How do i get on the otherside of the fence ?

[Alan B]

(sorry if this is in the wrong section of the forum)

Last year i did alot of Motorsport photography at a local race track(track days and main race events)and plan to do loads more this year(sold my old cam gear and going to be using my new 20D:cool: ).

While walking round the track i always see other photographers on the otherside of the fence,but behind the tyre wall.

What i want to know is how or what do i have to do,to get to go where they are aloud to go.To get the best angled shots.

Alan

[spoolin_photography]

Go to the track office and see if you can get a media pass, if they say no, go have a talk so some of the teams racing there and ask if you can do a photo shoot of there car during racing, once you have done and arranged this go back to the race office and tell them that you are taking photos fro car X can I get a media pass, this will most often work if its for a club event

But if its for a major race you will need credentials

[Vegas Poboy]

Go to the track office and see if you can get a media pass, if they say no, go have a talk so some of the teams racing there and ask if you can do a photo shoot of there car during racing, once you have done and arranged this go back to the race office and tell them that you are taking photos fro car X can I get a media pass, this will most often work if its for a club event

But if its for a major race you will need credentials

Ditto, that is what I did in the past

[KennyG]

Alan, I guess you are UK based, in which case the rules and approach is a bit different to US circuits.

We 'other side of the fence' photographers have media accreditation. This comes from a publication, such as one of the motorsport magazines, and is agreed directly the circuit. Without this you can not even get on the first rung. Knocking on the door of the press office and asking for a pass does not work and in my view it shouldn't, even for club events (where pros make most of their income believe it or not).

Some circuits (or group of, in the case of MSV), will insist on seeing previously published work.

Most circuits demand you have at least £5m of public liability insurance.

MSV, who own a number of circuits, including Brands, are very tough when it comes to issuing passes. Even small circuits like Knockhill have seriously clamped down on media access. Mallory has an exclusive arrangement with one photographer. There are no 'one rule fits all' agreements.

You really should start working from the outside of the fence and getting some shots published by submitting them to the likes of Autosport or Motorsport News. Just be aware, they publish what is newsworthy, not necessarily technically good pictures. If you are good enough, then you can get the support of a publicaton to get your accreditation.

Understand that those of us on the other side of the fence are working photographers and are there for a reason.

[Littlenose]

Cheers for the insight on this guys... i plan on trying to get to a few race meetings this summer. :D

[Alan B]

Thanks alot KennyG

I sort of new insurance would be part of the reason.

I think what i'll do is next time i'm at the track,is to have a talk to one or two of the photographers there and see what i need to do(for that place).

Thanks once again for the reply's :cool:

Alan

[IndyJeff]

Alan while photographers may be able to tell you, they may not give you all the correct info. The track should have a media relations office or credential office. Start there. If you can find a local paper or one nearby they may be able to get you credentials.

Then again your on Kenny's side of the pond and he knows which way the winds blow over there. Right Kenny? LOL

[KennyG]

Jeff, a problem in the UK is we have a lot of race circuits each with their own set of rules. The basic they all have is a requirement for accreditation from a known publication or media organisation such as a TV or video production company. One organisation owns four UK circuits, including the second largest and they absolutely insist on public liability insurance cover, even if you have a pocket full of accreditation letters. Another wants to see a published picture taken at their circuit, and so on.

Alan, write to the circuit in question in Februrary asking them for a media application form and see what they require for 2005 in detail. If you have any issues with that circuit then PM me.

[IndyJeff]

LOL Kenny, they want to see a picture published form their track? How does one get a picture published if one doesn't have access to get a shot good enough to get published? I guess there is always a 500 mirror lens huh?

Man it is a lot easier over here. The smaller the track the better. Now you don't stand a chance of shooting a NASCAR or IRL race unless your working for someone, either a team or a publication or wire service. Last year a guy who has a web based racing news service couldn't get credentials for the Indy 500, and he knew the guy who had the final say in it.
On the other hand, I have just walked up to IRP and Putnam Park and been credentialed on spec. I think IRP is a little more strict now. The last few times I shot there I was working for someone.

As far as insurance I have only been asked about liability and workmens comp insurance at one track, Kansas Motor Speedway. Of course you sign papers at everyother track releasing them from any liability in case you are injured while covering the race.

[Alan B]

Yeah i was going to email the people that run the track(which is castle combe)and ask them what are the requirments to have for the access.I'm expeting to get the same thing you have wrote about.I got to start somewhere so why not now.

I'll let you know what i get back.

Regards Alan

ps.KennyG what motorsport do you cover ?,and what did you have to do to get into the job of doing motorsport photography(i'd love to one day do this myself)........(or am i dreaming:rolleyes: :confused: :) )

[KennyG]

Alan, I do everything but F1. The last GP I shot was four years ago and I swore it would be my last. Silverstone is bad enough at the best of times, but when the GP is on it is a nightmare. I did a lot of garage and pit lane work on the Saturday which I must say was OK. But now, it is my day off.

For the rest, BTCC, F3/GT, Britcar, Legends, lots of 1 make series, club events, tarmac rallies, hillclimbs (less than 10 minutes from Harewood) and motorbikes. I do around 45 days a year trackside (50 in 2004).

I am accredited by two magazines and I also do work for some of the series. I have been doing this since 1978, basically from when Canon launched the A1. Prior to that I did rallies with a Leica and good old B&W film. Oh god, I'm old..... :confused:

Nothing wrong with dreaming or aiming high. We all had to start somewhere. CC is a small and friendly circuit and may be a bit more flexible than the others.

