many great people....shot some amazing athletes..... got many other paid gigs as a result of this. But as Scott indicated...there are pressures of deadlines. And if you leave your editor hanging and not deliver your product to them on time....you may not get a 2nd chance. Paul also hit it where you could be a top notch photographer with the best gear but if you lack what it takes to be a reliable professional....you might be out on your butt.
With the various downsizing of many newspapers and medial outlets….I feel fortunate that I am able to what I do. And as I indicated I won't get right....I'm living a dream in my eyes. I feel have the respect an friendship of other local photographers for the other publications and the publication I shoot for because of the qualities and standards I was fortunate to learn right here on FM.
By having access to that information by those who were experienced on that area reminded me not to ruffle any feathers, undercut anyone, always be respectful to everyone from the subjects, my peers, officials, coordinators...whoever I came in contact with. And I’m not saying FM was 100% responsible for that….it’s pretty much my way of doing business but FM re-enforced these qualities.
And I consider myself lucky that what happened in my case…happened that way. But if one needs to get the attention of an editor to other photographers or someone that may be the one to help you get noticed or get your foot in the door….FREE isn’t the way to go.
Top quality captioned portfolios have been existence and used for some time. A quality portfolio with your best stuff will do more for you than sending a picture in of a certain event or game. A variety of different sports, news, portrait shots will show someone you can shoot different things and back this with a resume /cover page with what you are looking for. Explaining your experience in PS, LR, PM…
An editor is an editor for a reason. Give them something professional looking. Maintain a frequency of contact with them with your portfolio and give them something different each time.
Seriously….I hope you get an opportunity to do what you want to do. I just retired after 35 years in the Nuclear Power Industry and my last 10 years…..I hated going to work every day. Doing something you enjoy and have a passion for is a great feeling and a feeling of accomplishment and self worth.
Good luck in your quest
Frank
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Frank... thanks for the story, info and support.... its greatly appreciated.... heres my story...
I am a recently retired police sergeant for my home town police department. I didn't retire because I wanted to, I had to due to injury... had my back, shoulder and hand injured fighting with a 6'5" 175lb 19 year old high on LSD, methamphetamine, marijuana, and alcohol.... VERY volatile combination.... gave him a combination of strength, stamina, tolerance to pain, and inhibition... I won the battle, but ultimately lost the war and was medically retired out...
Photography... I got my passion for photography in JR high school in the 70's.... kept it thru high school and eventually lost it for a while... found the passion again after the birth of my first child... then really got back into it slowly when my kids started playing sports... first my daughter in softball then my son in baseball.... got my first point and shoot DIGITAL camera in the late 90's and eventually started to move up thru the ranks of equipment starting with the Canon 10d (I think that's what it was back then) to where i am now with the Canon 1dx.... I basically had to retrain myself in the knowledge of photography all over again... taking some adult education classes , online video classes (YouTube is great for that) and forums like these... I think I am to a point now where i am getting proficient... I would rate myself a upper intermediate maybe lower advanced in skill and knowledge level right now... and I am learning everyday...
As the years went on, I started to get better and better taking pictures of my kids playing their sports.... eventually the parents of my kids friends would ask me to take a few of their kids, and i obliged them... eventually the parents of all the kids on the team would ask for pictures, and of course i would oblige them too... after all, this was my HOBBY and I was getting a LOT of enjoyment in taking the pictures.... eventually I became the "team photographer" for whatever team my kid was on.... still not ever thinking of making money doing his, just enjoying the time with my kids and my hobby... what more could you ask for huh
as the years went on, I started to get parents form other teams asking me to take pictures of their kids now too.... Now this is getting to be somewhat of a "job" ... so being someone that cant say no, I did that too.... however, I now would ask for a token payment for the time i was putting into this... I would ONLY shoot kids that my kids team was playing against (not going to another game just to shoot pictures) and I would burn a cd of the other kids and give to the parent for $25... some parents got a few dozen shots... some several dozen... depending on the playing time of the kids.... no post processing... no editing... just the raw shots... good or bad... that went on for a few years thru the lower ranks of softball and baseball... i collected (cant say I made.. ) a few hundred bucks doing this.... probably paid for part of 1 of my lenses that way...
As the years went on, I started to teach myself Photoshop... and started making "posters" of my kids for their rooms and my office at work... they were pretty plain and simple at first using "templates" i got off the internet... but my kids loved them.... eventually I got proficient in Photoshop and started to make more advance posters with images cutout, blended and composited.... This all started around the lime my daughter started playing high school softball and my son was in little league majors...
