How to become a Sport Photographer?

How does one become a sport photographer? The easy part is to buy those $5-10.000 lenses... Seriously, how do sport photographers sell their pictures? How do they get hired by magazines and obtain permission to photograph sport events?

It's one of the hardest things you'll ever think of getting into to be honest, most people think it's easy to get into - simply put it's not even close.

At the top level you have more of a chance to be a player on the field than a big time magazine photographer. Once "in" they are not leaving unless the position is terminated. You'll notice the big magazines, or even the smaller ones that are national, are NEVER advertising for a photographer. Truth is there's a waiting list years long, I know from an intern at one national sports magazine the waiting list just to get looked at is 15-20 years! This was from someone the magazine said they loved and would consider, but not until they worked as a photo assistant (runner, editor, etc) first and that position won't open for at least that long. So even after the 15-20 year wait he'd still not be shooting.

Magazines are cutting positions, newspapers are disappearing, more and more outlets are using agencies, and yet again those positions don't open up all that often. You start from the bottom and work your way up. Just to put it into a clearer light I've been the "2nd string" NFL photographer for a card company for now 8 or 9 years, that means I'm second on the list if the regular guy is sick, or has an emergency I'm the first call. For them, I've shot a total of ZERO games over that span. He's never missed one.

Youth sports is where the money is at, youth sports is a lot funner, youth sports is easier to get into, youth sports is where you want to go.

High school sports: Good info from Alan (amfoto1) among others, + a few links are in: Need Info on Sports Photography

You could also check with the large event companies to get your feet wet. ASIphoto, Brightroom, etc...It will really give you a taste as to what is required and the amount of work involved.

oharing wrote in post #11207385
How does one become a sport photographer? The easy part is to buy those $5-10.000 lenses... Seriously, how do sport photographers sell their pictures? How do they get hired by magazines and obtain permission to photograph sport events?

I guess I would wonder why an accomplished and talented wedding photographer such as yourself is asking such a question?

What is it you would like to do? Do you want to get into a Heat game to shoot, or an NFL game?

Or did you go to a game and see all these photographers with hundreds of thousands of dollars of gear and wonder how it all works?

These days print publications are very limited (many print magazines are going away or gone) so a lot of images get used on the web and the usage cost is $25 of which the photographer will likely get 50% so you can look forward to a massive payout of twelve dollars and fifty cents!

Oh boy, I can't wait for Canon's new 400 f2.8 IS II to come out at Eleven Thousand Dollars, I only have to sell . . .

let me see, carry the one, divide by point 05 and factor in the cost of doing business and . . .

yep, eight hundred and forty seven million images.

Only eight hundred and forty six images to go.

actually eight hundred and forty six million nine hundred and ninety nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine...

but whose counting.

Start off by contacting a local weekly or small daily and offer to freelance. Small papers have limited staff and are ALWAYS looking for competent photographers for high school sports. If you turn in quality images on deadline, they'll give you more work, and you can leverage that to freelance work with larger dailies.

I don't know how it is in other states, but in Texas many of the smaller dailies have standing media credentials with the division I football programs. If you're on good terms with the sports editor, you could ask into a loan of the sideline pass one weekend they aren't normally planning to cover a particular game.

Realize, however, that you're expected to be professional. Venturing into restricted areas or committing the cardinal sin of asking for an autograph will not only get you kicked out of the game, it will get the sponsoring media outlet's credentials revoked as well.

oharing wrote in post #11207385
How do they get hired by magazines and obtain permission to photograph sport events?

They have to meet deadlines. They have to get pictures to their papers and magazines and wire services as soon as the events are over. Often they need to send pictures to their clients and employers during the events. The photographers can't wait until it's convenient for them; the shooters need to "move" the images right away. And those images need to be accompanied by captioning information, identifying the event and the names of the major people in each image. Taking the picture is just the start of a pro photographer's work.

