Craig Gillette wrote:
It's important to remember that an athletic field may be a "public" field, we have some fields shared by multiple schools in parks, others are on public school campuses but they aren't "public" in the sense a sidewalk is. The school or owner has the right to control access to their property. If you happen to live and work where there is a small population and limited "competition" for sidelines, the "best seat"' or the like, then that's a plus but that kind of access is a privilege and not a right. Likewise access or opportunity to take a picture doesn't mean that one has unlimited rights in what they can do with it. ...Show more →
+1 if you are on the sideline anywhere, you are a guest and should conduct yourself accordingly. If you are there for commercial reasons, no matter how low your prices are, it just makes good business sense to be up front and gain permission through proper channels.
As far as flash at HS football, in 30 years I have never had a player, coach, administrator or anyone else ever complain. I would very much prefer to shoot without flash, however, up until this year, my main venue had an ambient reading of 1/60 at f2.8 at ISO 6400 ... and that was in the brightest part of the field. Thank God they are building a new stadium.
You guys are all acting like there aren't written rules regarding flashes. As far as i know, most--if not every--state has a governing body for their high school athletics. They determine the rules.
In Illinois for example, you can refer to the rules regarding the state championship games (http://go.ihsa.org/files/media-notes/IHSA-Media_Football.pdf) in which it states that flash photography is allowed unless it becomes a problem in which case its up to the officials.
If you're that concerned, check with your governing body. If that is too much, ask the refs. Otherwise, the refs will let you know.
I've never shot a game without a flash...going on 5 seasons now.
Here's the quote from the lllinois rules to which Tim referred:
Spectator use of electronic lighting shall not be permitted. Authorized news media representatives, who have identified themselves to the host school principal (or designee) may be permitted to use electronic lighting equipment throughout the course of a given activity. Such electronic lighting can be either: 1) strobe lights mounted to fixed positions and/or 2) electronic attachments mounted to a camera.
Let me add my voice to the growing tumult: after well over a hundred events in the last several years where I have used either on-camera flash (football) or strobes on stands (most every other sport) I have never been told to stow the lights. Not once.
I'm with Scott - I wish someone would fund or do a study on this. But, I know a ton of folks who shoot HS sports and almost without exception (hey, some people still prefer tube stereos and LP's), they prefer to strobe where and when they can.
I've been at two events where photogs were asked to put their lights away. 1) 2007 IHSA individual wrestling finals by an overzealous and woefully misinformed official - no complaints by anyone - he just presumed. Took 15 seconds to convince him of the error of his ways (showed him the media guidelines) 2) Club volleyball when a coach on the opposite court complained about the direct flash of the guy sitting next to me.
Interestingly, parents are blasting away with their full power flashes at ISO 100-200 with their point and shoots at a flash duration of 1/500th, without comment, yet action photogs are shooting at 1/4 (or less) power, likely bounced, with durations of 1/1000th or much less and we are blinding them?
I flash anything I can, including volleyball and wrestling. I will use my experience with wrestling to debunk the "blinding" argument. I'm sitting matside with on-cameral flash at many meets (including state championships) and shooting at distances of as little as 10 feet. I've NEVER once had someone say they even notice it let alone be bothered by it. I didn't rely on the simple lack of comments - I actively asked the squad members about it. NOT ONE kid said they had noticed.
dmwierz wrote:
Here's the quote from the lllinois rules to which Tim referred:
Let me add my voice to the growing tumult: after well over a hundred events in the last several years where I have used either on-camera flash (football) or strobes on stands (most every other sport) I have never been told to stow the lights. Not once.
I'm with Scott - I wish someone would fund or do a study on this. But, I know a ton of folks who shoot HS sports and almost without exception (hey, some people still prefer tube stereos and LP's), they prefer to strobe where and when they can....Show more →
If i can expand on that expansion...
At one basketball tourney game i was setting up my alien bee's for the next game which i had to cover. This was at my old high school and the AD loves seeing me there. He knew i was there because i was always there.
I fired off a few test shots and during one of them the ref happened to look up at the strobe (they were set up on a suspended track). Since he couldn't see he had to stop play for a second. I felt bad but he wasn't upset, he didn't mind the strobes and knew it wasn't a problem if you aren't staring at the ceiling.
As i was walking by some fans afterwards this dad yelled at me because the lights were in his eyes. I told him i had permission from the IHSA, and the AD to use them and if the coaches had a problem they would say something. He responded that they 'couldn't see them' because they were above the benches. What he didn't realize (because you can't typically) is that there was a strobe above where he was sitting, pointed right at the bench.
To make a long story short, the Ref's didn't mind (i talked with them after the game) and the guy almost got himself kicked out because of the way he presented his problem to the AD.
The point: Get to know where your shooting. Get to know who you're shooting. Follow the rules. Generally speaking, the schools love the press coverage, especially photographers...
