In the future, your chances with a good personal articles policy may be better than with small claims court. I took a land lady to small claims court once, and it took nearly a year to actually get my money back. :P
Really sorry to hear about your lens. That's a big bummer.
During a game or event many schools are not responsible for personal property or injury if the work is voluntary and not directly ordered by the school. Yearbooks may or not qualify. Your age also may present a problem. Shooting for a yearbook may or may not be a requirement or assignment. Little cloudy there. If it was approved by a teacher/admin person thats different.
Many venues print on the back of the pressticket for that game you are on your own. If you get clobbered, you get clobbered..you are on the field of battle.. It's part of your statement that bothers me....
(ref at football game crashed into me intentionally, and when i hit the ground the 80-200's AF-S motor got killed).
A little elaboration here is more in tune. "Intentionally" thats a strong word.
How does one do something "intentionally" in front of all those people unless you were in front of him, in his line of sight, or you were in the wrong place at the wrong time? Perhaps you were in front of the line and he ordered you back.
Doesn't make sense.
I was 1 foot behind where he asked me to be. The pass to the endzone was incomplete, the opposing team was just at the very tip of the front of the endzone. No one in the back of the endzone. The play is dead. The referee comes running through the media area, four feet back behind the endzone, outside the endzone, full blast, with his left arm sticking 90 degrees out.
Now tell me, why does someone run like that through a media area, when they should be running through the endzone, especially when there were no obstructions in the endzone!?
It's intentional. And you're damn right it doesn't make sense.
I was 1 foot behind where he asked me to be.
So he told you where to go before the incident.....maybe there was encroachment ( football term)
Where was the ball?
Or he was indicating incomplete pass and direction of play. Regardless maybe it's on video... it would be worth looking into.
After all we can't have referees with his left arm sticking 90 degrees out.
Perhaps he just had a shot of Viagra before the game, instead of the pill before the game?.
tazo,
I'm not trying to be rude, but you are on HIS turf. No pun intended. I've just started shooting football, but being a former athlete, and official, I know from experince that the camera folks, although there to do a job, are sometimes in the way and can get injured. As I was once told, keep your head on a swivel and get out of the way, it's their game. Your only there to documnet what they are doing.
Sorry to hear your gear got broken, but better the gear than you.
My guess is the ref was doing his job and probably extended his arm to protect himself from running head first into a person he saw out of the corner of his eye at the last second. Never thinking he would see someone standing there....No matter how far out of the endzone he and you were.
If you have proof that he hit you on purpose, take him to court, but I doubt you'l win.
The games are all videotaped, and I am presently working to gain access to the tapes.
It is my hope that the tape will show that the ref had no reason to be running so far away from where he could have been. I don't buy the argument that the referee has carte blance to endanger those on the sidelines. He has a job to do, and to be negligent in the process of such job is not his right.
And like another person suggested, I fully intend to take the man to court.
I am only going to say this one more time. I was farther back than the referee had asked me to be at a minimum. Before he crashed into me, there was no encroachment, and I was still farther back than he had asked me to be.
I think its absolutely rediculous that because the guy is a referee, he is unaccountable for his behavior. He killed my goddamn 80-200. Someone needs to pay for it.
tazo wrote:
I don't buy the argument that the referee has carte blance to endanger those on the sidelines. He has a job to do, and to be negligent in the process of such job is not his right.
Daniel, you sound like a very knowledge able photographer, but at the same time you sound like a typical teenager. I'm not trying to be condescending. I'm a Dean of Students at a school of 3700 teenagers. And you sound just like the ones who have a chip on their shoulder and who feel they have been wronged. You were in his way. You were the visiter. Having a press pass does not give you carte blance to endanger those participating in the event.
I truly hope that the ref. gets reemed hard IF he did go after you, but I don't think you are going to win this one.
The referee's job includes dodging players and the ball while he is doing his best to call a fair and accurate game. He is not looking for people around the field of play to be impeading his path (I know I can not spell). As I said, its his field, not yours. You need to avoid him not the other way around.
As for the $1000 loss, I feel terrible for you. I know I'd be devistated and I'm sure I make much more annually than you.
The chip I refer to is the idea that your most certainly right and he's most certainly at fault. You seem to refuse to see the other side of the issue. Just like the teens I deal with daily.
I would certainly concede that a lot of teens refuse to see the other side. And ironically, I know, I am demonstrating that very point. But -- if I thought for even the briefest glimmer of a second I was in his way and caused the collision, I would not be pursuing this the way I am. I worked all summer doing freelance and shitty retail jobs to be able to pay for that lens. Now what do I have? an 80-200 paper weight.
what would you do anthony? if you were a teenager? if this happened to you?
Daniel...I believe you have just convinced me that you are not a "normal" teen. Without conceding your point you have made a breakthrough, with me atleast, by knowing that you are acting "like a teen" (refusing to see the other side) but w/ a valid reason. (I actually now do think you do see the other side.) Your calm and coherant responce to my statements has won me over. I wish you well in your quest for justice....I still think you will lose, but I really hope you win.
By the way. If you'd ever like to give any tips on shooting football I'd love to hear them. I'm new to it and am having terrible time getting good action shots. The far side of the field to too far and the near side w/ the action coming my way moves so fast I miss the good ones.
Just what every teen wants, the kid teaching the teacher.
brandofamily wrote:
By the way. If you'd ever like to give any tips on shooting football I'd love to hear them.
....
I can start with always listen to the refs.....
I am by no means an expert on shooting football, but I seem to do pretty well. I try and stay about 10 yards in front of the line of scrimmage, shooting back away from the team's endzone [confusing? shoot the team coming at you...].
I like to follow the action a bit by using my right eye to use the vf, and then tracking the action with my left eye. Not at the same time but you get the idea. As far as actually gettign cool shots of like receivers etc, I kinda look at the play, see what the QB is doing, where he's going, and sometimes I get lucky and can see who will probably get the pass. I then start tracking that receiver, sometimes i get lucky and actually catch the jump and catch
I usually shoot at 200mm, which is nowhere near long enough. I find that I usually dont touch the zoom as that messes with focussing. So, when they come towards me, I just keep shooting and keeping the guys in focus. And you're right, the farside of the field is too far, which is why I don't shoot it. If you try, you will end up disappointed.
My biggest tip though with HS football, since you are so close to the action, is to have a 2nd body on you, in an easily accessible position, with a 35mm lens on it. I have a lot of cool photos from when they fall right in front of me, or come running off the sidelines
but you get the idea. As far as actually gettign cool shots of like receivers etc, I kinda look at the play, see what the QB is doing, where he's going, and sometimes I get lucky and can see who will probably get the pass. I then start tracking that receiver, sometimes i get lucky and actually catch the jump and catch 