Jeff, we have a lot of circuits where you can get great shots from the spectator areas - Oulton Park, Croft, Anglesey, Snetterton, and so on. Good enough to get your pictures published. I took this last year from a spectator spot when I was helping a friend set up his new system. It is fairly typical of what you can get from a lot of UK circuits, plus I had it published. Car isn't bad either.

http://www.motorpix.co.uk/misc/spec.jpg

[Alan B]

Thanks for the insite Kenny :cool:

I attended loads of "trackday" days a CC and took loads of shots.I did go to a couple of F1 testdays at silverstone(which was very good).And after getting a new 20D plan to travel to loads more tracks.

Heres some i've taken(with a S7000 finepix - now sold)
http://blackteg.modjunkies.com/albums/Photography/pic61.jpg

http://blackteg.modjunkies.com/albums/Photography/shot22.jpg

http://blackteg.modjunkies.com/albums/Photography/shot61.jpg

http://blackteg.modjunkies.com/albums/Photography/pic73.jpg

Cant wait to get out there with the canon :cool:

Thanks again Kenny

Alan

[IndyJeff]

LOL No wonder credentialed photographers have to have insurance Kenny, if that was shot from a spectator position. Where was the credential line, along the yellow stripe at trackside LOL.

I was kind of amazed when F-1 came here. We were told they only allow 10 credentials per country. AP, which gets something in the nieghborhood of 100 credentials for the 500, got 2 for F-1. They (AP) asked that if we were attending and bringing the camera, get setup near a turn and if anything happens, rush it to the office for a look. Same pay as if we were credentialed, well except you had to pay your own way in.
I think the F-1 empire is about to crumble tho. Maybe in the future the new sanctioning body will see the value of more photographers covering the racing action.

[PeterTaylor]

Its not all sweet and smelling of roses when you get there

IndyJeff, I certainly hope so.

One of the main reasons that I stopped photographing F1 (the few I have done in the UK) was the same as IndyJeff was talking about, the number of press/media passes available to non FIA F1 permeate pass holder gets less each year.

Also race meetings in the UK had this ever-increasing criteria for the issue of a press/media pass, weather that was for a circuit like Silverstone or BHL Group (as it was). Even Media credential issued by the UK sports governing body the RAC, which gets harder to get each year, did not always help with some of the circuits (although it should). I know if you hold one of these you will still need a letter of accreditation for specific meetings.

Like KennyG I have covered most forms of motorsport in the UK at same time especially the British rally championship, which if you know the forest’s well enough you do not really need a press/media pass (except say the British round of the WRC). I have worked for Manufactures, Teams, Sponsors, and UK Agencies/Picture Libraries, European News Picture agencies (based in Paris). Each year it gets harder one year we needed to have I think it was 10 images published from a circuit to stand a chance of getting a pass the next year, that was increased the next year to 12 or 14. Also some publications don’t count or did not at that time. For example you could supply copies of images to the circuit for use in their own publications but this does not count to wards to number published, if they use them.

That’s one of the reasons I preferred rallying to circuit racing, and also one of the reasons that I went to work in Germany for a few years covering the German Touring cars etc, life was a little easier over there. The other reason for leaving the UK was one of the circuits/press officer in the UK just does not like issuing me with a press/media pass. It was a few years back now when I was working on the BTCC (British Touring Cars). I was working for a manufacture, that is to say the main parent company based over seas, and not the UK subsidiary that were running the cars. The UK subsidiary had organised their own photographer, which was not a problem as most of my work was going to be used overseas anyway. I had all the letters of accreditation for the series all the races were listed, as were the test dates. I applied for a RAC media credential on the back of this and along with some magazine work I was doing. This was accepted by them, so same application along with the RAC media credential went to all of the circuits in the series. All but one accepted this as enough evidence that I was a serious photographer who was genuinely working on the series. This particular circuit made me apply for each meeting and test day separately at least 14 days in advance.

Now I am back in the UK and taking a sabbatical from my Motorsport photography.

Am I a professional photographer, well yes I am, and I am a member of the British Institute of Professional Photographers and hold the Licentiateship (LBIPP) qualification with them. Was photography my main form of income yes it was, with 80% coming from motorsport at the time.

So good luck to anyone starting out now, I have been there, done that, got the tea shirt, etc.

Is the grass greener on the other side of the fence?

Sorry for the rambling rant.

[KennyG]

One of the main reasons that I stopped photographing F1 (the few I have done in the UK) was the same as IndyJeff was talking about, the number of press/media passes available to non FIA F1 permeate pass holder gets less each year.
The last one I did Peter was commissioned by one of the teams and even that was a nightmare to get organised. At least they did all the running around, not me. I just couldn't stand the politics involved either and I think it may be getting worse.

Is the grass greener on the other side of the fence?
More like mud to be honest Peter.

Some circuits are a delight to work at, Oulton Park for example, which is by far my favourite in the UK. MSV have done a good job in 2004 and it looks even better for 2005. I just wish the clubs would sort out the championships, too many, too similar and too southern based.

[PeterTaylor]

I agree about Oulton Park, it’s my local circuit after Aintree!

I have worked at Oulton Park on and off for a few years, back in the 1990’s, when I was not at a BTCC meeting or a rally or even in Germany I was at Oulton Park. I really like the place it is so friendly and some what more relaxed than most circuit, yet that are completely on the ball when it comes to getting things done correctly. That is what I like about a circuit.

Do I miss the motorsport? Well yes I do to some extent. But I do not miss the politics? NO NO NO.

I have to agree with you on the championships as well, if there are too many of the same then sponsorship money will dry up, less team’s racing means less work.

When you are next at Outlton Park say hallo to Steve Jones if he is still Press officer.

Peter