Its not all sweet and smelling of roses when you get there
IndyJeff, I certainly hope so.
One of the main reasons that I stopped photographing F1 (the few I have done in the UK) was the same as IndyJeff was talking about, the number of press/media passes available to non FIA F1 permeate pass holder gets less each year.
Also race meetings in the UK had this ever-increasing criteria for the issue of a press/media pass, weather that was for a circuit like Silverstone or BHL Group (as it was). Even Media credential issued by the UK sports governing body the RAC, which gets harder to get each year, did not always help with some of the circuits (although it should). I know if you hold one of these you will still need a letter of accreditation for specific meetings.
Like KennyG I have covered most forms of motorsport in the UK at same time especially the British rally championship, which if you know the forest’s well enough you do not really need a press/media pass (except say the British round of the WRC). I have worked for Manufactures, Teams, Sponsors, and UK Agencies/Picture Libraries, European News Picture agencies (based in Paris). Each year it gets harder one year we needed to have I think it was 10 images published from a circuit to stand a chance of getting a pass the next year, that was increased the next year to 12 or 14. Also some publications don’t count or did not at that time. For example you could supply copies of images to the circuit for use in their own publications but this does not count to wards to number published, if they use them.
That’s one of the reasons I preferred rallying to circuit racing, and also one of the reasons that I went to work in Germany for a few years covering the German Touring cars etc, life was a little easier over there. The other reason for leaving the UK was one of the circuits/press officer in the UK just does not like issuing me with a press/media pass. It was a few years back now when I was working on the BTCC (British Touring Cars). I was working for a manufacture, that is to say the main parent company based over seas, and not the UK subsidiary that were running the cars. The UK subsidiary had organised their own photographer, which was not a problem as most of my work was going to be used overseas anyway. I had all the letters of accreditation for the series all the races were listed, as were the test dates. I applied for a RAC media credential on the back of this and along with some magazine work I was doing. This was accepted by them, so same application along with the RAC media credential went to all of the circuits in the series. All but one accepted this as enough evidence that I was a serious photographer who was genuinely working on the series. This particular circuit made me apply for each meeting and test day separately at least 14 days in advance.
Now I am back in the UK and taking a sabbatical from my Motorsport photography.
Am I a professional photographer, well yes I am, and I am a member of the British Institute of Professional Photographers and hold the Licentiateship (LBIPP) qualification with them. Was photography my main form of income yes it was, with 80% coming from motorsport at the time.
So good luck to anyone starting out now, I have been there, done that, got the tea shirt, etc.
Is the grass greener on the other side of the fence?
Sorry for the rambling rant.
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