Time to stop screwing around tim

[timmyquest]

The game was not of high profile as such i was the only photographer there. The game was a boring blowout, i got some cool action photos but if they (the paper) wanted those they would have sent their own photographer. But sometimes your the only person around to capture the most rare of moments, such as the image shown here. A team just got thier butts kicked, and they manage to come together on the football field.

And although it "shouldnt" be an issue, anyone who watched the game saw the cultural differences. The inner city all black team, a middle of nowhere nearly all white team...i dont think it's wrong to recgonize how cool this is.

Today i read the story and as you would imagine there was no photo to this game, but they very much made note of the actions after the game.

So why didnt i send it? I dont know how, the paper is probably printed rather quickly after the game, which ended at about 10:30. I'm gonna send the paper an email with this picture and my dilema, but they have their own staffers so...

Really what i'm asking, what is the best way to get the photos to them (which i'm sure is something they can help me) but also how much should i expect to get paid? What should i ask for? What should i expect? How does this typically work in general.



http://www.questphotos.com/football/game5/z8.jpg

[timmyquest]

I generally take the pictures for myself and the team, but sometimes at low profile games (such as the one this Friday) unique things happen, such as the two completely opposite teams kneeling on the 50 saying a prayer together. For anyone who stuck around to see it, it was quiet a moving thing. Todays story mentioned it but you guys (for good reason) sent your photographers to other games. I however captured this photo and after reading the story i thought that a photo of it would have made the story quiet a bit more moving (which in the end is often the goal yes?).

I didn't try to get the photo to you guys because I'm not sure exactly how you guys like to go about that, or if you even accept your photos from non-staffers. Please let me know how to go about this so this sort of thing doesn't nag at me all day anymore.

These are just a few shots of Fridays game in case your wondering what i can do...

http://www.questphotos.com/football/game5/z8.jpg

http://www.questphotos.com/football/game5/4.jpg

http://www.questphotos.com/football/game5/5.jpg

http://www.questphotos.com/football/game5/x4.jpg

Again, i dint know what you guys do for non-staffers but I'm sure if there is a photo you guys really feel you need then I'm sure your willing to pay for it. So let me know what to do to at least get the thing to you guys to make that decision.

-Tim Speciale

[tofuboy]

Just last night, I was thinking to myself about how to go about getting pictures published in a newspaper as a freelance photographer. Obviously pictures of this sort would need to get to them rather quickly so they can meet their printing deadline, but I too am curious what a newspapers process is for publishing photos... something to get my name out there and so I could say I was 'published' Let me know what your newspaper says... perhaps I iwll proposition my local paper if I can think of a good story idea :)

[ejwebb]

Tim,

Can you give some EXIF info on these - curious what your settings were. I have been experiemting with my daughter's vollyball games in a gym with poor light and can't seem to get it right. Thanks.

[vfilby]

Hey Tim,

I get paid $50CDN per photo -- usually all posed portraits, etc -- for editorial use. The pro's in the area charge anywhere between $80CDN - $100CDN. The only reason I get paid less is because I am counted as a student photographer.

That prices buys them the right to publish in their magazine as much as they want, but not outside the academic community. Also, they give me assignments, so it is kinda like I am part-time there. The only difference is I get paid per photo.

If I was selling exclusive rights to the photo I would certainly charge more. However, I think small editorial shots like this are within the range mentioned above.

Cheers,

[timmyquest]

Thanks for the feedback vfilby, thats about what i was expecting.

It has been brought to my attention that there are spelling errors in the letter i posted but iw anted to clearify that i spell checked it after i posted here and before i sent it to them ;-).

Tim,

Can you give some EXIF info on these - curious what your settings were. I have been experiemting with my daughter's vollyball games in a gym with poor light and can't seem to get it right. Thanks.

THat was shot at ISO 800 f/1.8 for 1/50.

[ejwebb]

thanks, Tim. Two more - what lens? what kind of settings for the action shots?

Thanks, agin!!

[timmyquest]

thanks, Tim. Two more - what lens? what kind of settings for the action shots?

Thanks, agin!!

the 1.8 shots are with my 50mm

Most of the action shots were with my 70-200 f/2.8 1/200-1/250 ISO 800+ with 550EX on ETTL

[vfilby]

Thanks for the feedback vfilby, thats about what i was expecting.

Glad you found it useful. I would love to hear other's opinions though, share 'em if you got 'em.

Cheers,

[timmyquest]

Thanks for the feedback vfilby, thats about what i was expecting.

Glad you found it useful. I would love to hear other's opinions though, share 'em if you got 'em.

Cheers,

I actually just got an interesting email from one of the photographers for our teeny paper. She said "i have a question please call me". So, i'll have to do that tomorrow. :shock:

[vfilby]

I actually just got an interesting email from one of the photographers for our teeny paper. She said "i have a question please call me". So, i'll have to do that tomorrow. :shock:

Cool, keep us posted!

[gmen]

Speak to the sports editor at the newspaper concerned.

All my first contacts with my local papers were either face to face or on the phone - e-mail is so easy these days that editors can become swamped with submissions and associated 'reading matter'. By all means follow up your call with an e-mail showing some examples of your work - but at least they'll be expecting it then.

Building relationships is the key to success in what we all know is a very, very competitive business - even more so in this digital age.

Be proactive, pick your events ahead of time and let the paper know where you're going to be shooting (making sure you're not going to tread on any toes) and offer to sumbit some pictures. Don't worry about a few knock-backs, you'll get there in the end. Make sure you hit any deadlines you're given, sumbit the pics in the required formats with good captions, keep the quality high and they'll use you again and again.

Editors are busy people and they'll frequently remind you of the fact! In fact, if I send my editor more than 5-6 shots from an everyday sports shoot, it's not long before I get a roasting!

The best of luck!

[timmyquest]

Great. Did you get a picture of Gary, In. and WHS praying together at
the end of last weeks game? I thought I might have seen you with your
50mm lens on at that time and so assume you were able to get the whole
group in. I, on the other hand, did take a picture, but had my 80 -200
on and it's really tight. Also, from my angle (I think you were 90
degrees from me), as I look at my picture, one of the coaches, with his
backside to me, appears to have a dirty spot on his pants, in a not so
flattering place. Anyway, to make this short, Mr. VanFleet would like
4 copies of that photo. I looked on your website, and couldn't find
it. Let me know.
cindy.


Ok, so not quiet what i was hoping for, but close.

Now i have another dilema on my hand as this is the school asking for the photos. Obviously they'd pay me for the costs of the prints but...then what :roll: