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Archive 2008 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?

  
 
John P Mulgrew
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p.3 #1 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


Z_man wrote:
And what gives you the right to set a "rule" prohibiting parents "from shooting within the fence line?" I assume you are shooting at a public facility where I, as a parent, have every right to shoot whereever I can, inside or outside the fence line. I am not sure how you can prevent anyone from selling whatever they want. If I want to sell another parent a 5x7 for my printing cost, what are you going to do to stop me?

Your "rules" are unenforceable.




Maybe only 20 posts in 4 years shows that you're just trolling in here with your "what are you going to do to stop me?"

troll!



Jun 13, 2008 at 06:16 AM
Justin Huffman
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p.3 #2 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


this is really a privilege based question isnt it? You feel as though since your the paid shooter at a gig, any gig... you should have some sort of control or bearing on what others' are doing wrt photographing the subject matter.

Dont take others' privilege to shoot away and dont offer yours to another photographer. Period. This stuff really only applies to weddings IMHO.



Jun 13, 2008 at 06:26 AM
dmwierz
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p.3 #3 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


Z_man wrote:
And what gives you the right to set a "rule" prohibiting parents "from shooting within the fence line?" I assume you are shooting at a public facility where I, as a parent, have every right to shoot whereever I can, inside or outside the fence line. I am not sure how you can prevent anyone from selling whatever they want. If I want to sell another parent a 5x7 for my printing cost, what are you going to do to stop me?

Your "rules" are unenforceable.


Yeah clearly a troll, but others will read this thread, and it's worth responding for their benefit.

They may not be HIS rules - they may be set by the League. And, furthermore, what gives him the right?: how about working for months, if not years, to obtain the contract to cover the League - agreeing to share revenue with the League; making numerous presentations at League meetings; negotiations with League officials; paying other shooters on "spec" (hope) that you will make sales to allow you to adequately cover all games and all kids so nobody is complaining that you didn't get any good shots of their kid?

How about the fact that some of these photographers are doing their JOB - this is how they make a living?

Would you think it OK ito stand right next to the class photographer when school portraits were being taken, with your camera and a pocket wizard to poach the strobe lights, the backgrounds, all the other set-up equipment the official photographer paid for and learned how to use, and then selling or even giving away the photographs to other parents?

The classic follow-up question posed here is "do people wander off the street into your place of work, offering to do your job for free, using your company's resources (office space, equipment, etc) and getting in your way?"

Scott is right: without rules like this you'd have parents and other kids wandering all over the field, getting in the way of players and putting themselves at risk and more importantly, putting the players at risk. Spectators belong in the stands, not on the field. Lee is also on track with saying, especially as the levels go up, the sidelines, inside the fence lines, baselines at basketball courts, etc, are no place for people who don't know what they're doing.

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I am covered by a liability policy I pay for, which protects me, the League and more importantly, the kids, in case something bad happens. Plus, I (and the other pro's on the board) have been doing this a while and know where to go and not to go, what to look out for, and how to anticipate problems before they happen. How many DWC's can claim all of these things?

I was working a 9 year-old baseball game earlier this Spring, and there were two DWC's taking photos between the first base dugout and the foul line and two more on the third base side, and one of the supposed "coaches" was in the third base coach's box with "pro" gear taking shots of every batter, every base runner, and when his team was in the field, he was literally ON the field, (as in between the base lines) shooting fielders. This same game, one of the Mom's was about 15 feet away from the plate, standing about 5 feet outside of the foul line, snapping her P&S, taking shots of batters. This is absurd, and dangerous. She was almost run into a couple of times by runners 'cuz she had her eyes trained on the LCD and didn't realize she was in the way.

This was the worse case I have seen, but by no means the only instance of people being where they didn't belong.

Paul, yep, action sales are down, but they're not dead, at least not where I've been working. We have seen a sales decrease that undoubtedly comes from the economy, but we've also had some bad weather which has reduced the number of teams covered and in some case, reduced the number of images of the teams we did cover.

Edited by dmwierz on Jun 13, 2008 at 08:19 PM GMT

Edited on Jun 13, 2008 at 09:19 AM



Jun 13, 2008 at 06:52 AM
leewoolery
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p.3 #4 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


P Alesse wrote:
Why do you people even care? Action sales are dead. No one is making any money doing it.


