KennyG
27th of June 2005 (Mon), 17:29
I get asked at least once a week how to break into professional motorsport photography. Rather than go through the 'what is a pro' or 'how to run a pro photography business' things again, I thought I would look at the result rather than the means.
The end result is a picture that you want to sell to a client, be it business or individual, or a publication. Let's simply call it - the customer. I am using my own subject as an example, but the basic 'rules' are the same.
You can look at the collection of images sitting on your hard drive and I bet you can pick out some technically almost perfect shots. Everything is just right, even the WB is spot on and you could shave on the sharpness of the image. Why is is still sitting on your hard drive and not hanging on someone's wall, in a customer's photo album or splashed across the centre pages of a magazine. Simply, do they want it?
A lot of photographers don't stop and think about the desireability of a picture. What may be a good technical shot to you may not excite a viewer enough to make them want to buy it. Some of this comes down to not asking or researching what your customers want. There is no use (as in my case) in having the best shot possible of the car that came second when the publication want to report on the car that won. I would personally prefer a picture of Jennifer Aniston to one of Brad Pitt (or just about anyone actually). You get the point.
You can sell a thirsty man a bottle of water much easier than a packet of crackers because that is what he needs and wants. A professional photographer knows what his customer(s) wants and that is what he delivers. Quality is only an issue if that is what the customer wants, and to be honest quality is an issue to most.
To my subject and what seperates the men from the boys. Forget 'shoot first, ask afterwards' and spend more time asking potential customers what they want. Once you have figured that out, then work out how to deliver what they want. In motorsport, and most other sports, the interest is in the winners or something that is newsworthy. In a 12 race program I can deliver pictures to publishers of the winners of each and every race on their last laps, no later than 4 hours after the meeting. That is what they want and what they get. Some like to see the driver acknowledging his race win with a raised hand and in most cases I can oblige, but I am very much in the 'hands' of the driver, and it isn't always possible. My customers also ask for certain types of shot from 'show some action' to 'the pack into turn one'. Knowing how to take the shot to deliver the requests is what makes a pro in my busniness, as you only have one chance at it. Failure is not an option.
Do I take other shots? Bet your bottom dollar I do. Just because I have an assignment does not mean I shouldn't take pictures for other purposes. Even the driver that comes last still likes to see pictures of himself. Ah, hang on, same rules, demand from customer and photographer to meet same. It is still better to ask what type of shot he would like before a race than trying to sell him what you have decided is the right one. Not always possible so you rely on experience.
I was asked in a post in the sports forum if I took pan shots. Yes, I do, if that's what the customer wants. Pan shots have problems. Because race cars are longer than they are wide, a pan shot ends up with 70 percent blurred scenery, 30 percent car and after you have seen one, you have seen them all. Magazines rarely publish them unless that is all they can get of a particular subject, but sponsors with logos on the sides of cars love them. So, if you want to sell pan shots, make sure your audience is a sponsor with side logos.
To finish, lets answer the question posed - What is a picture from a pro? It is a picture that a customer wants, delivered on time and of the quality he expects. If you know what and when, then if you have the talent to answer the how, you may get somewhere. Don't reverse the order and offer what you think he wants, it probably isn't.
The end result is a picture that you want to sell to a client, be it business or individual, or a publication. Let's simply call it - the customer. I am using my own subject as an example, but the basic 'rules' are the same.
You can look at the collection of images sitting on your hard drive and I bet you can pick out some technically almost perfect shots. Everything is just right, even the WB is spot on and you could shave on the sharpness of the image. Why is is still sitting on your hard drive and not hanging on someone's wall, in a customer's photo album or splashed across the centre pages of a magazine. Simply, do they want it?
A lot of photographers don't stop and think about the desireability of a picture. What may be a good technical shot to you may not excite a viewer enough to make them want to buy it. Some of this comes down to not asking or researching what your customers want. There is no use (as in my case) in having the best shot possible of the car that came second when the publication want to report on the car that won. I would personally prefer a picture of Jennifer Aniston to one of Brad Pitt (or just about anyone actually). You get the point.
You can sell a thirsty man a bottle of water much easier than a packet of crackers because that is what he needs and wants. A professional photographer knows what his customer(s) wants and that is what he delivers. Quality is only an issue if that is what the customer wants, and to be honest quality is an issue to most.
To my subject and what seperates the men from the boys. Forget 'shoot first, ask afterwards' and spend more time asking potential customers what they want. Once you have figured that out, then work out how to deliver what they want. In motorsport, and most other sports, the interest is in the winners or something that is newsworthy. In a 12 race program I can deliver pictures to publishers of the winners of each and every race on their last laps, no later than 4 hours after the meeting. That is what they want and what they get. Some like to see the driver acknowledging his race win with a raised hand and in most cases I can oblige, but I am very much in the 'hands' of the driver, and it isn't always possible. My customers also ask for certain types of shot from 'show some action' to 'the pack into turn one'. Knowing how to take the shot to deliver the requests is what makes a pro in my busniness, as you only have one chance at it. Failure is not an option.
Do I take other shots? Bet your bottom dollar I do. Just because I have an assignment does not mean I shouldn't take pictures for other purposes. Even the driver that comes last still likes to see pictures of himself. Ah, hang on, same rules, demand from customer and photographer to meet same. It is still better to ask what type of shot he would like before a race than trying to sell him what you have decided is the right one. Not always possible so you rely on experience.
I was asked in a post in the sports forum if I took pan shots. Yes, I do, if that's what the customer wants. Pan shots have problems. Because race cars are longer than they are wide, a pan shot ends up with 70 percent blurred scenery, 30 percent car and after you have seen one, you have seen them all. Magazines rarely publish them unless that is all they can get of a particular subject, but sponsors with logos on the sides of cars love them. So, if you want to sell pan shots, make sure your audience is a sponsor with side logos.
To finish, lets answer the question posed - What is a picture from a pro? It is a picture that a customer wants, delivered on time and of the quality he expects. If you know what and when, then if you have the talent to answer the how, you may get somewhere. Don't reverse the order and offer what you think he wants, it probably isn't.