Well, as you would know it, the other kids on the teams and their parents would see my posters and guess what, now they wanted one too.... so, i started to make posters for the other kids now too.... I started out small using a Pixma printer (got it free with the purchase of I think my 50d or another Cannon camera I upgraded too) and charging the parents a relatively small amount (I think it was $30-$40 each for an 11x19 print) and was selling about 20-30 of these a season ( could be more... could be less... I really don't remember).... well, wouldn't you know it... that started to take off too.... now this hobby is starting to be a second job... ya know...
so, I made a few buck and decided to get me a real printer and bought a canon 44" wide format... got a business license and started to market myself locally.... still not going to other games for the purpose of taking pictures... just shooting the games my kids played in.... I also got a laminator and started to make posters up to 36x48 but mainly focused on 24x36.... I also teamed up with a friend (who is the freelance photographer for the local paper) ... he shots photos for the local speedway flat track series in town at our fairgrounds every summer... he shot (I did too on occasion) and I set up a booth at the track offering pictures form 8x10 to 40x60 on paper and canvas ... we did this for 2 1/2 years and did VERY well..... things were going pretty good and I was actually starting to build a little bit of a side business.....
Then the wheels fell off.... I got hurt at work and everything came to a screeching halt.... I couldn't do my "side business" while injured (both because of the injuries and the fact i was ordered not to by my bosses and doctors) ... I was in and out of doctors offices for almost 3 years... had a total of 4 surgeries (going for a 5th in May) and was eventually forced to retire.... didn't shoot for over a year (missed shooting half my sons sophomore year and all of his junior year)... I eventually healed up enough to get back to an almost normal life and started to shoot regularly again this year (varsity baseball season)...
which brings me to the here and now... the picture i took that started this thread was NEVER meant to go to the local paper.... the parent (of the catcher) I gave it to sent it in to the local paper and they printed it.... and ya, it was pretty cool to have my photo on the entire front page of the local paper.... granted its only local... but pretty cool anyways.... so I got to thinking, MAYBE... just MAYBE I could parlay this into getting paid here and there for my photos.... NEVER did I envision making it some kind of photo journalist full time job.... you know, sell a photo here and there.... but what I was REALLY hopping to do is get "affiliated" with the paper that would lead to me being able to get "credentialed" at sporting events... not the NBA, NFL or MLB (though that would be cool too) .. but the local events that would get me access to areas of the events... I could use this "access" if you will to restart the "business" i had going and now that my kid will graduate this year, I would have the time and ability to go to many other events.... Not that I need the money, I NEED SOMETHING TO DO IN RETIREMENT.... Given my injuries,its almost impossible to find an employer willing to take me on ( the old liability reason... although they wont tell me that)....
So I talk to my buddy who works as a freelance photographer and ask him what he thinks and / or would do... the FIRST thing I asked him was would I cut into HIS paying jobs.... After he assured me I wouldn't be infringing on him, he went on to tell me what he would do with this specific publisher.... the first thing he told me is they would never pay for "parent photos"... he suggested i give them a "FEW" more and then attempt to negotiate as a freelancer like he did... He told me he thinks I might be the guy they call when a large event is in town (happens often) and whenever he isn't available or the "staff" guy is not available... and that would probably be the most i would get at this time.... but things change often...
so that's where i am at now... I haven't given any more photos to the paper as of yet... the sports reporter asked me for a few from the away games... and I am waiting to talk with the editor (who i know from my previous working relationship) to see if there is a possibility of become a part time freelancer for the paper... I told the sports writer I would send hims a few shots of the next few games and he said he would put in a word for me with the editor.... so we will see where this goes.... I know its not the best way to get my foot in the door, but apparently its the ONLY way with this paper.... and I have to start somewhere...... AGAIN, I am not looking at this right now as a money making opportunity... I am looking at this as building a name for myself... getting "published" and having some credibility for my skill.... whatever that may be.... If it works... great... if not, I am not hurting anyone.... nobody on this forum will be effected and the ONE guy that possibly COULD be effected gave me his blessings.... and i will NEVER let it get to a point that they are taking advantage of me.... a half dozen photos or so... and then its time to put up or shut up....
Right now, I have permission of the local little league to be an "official" photographer this season... I am going to offer my "posters" to the players and parents and see how this season goes... I am going to include my time to show up and shoot the kids and hopefully grow into getting multiple kids at the same game... I have offered to donate 10% of my sales to the little league as my way of giving back to them.... so we will see how it goes....
I really appreciate the time and effort given by those on this forum to offer help and guidance... I did not intend to "offend" or "take away" from the professionals on this board.... I'm just trying to get a start ... and hopefully make SOME profit doing something i love to do...
thanks again... Dave
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