Paul:

As long as a group of parents don't show up on team photo day with a set of strobes, backdrop stands, order envelopes and a display of products...they can shoot all the action they want.

Lee Woolery
Speedshot Action Photography



Jun 13, 2008 at 07:26 AM
Rick Denham
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p.3 #5 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


P Alesse wrote:
Why do you people even care? Action sales are dead. No one is making any money doing it.



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!



Jun 13, 2008 at 07:45 AM
Gerry Szarek
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p.3 #6 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


The only issue I have seen it get nasty at was at synchro nationals, they did not allow the parents to take any pictures, of course this year they get to deal with Mikey who is a judo / karate 250lb 5'6" ex marine (good luck to the photo guys). Apparently they have a no photo by anybody except the "official" shooter, and they charge $50 for a 4X6.

At gymnastics the way the pro's deal with over zealous parents is two fold, first the parents and cameras are confined to the stands, second the non flash use clause, so unless you have a 400F2.8 on a canon with iso 3200 you are SOL.

At hockey tournaments they have never asked anybody to stop shooting, maybe because they know about hot headed hockey parents.

At Little league, LAX, and soccer games I have never seen anybody but parents shooting.



Jun 13, 2008 at 08:17 AM
Bill Wood
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p.3 #7 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


I am a Dad with the nice equipment. I take photos of all the games. There is rarely a pro at the events I am at. If they arrive I put my equipment away. Reading these boards I am always afraid to step on a pros toes. I read about the start up struggles and sales strategies, it is all very interesting to me and I am rooting for you guys.

I founded a company and do quite well from it, I know how hard it is to start something from nothing and get a good name for yourself.

With my nice equipment I have taken thousands of weak images. But I am passionate and relentless and I have improved greatly.

Would I buy a great photo of my child, yes. The “Pros” I have seen locally were not that good. Warning sign number one is that they all shot 10 and under standing up.




Jun 13, 2008 at 09:52 AM
leewoolery
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p.3 #8 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


Bill Wood wrote:
Warning sign number one is that they all shot 10 and under standing up.



Bill:

Maybe they have bad knees or need to invest in some pads...or are just lazy!

Lee Woolery
Speedshot Action Photography



Jun 13, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Bill Wood
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p.3 #9 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


Lee, it looked like lack of knowledge, they were young guys.




Bill:

Maybe they have bad knees or need to invest in some pads...or are just lazy!

Lee Woolery
Speedshot Action Photography



Jun 13, 2008 at 11:25 AM
mervifwdc
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p.3 #10 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


Russ Isabella wrote:
I'm confused. You're a pro to the mom but a dad to the pro?


Ha ha!

but I think the question was meant are you here in the capacity of a pro or as a dad. I think it's understandable to be a pro photographer AND a dad who wants shots of his son / wife etc.

If I went to a Tennis match my wife was playing in, And I was in the capacity of a HWAC (Husband with..), I'd like to photograph her no matter who was there. if there was a pro there, I'd be sure to take his card, and if he got a better shot than I could take I'd buy it. Simple as that. If there was a no camera policy, and I had to leave the camera in the car - would I buy more from the pro? I don't think I would buy anything that was not as good as or better than what I could shoot myself.

Where it does get messy is when my wife's doubles partner would like a few images, and she is used to me doing a few shots for her, that's probably acceptable. What about the rest of the team from my wife's club - is it ok to shoot them if the is a pro there? It can become a nightmare!

Merv.



Jun 13, 2008 at 12:26 PM
ftemoto
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p.3 #11 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


Some random thoughts: background, I shoot motorsports on credentialled access and my sons soccer team for pleasure, mine and his teammates' families. I do not charge them. I do not shoot other teams or make my shots available to them.

I've never run into a problem with anyone asking me not to shoot at soccer games or tournaments. I've only run into a group handling a tournament once, and we had a good talk about shooting.

I know for a fact that some of the sports businesses where we are have to scramble getting people to cover events and sometimes rely on not much more than a body pressing a button.

