One perk of Track & Field Photography

[Jeff Mims]

is I get some time between events to chat with other photographers. I got to talk with some who were covering for their schools and newspapers this past week.
One lady told me she'd had a similar experience as I did last year. Someone had complained about not getting action shots of their kid in the newspaper.
I actually had the softball coach ask me about this. The parents had come to her. I explained, I submitted several shots each week, including shots of this particular player. It was not up to me, as to which shots the newspaper used.

Just a side note. The year before I started covering softball, there were rarely softball photos in the local newspaper. I think they covered..one game a year.
Some folks are never happy.

 

[eng45ine]

I too have had some interesting chats with photogs at sporting events. Unfortunately, not all are as social as I. Some are exceptionally tight-lipped about what they are doing and who they are doing it for. I just smile and walk away.

 

[Jeff Mims]

I guess I have another perk to living in a small town, with a small newspaper. All of us are amateurs shooting highschool sports. Now playoffs, and state championships are different. There are many photographers there who see me as competition, and will barely speak..if at all.
OTOH, I met a guy at some of the big games, that was as nice a gentleman as I've ever met. He didnt' seem bothered at all that I was there.

 

[Flash]

I have been shooting for a small town paper for 7 years since moving from Orlando and the Orlando Sentinel. The other day I was pretty much uncermoniously removed as head Sports photographer. I know it is pretty much over $$. Newspapers are struggling and if they can find someone to write and snap a few images, they are content. Of course the local kids and parents are pizzed. Before I got here they saw very little to no action shots. In the editorial page the new head editor stated she was taking the newspaper in a new and better direction. Better stories and better photography.
So the new guy shows up and snaps a shot of our High School 3rd baseman and as his caption stated, "Kory Hanchar, waits for action".

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Early in the month, I supplied them with this shot of the same 3rd baseman.

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You decide. :Confused:

 

[Gale]

Not much of a contest there.
Sorry to hear this

 

[Flash]

Thanks Gale. I think I pizzed the new head editor off alittle. Awhile back she had asked me to up my resolution on my camera, that 72 dpi is too little. I explained my D50 was a 6 meg camera and she had more than enough resolution. She was seeing some noise from extreme night shots and she wanted me to up the DPI to 200. I told her that's her job, being the printer. I could do it of course, but in this small country town, dial-up still exist and the newspapers in box only holds 5 meg. Heck they have ran shots I sent in before she arrived and I was using an Olympus C-700 and 740. Those are 2 and 3 meg cameras. I then sent her a link to understanding DPI and PPI.....of course, she never responded. :biggrin: She is a delegating type boss. You do the work, she goes home I am only a stringer, so it doesn't much care, but I do know my fans at the High School and their parents plan to protest.

 

[Jeff Mims]

In today's (Sunday) paper, they used two of my track photos, but no photo credit. This was a first.
I've been through something similar as you, except mine was with football. The lesser images got published. I still don't know why. I just didn't worry about it.
I sent in some track and field photos, and to my surprise they used them. I've even got emails, requesting more, if I was attending the track meet. I guess, that's a good thing.:smile: I'm going ..anyway.
I just hope I don't hear complaints about how somebody's kid never gets their photo in the paper. It's not up to me. I take as many shots as I can, delete hundreds, and try to only submit decent shots, that are good technically, but also doesn't make their kid look bad or silly.
Previous to this year, the local had not been publishing track photos, other than an occasional running shot. (no long jumps/pole vaults..etc)
But somewhere..someone is probably complaining.:smile:

 

[Flash]

Jeff, I just celebrated my 35th year of newspaper work. My wife retired with 35 years over 6 years ago. Kinda ironic, seems like a good all around number if my time has come to hang it up. I will continue to shoot Little League and the coaches from the High School are still going to allow me on the field. At any rate I can continue to add to my website and hopefully with some complaints or the new guy realizing he cannot do it all, they might call me back.