i need to know from where do i need to start to be a freelance sports photographer. Lets say six months down the line a major athletic event will start. I want to be able to photograph and then sell my pics. how do i go about this from scratch.
thanks
rosarioc62 wrote:
i need to know from where do i need to start to be a freelance sports photographer. Lets say six months down the line a major athletic event will start. I want to be able to photograph and then sell my pics. how do i go about this from scratch.
thanks
Typically you need to put together a portfolio of your work and submit to whoever would hire you. If you want to cover as a journalist, you will need to get hired by a news outlet and have them apply for your press credentials. But they may own the rights to your pics as their employee and limit your ability to sell them. If you only want to shoot with intent to sell, you will probably have to get hired by the event's stakeholder and split the proceeds of any sales.
rosarioc62 wrote:
Thank you sir
Fyi.... When you reply to someone click the "quote" tag and we can tell who you're responding to.
tshift
Loc: Overland Park, KS.
rosarioc62 wrote:
i need to know from where do i need to start to be a freelance sports photographer. Lets say six months down the line a major athletic event will start. I want to be able to photograph and then sell my pics. how do i go about this from scratch.
thanks
This is a tough thing to accomplish. Sport photography is one of the hardest things to get into. Takes a ton of time and practice to just get started. You will need to know the sports you are shooting number one to be able to know when to take shots, and where to be looking for those shots. Cropping in camera, focus, composition, shooting tight shots, etc. If you are talking professional or college sports (hard to get into) if for high school, get to know coaches, school athletic administrators etc. if you can. The more connections you can get the better. Takes time. There are quite a few on the Hog sports that know what they are doing and most are willing to give advise and help with shooting sports. These are nice knowledgeable people. I won't give the names but go onto the sport topics and they will offer help. Good luck and don't get discouraged as it takes awhile and crappy shots are how you learn and benefit from them. Thanks and BE SAFE!
tshift wrote:
This is a tough thing to accomplish. Sport photography is one of the hardest things to get into. Takes a ton of time and practice to just get started. You will need to know the sports you are shooting number one to be able to know when to take shots, and where to be looking for those shots. Cropping in camera, focus, composition, shooting tight shots, etc. If you are talking professional or college sports (hard to get into) if for high school, get to know coaches, school athletic administrators etc. if you can. The more connections you can get the better. Takes time. There are quite a few on the Hog sports that know what they are doing and most are willing to give advise and help with shooting sports. These are nice knowledgeable people. I won't give the names but go onto the sport topics and they will offer help. Good luck and don't get discouraged as it takes awhile and crappy shots are how you learn and benefit from them. Thanks and BE SAFE!
This is a tough thing to accomplish. Sport photogr... (
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Superb advice..I won't get discouraged. Thanks a million.
Having been photographing sporting events all over the country for 45yrs I can tell you what you want to do is not easy and most likely never gonna happen!
For one you have to be affiliated with some credible organization that the event organizers you want to attend recognize! Then it is almost ALWAYS forbidden for you to sell photos from a sporting event like that!
You getting into an event is not even the hardest thing for you to consider! You will be shooting next to pros with upwards of $20,000 in one camera/lens combo!
If you don’t have the equipment, knowledge of the sport AND experience shooting said sport, unless “THE” shot just so happens to fall into your lap, you wont be getting anything worthy of note and certainly not worthy of selling!
When I go to a NC college game for instance you have to submit your request and be approved two months in advance (IF the team(s) you are covering even make the cut), have a photo on file, pass a background check and be affiliated with a known and approved organization! IF you’re approved AND the team(s) you’re affiliated with make it to the game, you go! When you pick-up your credentials your photo on file must match your photo that they take on site! When you go to the event, you go 6 to 8 hours BEFORE the event to check-in. Go though multiple check points and do that each and every time you enter and exit the field…
I know you didn’t ask about all this but I’m just trying to point out that shooting ANY major sporting event now is really hard, not like even 20yrs ago and harder if your just starting to get your feet wet!
Just start out with jr high/ HS stuff. Perfect that, then if your good enough and your photos stand out from all the others try to go to a small college sporting event to see how that works out!
Starphotog wrote:
Having been photographing sporting events all over the country for 45yrs I can tell you what you want to do is not easy and most likely never gonna happen!
For one you have to be affiliated with some credible organization that the event organizers you want to attend recognize! Then it is almost ALWAYS forbidden for you to sell photos from a sporting event like that!
You getting into an event is not even the hardest thing for you to consider! You will be shooting next to pros with upwards of $20,000 in one camera/lens combo!
If you don’t have the equipment, knowledge of the sport AND experience shooting said sport, unless “THE” shot just so happens to fall into your lap, you wont be getting anything worthy of note and certainly not worthy of selling!
When I go to a NC college game for instance you have to submit your request and be approved two months in advance (IF the team(s) you are covering even make the cut), have a photo on file, pass a background check and be affiliated with a known and approved organization! IF you’re approved AND the team(s) you’re affiliated with make it to the game, you go! When you pick-up your credentials your photo on file must match your photo that they take on site! When you go to the event, you go 6 to 8 hours BEFORE the event to check-in. Go though multiple check points and do that each and every time you enter and exit the field…
I know you didn’t ask about all this but I’m just trying to point out that shooting ANY major sporting event now is really hard, not like even 20yrs ago and harder if your just starting to get your feet wet!
Just start out with jr high/ HS stuff. Perfect that, then if your good enough and your photos stand out from all the others try to go to a small college sporting event to see how that works out!
Having been photographing sporting events all over... (
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Wow! Thanks for all this info.
Best place to start is probably at the high school level. I mostly photograph my kids’ sports activities, but will take photos at the football games purely for my own enjoyment. Build up a portfolio, make some contacts (I see local photojournalists at the game, but they always leave at halftime), build a network and work your way up. Some people do sell photos from these events, though I do not. I post them to my website and allow students and parents to download for free.
Starphotog’s advice is helpful and disheartening at the same time, but if you really want to get into sports photography, this is how I would start.
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