I absolutely agree that there are access issues in some sports that need to be respected by family photographers just as they must be respected by family spectators. If you don't have an official role at an event, then you don't get access to areas reserved for those with an official role, and event or credentialed photographers play an official role. In my experience, this is less an issue with soccer, more an issue with baseball, and probably greatest in stadium or arena sports. But the driving force is safety and congestion issues, I'd guess, not preserving economic exclusivity for contracted photographers. The first rule of shooting sports is don't interfere with the game.

It's petty, IMO, tending to arrogance to be preoccupied with whether someone qualifies to use high end equipment if they aren't a "pro."

If you are shooting amateur/youth team sporting events for money, I'd say the parent shooting his child's team is your best prospect for reaching that team. Certainly the families know that person, he or she isn't commercially threatened by you selling pictures, and you can engage that person to your end of reaching the team. Not only that, but I've had people not from our team ask me if I am the event shooter, and when I tell them I'm not it would be nice for everyone for me to direct them to the person who is. People never get tired of looking at photos of their kids. They will go to your site if they know where it is. Get a money shot and they'll want it.

And if you're not getting money shots, then maybe you're wasting your time and money no less than the "overequipped" parents that seem to get looked down upon in these posts.

Anyway, my thoughts.



Jun 13, 2008 at 01:02 PM
hoffy73
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p.3 #12 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


Very interesting thread indeed. To a degree, I agree with the "Troll" & very much agree with the last post.

Do you think your mechanic gets upset that you service your own car once in a while?

Does your plumber get upset that you might change the occasional tap (faucet) washer to save some money?

I, at this stage, am an amateur who is trying to build up some experience & a portfolio. Granted, the games I do shoot do not have any pros attending (& if they do, they are generally Press togs, who only stay for aprox 15 minutes). The other interesting things is that in AFL & where I sit to take photos (the otherside of the fence), is genrally half a yard back from where the pros sit & take photos & probably a foot higher.

If a Pro came & asked me to cease, I would politely ask why. If he pushed the point I would demand for some form of proof that I cannot take images. Once proof is provided, the gear goes away. No proof, I would continue.

Unless you have exclusivity, I think that those who are pros need to make sure that they have the correct marketing angle & promotion to ensure that you are the first choice when it comes to purchasing images, not getting upset because some parent may steal sales.



Jun 13, 2008 at 05:37 PM
raul_T
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p.3 #13 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


skibum5 wrote:
so you are asking if you it's ok that you can shoot any game with whatever you want to but then when you are the pro at the event go tell anyone, even in the stands, to not shoot with pro equipment?


Nope not all. It just so happen that this situation (the examples that I laid out)presented itself within the last few weeks and I just wondered what others did if anything. It just so happened that at the same baseball tournament where there was a mother shooting with "pro" stuff on the first base line I had another mother standing behind the fence, just over my shoulder shooting with her Rebel. B/T innings I showed her some settings she may want to consider when shooting BB. Believe me, I'm all about getting along and shaking hands! I would never tell someone they could not shoot their kid.

Have a great weekend of shooting!



Jun 13, 2008 at 06:04 PM
dhlewis
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p.3 #14 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


so if you have a young son or daughter in school and they come home and ask for help with their math you as a parent are not permitted to help because the teacher is the "pro" and has the union contract to teach. right?

some of the comments above smell pretty bad of "rights" that pro's perceive they have on space, air and controlling photography at kids sports events. "Parents should stay in the stands and not believe they have the right to photograph their own children". This is not the same as photographing professional sports where the rules are posted and cameras and lens bigger than such and such are not permitted to be brought in by a spectator. Pro sports is a commercial venue, last time I checked the primary purpose of little league was not first for commercial purposes.

I completely support the rules that are in place by the school or league administrators but if you ask for and receive permission to shoot you have the right to take photographs, even if you are not a pro. No different than you are still (so far at least (maybe not after the November election)) aloud to work on your own car and cut your own grass. But on the other hand if I do choose to cut my own grass I am taking money away from the local professional landscaper? So I should stop?

As Dennis pointed out if there are safety issues it needs to be addressed by the Administrators in charge of the event.

Pro's need to separate themselves from others by the quality of their work and the services they provide not but protecting the market.

Edited on Jun 13, 2008 at 06:39 PM



Jun 13, 2008 at 06:28 PM
P Alesse
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p.3 #15 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


leewoolery wrote:
Paul:

As long as a group of parents don't show up on team photo day with a set of strobes, backdrop stands, order envelopes and a display of products...they can shoot all the action they want.

