Who Wins? Just pondering...

I've been reading a lot in this section lately, and I've started looking at everything from a different perspective (much like every movie I watched after starting OCF, I started trying to figure out how it was lit). I saw the paper the other day with the Photo of the Trevor Bayne crossing the finish line at the Daytona 500.

I was just curiuos, are these events typically covered by independent photogs, or do the large sanctions (Nascar, NFL, MLB etc), have photographers on the payroll that they use exclusively for photos (work for hire) so THEY (the sanctioning body) can license them to the large national publications and make the money?

Or, just the opposite, do the large publications send their own "work for hire" photographer to the events?

If they are covered by Independent photogs, is it usually the best photo that ends up in the paper, or is it all about who you know, just like the rest of the world? Or is it the guy that has his laptop and cellular broadband right there with him, and can get it to the publications the fastest?

A lot of times someone like Getty will "hire" a bunch of photographers and spread them out throughout the venue with an assigned zone. If they happen to get something good, they'll pay $50-$100 for the picture. This is a supplement to the primary getty photographer. Everything is covered that way.

Buchinger wrote in post #11904521
I've been reading a lot in this section lately, and I've started looking at everything from a different perspective (much like every movie I watched after starting OCF, I started trying to figure out how it was lit). I saw the paper the other day with the Photo of the Trevor Bayne crossing the finish line at the Daytona 500.

I was just curiuos, are these events typically covered by independent photogs, or do the large sanctions (Nascar, NFL, MLB etc), have photographers on the payroll that they use exclusively for photos (work for hire) so THEY (the sanctioning body) can license them to the large national publications and make the money?

Or, just the opposite, do the large publications send their own "work for hire" photographer to the events?

If they are covered by Independent photogs, is it usually the best photo that ends up in the paper, or is it all about who you know, just like the rest of the world? Or is it the guy that has his laptop and cellular broadband right there with him, and can get it to the publications the fastest?

IME its usually just whoever gets their picture in the fastest.

RobertMang wrote in post #11904558
A lot of times someone like Getty will "hire" a bunch of photographers and spread them out throughout the venue with an assigned zone. If they happen to get something good, they'll pay $50-$100 for the picture. This is a supplement to the primary getty photographer. Everything is covered that way.

At a race like Daytona you will have a couple of feed agencies with 1-10 people shooting under the model described above.

You will also have assignment/staff photographers from most major publications at the event as well. Sports Illustrated normally sends multiple people to events like this as they run a sport image feed component of their business.

At something like the Daytona 500 there are virtually no independents that will be shooting and competing for feed work unless there is something spectacular and "must see news" that is missed and they happen to have an exclusive image.

Most of the assignment photogs at events like this will have an assistant and there may even be an art director for the feed on site. They will constantly be downloading and then uploading images to the art director to send feed photos out to compete for licensing fees and to maintain subscriber expectations. Its typically 5-10 minutes from shoot to an image being published and sent out on a wire feed.

At smaller events like regular season sports there won't be as many feed and assignment workers, typically one or two per wire service then local media. Leagues like the NFL will have teams provide photographers as may credential an additional photographer as they now run a license/download image business service on their website.

If you want to try to "break" in to the field your best bet is to get picked up by a news outlet as the feed services will have deep rosters and you will end up far down the pecking order (its almost an only advance when someone retires or dies situation).