rude photographers & getting position on the sidelines

I was shooting a high school football game last night and there was a woman there who was shooting the game as well (I think a mom) & everywhere I would move to position myself, she would go to the same spot, about 2 or 3 feet closer to the line of scrimmage, and about 1 foot in front of me. I'm sure she wasn't intentially doing this, but it was beyond annoying. Finally, after the 4th or 5th time she positioned herself in this manner, I politely asked her not to do this and you would have thought I called her ugly & fat. I've never had someone do this to this degree, do others have this problem often when shooting the sidelines?

No. Never had an issue like that in my area.

I would have just kicked her...
I'm guessing she saw your 1DIV and 300 f2.8 and decided "well this guy obviously knows what he's doing.... I'll just do what he does..."

I've never been to a HS game where there were more than 3-4 photographers including the yearbook staff, so there's plenty of room. If it became an access issue, at some point I would have cut her off, and let her see the problem she was creating. In NCAA and NFL you're shoulder to shoulder all the time, so just you get accustomed to it.

The field doesn't have a painted line nobody can pass?

You should have called her ugly & fat instead. It probably would have been much more gratifying.

whuband wrote in post #13395011
In NCAA and NFL you're shoulder to shoulder all the time, so just you get accustomed to it.

Yep, sardine canned on the sideline is usually fun. There is enough respect among professionals that you respect the sideline marker so everyone gets an angle when you line up nicely.

whuband wrote in post #13395011
I've never been to a HS game where there were more than 3-4 photographers including the yearbook staff...

Exactly why it was so frustrating. I didn't care that she was in the same area, just that she kept standing directly in front of me.

Cozmocha wrote in post #13397761
The field doesn't have a painted line nobody can pass?

It does, although like most fields, it stops at the 30 I believe, but of course the line is to be honored by photographers regardless. She didn't seem to care whether there was a line there or not. I don't think she was that impressed with my equipment either because she was shooting with what looked like a 1DIII & an older, 300 2.8 non-is.

LiberationFrequency wrote in post #13397957
Yep, sardine canned on the sideline is usually fun. There is enough respect among professionals that you respect the sideline marker so everyone gets an angle when you line up nicely.

If only. It's not the guys with the 300s and 400s on monopods, but at the college games I shoot, lots of people creep over the line, and get in my line.

dankopp wrote in post #13405570
If only. It's not the guys with the 300s and 400s on monopods, but at the college games I shoot, lots of people creep over the line, and get in my line.

Homecoming and senior day... love all the people wandering around with their iPhones. That was sarcasm, btw.

LiberationFrequency wrote in post #13408562
Homecoming and senior day... love all the people wandering around with their iPhones. That was sarcasm, btw.

Sorry, I didn't pick up the sarcasm.

dankopp wrote in post #13409048
Sorry, I didn't pick up the sarcasm.

I meant sarcasm on the last post about homecoming haha

I dont have many NCAA games under my belt really, but all the togs/video guys usually watch out for the most part. The only times I ever ran into a problem is when there is action and photogs run in front of me while Im shooting video. Understandable sometimes, but it has ruined what otherwise would have been great clips for me before.

I have never had that problem. the only games i shot where there was another photographer that person was always on the other side of the field from me and generally no where near the action for most of the game. i was also shooting into the sun and this person was shooting with the sun to her side which honestly doesnt make for the best picture i think. but thats just me. also she was using the smallest camera i think i have ever seen before with a 70-200 on a monopod.

I would never choose to shoot into the sun if I had a choice. I'd take any other angle possible...

ewheeler20 wrote in post #13419390
I would never choose to shoot into the sun if I had a choice. I'd take any other angle possible...

If you've never tried it, give it a shot... when the sun is very harsh, it can give the best results... removes the shadows from the players' faces. Or more accurately, puts the entire face equally in the shadow. So all you have to do is crank up some EC and expose for the face.

Blows out the background (which is fine, especially if it's cluttered anyways), but you get some great depth by using the sun as a backlight or rim light.