Another reason I don't envy the life of a "pro"

A couple of videos from SportsShooter. Needs Quicktime.

http://www.sportsshoot​er.com …re/bonds-watch/index.html

Sounds like these guys are on the road too often and it's just another day in the office. It's as if their creative energy has been zapped and they're just going through the motions.

I enjoyed that. Thanks, Nation. Amazing the number of 'remotes' they talked about - some areas must have been brimming with cameras.

Yep they sound prety jaded alright. I wonder if hugh heffner is like that about his work...

kiwibloke - What amazed me is that it wasn't just a case of going to a ball game and shooting but having the remotes setup based on pre-empting what Bonds was going to do. The SI guys talking about their dugout remote and what they intended to capture with it was great for me. But for them they've been there and done that. Not only do they know how the play is going to unfold but have a good idea of how celebrations could be expected to take place.

Tim - Don't know about the real Hef but that Dino Vournas guy in the clip sure does look like a weathered version of Hef

when they say remotes, thats like a whole camera setup thats on a remote, on a tripod, all the way across the stadium?

how do they make sure they arent tampered with etc?

and why dont you envy it? that would be awesome!

Yes, remote cameras set up with radio triggers I believe. There's probably a reasonably secure press area they can access.

Essentially it's numerous cameras in different locations, they can be on tripods, clamped to railings, suctioned to walls or held by another photographer. Each camera has a radio remote and is triggered by a main camera allowing the photographer to shoot the same piece of action from numerous angles. The fixed cameras are limited in terms of preset focus and composition while the guys holding a remote would be instructed to focus on the main action.

As for tampering, photographers' trust I guess along with press pass secured shooting locations.

I agree with you it'd be awesome to have a go at it, not only the technology, but setting up and the results. But these "pros" in that video are doing it as part of their day to day jobs, they're not getting paid mega bucks for it, they're not working on their terms and some of them are doing an assignment they really don't want to do. The scathing remarks of the 2 guys at the end of the second video sums up their feelings pretty well.

i guess since i like baseball it would'nt be a pain fro me, but shooting say...tennis, i would hate that, but i'd do it

i still maintain that it would be awesome to be a pro sports shooter

Normally people (except for other photographers) don't have access to areas where remotes are. And other photographers usually don't joke around with equipment not belonging to them. After all... you do it to your colleague today, someone else will do it to you tomorrow.

And why don't envy this.... because on the end it's still just a job. It's not hobby anymore and this means sometimes you have to do it even if you don't like it. It's same thing as your job, and lot of times same feeling as you have on monday morning when going to work Except that it's not even nice office work, but something like I had on saturday waiting at 1600m high windy and cold mountain pass for almost 2 hours, since cyclists decided they will take it a bit slower.