Lee Woolery
Speedshot Action Photography


Lee...



Jun 13, 2008 at 07:12 PM
cocodrillo
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p.3 #16 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


Bill,

I hear what you're saying and have seen way too much of it. You'd probably cry if you saw what goes on in the media room at some major international sporting events. There are folk out there just a little too reliant on massive pixel-count slrs. Very sad if you're a full-frame junkie.

Sean



Jun 13, 2008 at 09:03 PM
pvhphoto
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p.3 #17 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


It's facinating how many people with kids in sports don't seem to know what's going on. Some pay a *lot* of money to register every year - but never learn the rules. Try these concepts out:

- The league or event organizers are in charge of pretty much *everything*. Images, video, safety, access, fans, officials, volunteers, players, food, services, medical, buildings, fields, parking. EVERYTHING. Not the vendors, not the photographer. Get it? Help run an event or league someday if you want to get some insight.

- Events may appear public, because it's a city facility or school. No, it's not that simple. It's all about money, liability, insurance, security, etc. The event organizers are in charge during the event, or have some authority sharing with the facilities and police.

- Photographers may be well informed, but are not in charge of anything. They may be able to help you out in many ways if you are nice to them

- The organizer can FORCE anybody at the event to stop doing ANYTHING they need to. They can empower the officials to do this, and call police to remove fans, parents, players. There's lots of grounds available. They can state that insurance doesn't cover this or that. If they ask you to leave and you do not, you are trespassing. Etc. A lot of effort goes into planning and executing most leagues and events, and the organizers need most of this authority to meet their responsibilities.

- Photographers are not in charge, even of photography. They negotiate (pay) for the permission to take and sell images of the event. The organization holds the rights. Take a look at that expensive player registration form, it likely contains at least one clause which is similar to a model release. That's right, the parent has signed over image rights of their kids to the organizers. They can post your kids's image on the internet, submit it to newspapers, and sell it to you for a profit.

- Haven't you bought any team logo clothing? Didn't you find it odd when the league limited you to buying it from an "offical supplier" at a higher price? That's beacuse the organizer has the rights to the team logo (or possibly Major League Baseball...) and they are counting on the percentage cut they get from the vendor.

- Yes, you pay for your child to participate, AND you sign away image rights, AND it's not a public event, and you pay extra to the league with every hotdog, AND you are not allowed or insured to do whatever you'd like to. That's how it is. That's what makes the wheels go round. If you don't like it, or can't figure it out, ask the organizer.

Oh heck, I give up



Jun 13, 2008 at 09:40 PM
butchM
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p.3 #18 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


I never ask nor require exclusivity. Ever. Live and let live. I don't appreciate it when I have to compete with parents selling prints, but life is too short to be caught up in a bunch of hoopla.

I just shot a HS baseball state playoff game last week where a father stood next to me and shot the entire game. We chatted throughout. He had a D300 and a the new Nikon 300 2.8 w/TC 1.7 (i think). Today I received quite a nice order from him. I was shooting a pair of D200s and 70-200 2.8 and a Sigma 120-300 2.8. There is room for everyone ... if you welcome them in.



Jun 13, 2008 at 10:31 PM
ftemoto
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p.3 #19 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


Was there a point in there?




Jun 13, 2008 at 10:36 PM
butchM
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p.3 #20 · Do you ask them to stop shooting?


ftemoto wrote:
Was there a point in there?



If you're asking me ? Yeah .... just because a DWC or MWC is there doesn't always equate to lost sales. Second of all, I'm more concerned about doing my job than worrying about who else is trying to take pictures.

Most often, those receiving free photos from a parent, more than likely were never going to buy in the first place. Those that really want a photo from the event will buy regardless.

In my example, even though I was the "official photographer" I could have asked for the father to be removed from the area he was shooting from. Technically, he was not allowed to be there. (not my rules, venue rules) I didn't ask. Instead we made small talk, compared notes, shared experiences, etc. One week later I received an order from him. If I had him booted, I don't think that would have happened. This wouldn't happen on every occasion, but I have always preferred to make fiends, not enemies.

There are some serious important issues for those of us in this business, alienating parents doesn't rank at the top of my list.



Jun 14, 2008 at 12:03 AM
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