Question - Uploading images to newspapers

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what is typically required of a photographer to send pictures of an event to the newspaper? In my case, it would be a local paper.

I'm thinking high school football.

Do you have a required number of images to send?
Do they often ask about specific players?

How do you send in the images?
When? Half time? After the game? Is their a time limit?
Sorry, I guess that is more than one question.

Thanks for your help.
Mike

For me it has been send 5-7 jpgs. Each JPG should have info about the content, players name, if it was a specific play, etc. As far as asking about specific players, haven't had a request. My deadline is Monday morning. The paper I have been shooting for has a FTP site, so it is easy to upload to their site.

Jimmy

Thanks Golferdude. That sounds like my local paper. I think they only publish it once a week. If the opportunity presents itself, I think I am setup with laptop and wireless card so I should be able to transmit from the game. That is if my battery doesn't run down!
Mike

You will want to get in touch with the photo editor or sports reporter.

Yeah, I know. I was just trying to figure out what all was involved and get some feedback from those that have done it before or is doing that now.

Note: MY gear is heavy enough with having to tote a laptop around with it.

For HS football I will D/L my cards at half time choose 4-5 pics crop and tone save in a folder. When the game is over I will do the same. I take those 8-10 images caption in Photo Mechanic and transmit via ftp to news paper. I have a broad card and transmit while driving home.

The paper I cover games for doesn`t have a minimum requirement of shots. I have a 10pm deadline for friday nights, it`s 11pm for the rest of the week. I do have the luxury of working with a reporter so theres no need on my part to caption or identify players. As long as the jersey numbers are visable. I do sometimes need to supply jersey numbers on certain shots. As far as specific player request that does sometimes happen. I usually check with the reporter before the game who the play makers are if it`s a team I`m unfamilliar with. Typically the reporter keeps me updated on who`s doing what so that makes things easier for me to send them the right shots.

For me, I usually send 5 and no more than 10 images and have to have them in by 9:30 so I usually have to cut and run at halftime unless I'm lucky enough to be at a venue that has WiFi. I crop, edit, and resize images (1280 on the longest side) in LR2 then export to Photo Mechanic so I can add cutline info and upload via FTP final step is to call the photo editor and let them know that images are in. On occasion individual players and even shots of the fans are requested but it is rare.

BTW: You can rest assured in knowing that the photo editor will pick your your least favorite image and run it as the primary.

Writing captions. Where does the caption go?
I assume it is part of the exif data that gets modified. If so, I don't need a special program other than Photoshop Elements. Attached is an example. I went in and added the caption. You should be able to view it with an exif viewer.
Is this the proper way to include a caption, or is their something else that needs to be done?
Thanks
Mike

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

Mike, that is a good start. I also include key words fill in categories etc. here is a link to categories from AP http://www.ap.org/apse​rver/userguide/codes.h​tm.
Key words are a big time saver for you and the paper if they need to do a search for a certain image. It saves me time when I have a request for a pic, all I do is open up my cataloging program type in a key word and up comes those photos.

Here is a screen shot from PhotoMechanic the program I use for culling and captioning

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

Check about the deadline. If it's a weekly paper, you may be able to wait until you get home before sending the files. Even a daily paper may have a deadline requirement that will allow you time to get home. You really don't want your laptop on the sidelines, (or in their press box) or have to rush to your car at half time if you don't have to..

I cover games on Friday nights, some Saturdays and as long they had the files by Monday evening, I was OK. All I provided was the playesr name, what was happening and the paper would write a professional caption.

Good info. Thanks
Mike

MT Stringer wrote in post #8765301
Yeah, I know. I was just trying to figure out what all was involved and get some feedback from those that have done it before or is doing that now.

Note: MY gear is heavy enough with having to tote a laptop around with it.

many of the papers or magazines I've shot for require images at half and after the game, I try to send 1-3 good ones each upload. Then later I'll send 10 or so of the entire game.

Really, like pointed out, every company and editor is different, they can tell you what they need. But I've never really seen anyone submit more that 20 or 25 images for anything.. in my limited experience.