It's a demanding environment that involves many factors that members of this forum avoid - producing pictures almost as soon as they're taken, and operating in conditions where the photographers don't have complete control.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #11208140
Youth sports is where the money is at, youth sports is a lot funner, youth sports is easier to get into, youth sports is where you want to go.

Amen. I love the look on parents faces when they get the print of their "all-star." It's even better knowing that they are paying me to deliver just such a product.

cory1848 wrote in post #11210104
You could also check with the large event companies to get your feet wet. ASIphoto, Brightroom, etc...It will really give you a taste as to what is required and the amount of work involved.

Been there, done that, no more! That's industrial photography at it's best. You plunk down your chair with your cool drink, load up the ipod, and begin to fill your camera buffer for the next 3 hours - pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop ... for HOURS. No freedom in your shots, no creativity. You shoot everyone that comes into your view. Honestly, the pay is pretty good, but the wear and tear on you gear is severe. I couldn't handle the 4am wake up call to make it to the 6am meet times either.

That's no where near being on the path to the top of sports photography. You can make money with those companies, but you won't improve your craft at all.

Biffbradford wrote in post #11217572
Been there, done that, no more! That's industrial photography at it's best. You plunk down your chair with your cool drink, load up the ipod, and begin to fill your camera buffer for the next 3 hours - pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop ... for HOURS. No freedom in your shots, no creativity. You shoot everyone that comes into your view. Honestly, the pay is pretty good, but the wear and tear on you gear is severe. I couldn't handle the 4am wake up call to make it to the 6am meet times either.

That's no where near being on the path to the top of sports photography. You can make money with those companies, but you won't improve your craft at all.

I rather enjoy shooting for Brightroom. Then again, I only pick races I want to shoot. If I don't get selected, then it doesn't really bother me. I do agree, however, that there is no creativity in these shots. If it moves, you shoot it. The pay is ok. It wouldn't be what I want to do full-time, but it's enjoyable.

Biffbradford wrote in post #11217572
Been there, done that, no more! That's industrial photography at it's best. You plunk down your chair with your cool drink, load up the ipod, and begin to fill your camera buffer for the next 3 hours - pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop ... for HOURS. No freedom in your shots, no creativity. You shoot everyone that comes into your view. Honestly, the pay is pretty good, but the wear and tear on you gear is severe. I couldn't handle the 4am wake up call to make it to the 6am meet times either.

That's no where near being on the path to the top of sports photography. You can make money with those companies, but you won't improve your craft at all.

Like I said, to get your feet wet. Wear and tear isnt an issue when you use an old 20D. If it breaks, its cheaper to buy another one than to get it fixed. Hope you werent using a 1DMIV out there...

But then again, you are not there for your artistic freedom. You are there to earn an hourly wage.

How creative can you expect to get shooting youth sports? I know there is more leeway than ASI however you aren't creating masterpieces in this field either. It's product photography to make money. $40hr with ASI with zero overhead isn't all that bad when you really think about it.

Yeah, I'm not knocking Brightroom and ASI, it just wasn't for me ... but I don't think that's the path to Sports Illustrated either. It's probably a matter of who you know rather than a step by step process.

If you like shooting sports then, that's what you should shoot. I love shooting sports but it seems everything but baseball, football, blah blah. I'm looking forward to some speed skating, ski jumping, and maybe some gymnastics this winter. This past summer I shot a water skiing tournament on my own because I never shot one before. I posted some pix on my webpage ... yada yada yada ... now I may be the official photog next year!

Shoot what you love, post 'em where people can see 'em, and see what happens!

Biffbradford wrote in post #11218564
Yeah, I'm not knocking Brightroom and ASI, it just wasn't for me ... but I don't think that's the path to Sports Illustrated either. It's probably a matter of who you know rather than a step by step process.

Completely agree. It is in no way the way into Sports Illustrated.

The way into SI is through an agency just to get published, as a full time staffer you have better luck becoming an astronaut or Senator or a Daily Show corespondent.