sports photography jobs?

Hi Guys.

I recently put a post up on a facebook group asking how I approach newspapers etc to try and get some paid work, Or, sell some prints.
as usual Football seems to be the standard for getting into publications.. one of the people posted the following

"Before you contact an agency or someone who can put you on their DataCo licence ask yourself if you have the right equipment ie 2 pro bodies 70-200 a 300mm or 400mm 2.8. Can you shoot live, that is cover a game edit and Ftp your pictures constantly throughout the game after every goal or major incident with correct captions. Because that’s what an agency will ask of you. Say yes to that then go for it"

I realise there is a lot of snobbery in Photography, but usually it's the quality of the image that counts? where would the average Joe Bloggs get £10-20k of gear other than a shed load of debt?

none yet... was just a post on a facebook page, got my 1st rugby match cover on Saturday.

to be frank, IF given a magic wand i'd be covering motorsport (have done that in the past and been published) other sports would be something I could do as a 2nd option? hence my post on FB.

https://engagesportmod​e.com …ngram-takes-on-hillclimb/

No, when it comes to getting paid it isn't usually the quality of the image that counts, it's about the quality of your business ability. Your ability to market yourself and convince someone that you are worth paying.

Is it snobbery to expect a professional to have the necessary tools for the job? No. The counter-point however is that you don't have to start at the top flight, with the top flight kit - in fact you wouldn't be able to because you don't get to the top flight without extensive experience and a great portfolio/publication track record.

So the real answer to your question is a question. What exactly do you mean by "paid work"? Are you talking about a local newspaper/covering the local college or are you thinking of the major leagues for a international newswire? For the former you can get away with lesser gear, for the latter you need 2.8 primes and a lot of skill to churn out usable images week in week out come rain or shine.

Also don't forget that buying a 2.3 300mm doesn't mean it has to be new. Older lenses may be heavier/larger but the IQ is the same.

as said above, my dream would be to cover Motorsport, I spoke to a well known British photographer last night who told me there's almost no point trying to do it over here in the UK, s there simply is no budget fr photographers. I'd be happy to start covering events for local papers etc, I have contacted a few and recieved no reply.

I am covering a local rugby match this weekend as a start, they want pictures, and I want to build a portfolio up, I am not getting paid but it's a mile from my house so not a problem really.

Simply sending images is a waste of time because the layout of the sports pages will already be set. They know what games they are covering and who is covering them. They don't need extra images that just arrive unannounced and for which they have no one assigned to write words.

If you are going to go to the bother of shooting a game at least go the the bother of maximising the chance that they will be used. Phone the editor in advance. Tell them you are shooting the game and ask if they would like images? Better yet offer to send a match report along with the images. This also has the advantage that you will know what their deadline is.

70-200 yes, but the big fast white teles aren't required for all sports, a 1.4x TC will help, as well a high res body like a 5d4. Make sure your second body is an APSC as well like the 90d which extends the use of lenses and has even more pixel density.

Indoors, I use 70-200 and 24-70 for wide stadium views, and sometimes will pull out 1.4x III to get an equivalent 300 f4. If lighting is good, I will use the 100-400II also with the 1.4xIII as needed. With a good high ISO managed camera, this setup works. If you want thinner DOF and washed out details behind the players, and/or you want lower ISOs due to unmanageable noise, then yes, you will want faster versions of the longer focal lengths, which adds quite a bit of cost.

The 5D4 has a full web service support within it, you hook the 5D4 up and select your web transfer service, set up your login credentials, like Google Drive, for example, and then later, you can turn on wifi on the 5D4, connect to your phone, and then select which images get transferred. This is how I am able to send the better images to the social media team during a game as they keep fans updated in a fairly real-time situation. I create a Google Drive folder and share the link with the folks beforehand so they just have to refresh the page in their browser to pull images locally to their station. I just have to remember to clean out the folder before the start of each game.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18956090
70-200 yes, but the big fast white teles aren't required for all sports, a 1.4x TC will help, as well a high res body like a 5d4. Make sure your second body is an APSC as well like the 90d which extends the use of lenses and has even more pixel density.

Indoors, I use 70-200 and 24-70 for wide stadium views, and sometimes will pull out 1.4x III to get an equivalent 300 f4. If lighting is good, I will use the 100-400II also with the 1.4xIII as needed. With a good high ISO managed camera, this setup works. If you want thinner DOF and washed out details behind the players, and/or you want lower ISOs due to unmanageable noise, then yes, you will want faster versions of the longer focal lengths, which adds quite a bit of cost.

The 5D4 has a full web service support within it, you hook the 5D4 up and select your web transfer service, set up your login credentials, like Google Drive, for example, and then later, you can turn on wifi on the 5D4, connect to your phone, and then select which images get transferred. This is how I am able to send the better images to the social media team during a game as they keep fans updated in a fairly real-time situation. I create a Google Drive folder and share the link with the folks beforehand so they just have to refresh the page in their browser to pull images locally to their station. I just have to remember to clean out the folder before the start of each game.

I have a 1.4x tele. and I have 2 APSC bodies, a 70 and 80D. after writing this I have got in touch with a sports bike team who maybe employing me to shoot motorsport all next season. won't be a fortune but It will be a massive help to me trying to get known for my Motorsport images... the Rugby match is on Saturday so I'll post some shots up.

if there are others in your locale, trying to make money from doing what YOURE trying to do, dont be that guy who is picking the pro-shooters' pockets. dont offer to do their work for free...

go shoot the same events others are. process yours and look at what they submit or have published. be honest about the comparison. when you can hang with them or at least come close most of the time, THEN consider doing the job and if necessary at a lower price but dont cut their legs out from under them. they likely already have spent considerable amounts for their gear, have other expenses (studio/office rent) insurances etc...

i just had that happen to me, but as of now (new developments) i dont think the other photographer is going to be able to cut the mustard...

Pretty much all local papers in the Uk won't pay for photos anymore. Hobby photographers mostly ruined it giving their photos away for free just to see their name in the paper etc or likes on social media. Eventually, they get fed up off being taken advantage of and someone else new will come onto the scene and take their place. Your best bet is to get work with a BIG agency that pays a day rate, GETTY, PA, REUTERS. It's hard getting your foot into the door. could try this

https://pamediagroup.c​om …PjOHBAXN-lIUGH2Oia_FbndnI