About 'Overpricing' things

by =Capukat, 2 days, 21 hours ago
Journals / Culture / Projects

MOVE on 'Overpricing': About 'Overpricing' things

[My Opinion Versus Everyone's] _{Please remember these are simply my opinions and are not meant to imply that you should agree or disagree nor should these prove to be offensive in any way; if I do come across displeasingly then you have my apologies beforehand, thank you.}
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I see a lot of comments here and there that go something like this...

"50 points?? Why would I pay 50 points for an adopt..."

or...

"100 points? Are you sure you're not overpricing that...?!"

And I'm sure many of you have seen similar comments, now I understand that points aren't the easiest things to accumulate when you're fresh into dA or even well into your time here, as I was once a 13 year old kid who joined dA and got excited over her first 10 points

...which I kept and refused to spend because it took a while's worth of designing adopts to get that ten points.

A while?

About ... oh.. over a good hour or so?

And in reality if I were 'convert' that now, of course considering the amount dA takes, I get 10 cents. That's $0.10 USD.

Minimum wage over here is $8 an hour and you get more for babysitting a kid --I don't know about you but industry standard for art goes up to the thousands range (don't believe me? Look it up) for something you can get for roughly $200 in dA, give or take a few +/-$50's etc, by artists anybody reasonable would deem professional, and of course I'm not saying it's reasonable to sell them at industry standard prices since most of us don't use art we commission, commercially.

I'm just saying that $0.10 for an hour's work, gives you about $1 after 10 hours.

That's... enough to buy you a burger after a hard's day work. Minus the drink and fries

--Oops! I forgot to include tax. Never mind! No burger at all.

Sure, when you don't/can't buy points and you don't get commissions at the moment (you will!

Just keep drawing and you will be noticed! It's what I did

If you don't believe me on that you can read a previous entry-> [link]), it doesn't mean you have to be irrational and make someone feel bad for pricing art, designs, etc for something as insufficient as 10 points. Or 50, or even 100. Because technically once we convert that to real money -since points don't buy any food- we get $1.

What I'm suggesting isn't that you go on a shopping spree and purchasing things priced at 100 points when all you have is 100 or so, just be thoughtful before commenting

Chances are, as I know there's no such thing as "all the time", most people -even people and friends I know-, will price commissions at anything from 4 points for a fully rendered image, and 100 points as their max.

I understand that some of us may still be 'amateurs' in this business (even I'm not professional right now!), but you know, instead of producing creative work for $0.10-$1 or maybe even $5 an hour on here, they could all be working a job for $8/hour (at least!), or if not old enough, then babysitting for $15/hour (or more!), or even doing other work that doesn't really give us the privilege so see the art we do and purchase for 10 points now do we?

Don't under-value yourself!

That's also another thing I need to write about, it's art style.

As long as you stick to your own style, even if you're not even sure of a style yet or have one that's you yet, there's still not another person in the world that can perfectly replicate yours.

Also implying you can't replicate your idols' works unfortunately--take inspiration, yes! But never draw like them in that sense, frankly speaking.

So as long as you're doing art the way you feel it should be done, then there's no reason for your work to never be unoriginal or invaluable. It took me a good year to settle on a style I find suits me and is still undergoing changes when I feel like I need to improve upon something, and for some it takes longer or shorter, but it's what attracts people to your work!

It's the same thing with you, what if you looked like every super model out there? No one would be pretty anymore, we'd just be another Barbie/Ken doll in a sea of other Barbies and Ken dolls!

So there's my little bit on self-appreciation. And for those that find it hard to be self confident, I can sympathize but that's no excuse to not try

So anyhow, don't complain if someone's pricing work at anything under 100 points because it doesn't matter how 'awful' you think their work is, just remember they're not pricing it at $100.

It's $1, mind you.

You would feel just as bad if you were pricing your work at $1 and have someone imply that your work isn't worth $1.

$1 that probably in the hands of most kids and teens is spent at the school vendor for a bag of chips.

Weigh your options Wisely.

I've had people tell me 1000 points sounds ridiculous, and yes that's the thing with big numbers!

We think "1 thousand" and our jaws drop because we associate that with $1,000.

But even in other countries that aren't familiar with USD, some currencies are at an exchange rate of 1,000 ___ to $1.

But either way, as hard as it may be to come by points without many means of earning them, it doesn't excuse you from thinking how your words and actions can affect others who at a first glance you might feel "overprice" things.

No one likes working for less than the minimum, and $1, let alone 10 cents, is far below that minimum standard.

Think more; wisely. Be less impulsive and rationalize for a change.

And imagine yourself being told that you're not worth 10 cents.

Because you and I know you're worth a lot more than that.

Supplements/Edits: (things I add after reading comments that remind me of things I should add

)

-Just because you can't afford something, does not mean it's overpriced. Just because you can't buy a laptop, does not mean it's overpriced.

Just because you can't buy a design/art, does not mean it's overpriced.

-I understand that 80 =$1 ,but that money is virtually useless -no pun intended- for you as a living person, unless converted and dA takes 20 percent. But even then, 100 points is only $1.25... Okay so now you can get a burger.

-And yes, please don't under-value yourself once again. You can charge 25 points for an adoptable, like I once did, and be successful, and I always recommend starting small! Not too small as in 1 point, but 25 is a popular and reasonable starting point

....noooo pun intended xD This doesn't mean you're unappreciating yourself by undercharging, this just means you're being smart by actually making 25 points than if you priced it at 1,000 right of the bat and made 0

Just make sure that when you finally get a degree in art you still don't do the 25 points if you get my drift~

-Haha, and yes quality does matter of course! I wouldn't pay 100 points for a poorly colored base either, as mentioned in a comment, but for clarification, I do mean original art!

Something someone put effort into!

-And this one is important, but I too thought a lot of things were so 'pricey' when I first joined dA. I had never sold a piece of art before and whatever work I did was requests, so I had no idea how to price things. That's when I looked to the already existent community of artists who took commissions to see how I should price my own things. When I saw prices like $5 or more eye-opening, 500 points, I recoiled a bit and wondered if that was a good idea. I didn't know of the industry standard or what people were even willing to value their art as since I'd been working free. But this is the real world, and no time is spent free

Even when we're in school and don't need the money for 'food and rent' etc, we could be studying or doing other work but it's time we invest to bring you art.

I understand that at first it may be a lot to get used to, but I never commented on anything saying it was overpriced, not only because I didn't feel like I had the right to even make someone feel bad--that's up to the commissioner I believe to point something like that out. But because I knew that without me actually experiencing the work load myself and taking time to learn the way this "works", I can't judge fairly. So please reconsider before making comments like "50 points is not worth is", because it makes you look bad, not the artist

-Oh haha, I forgot to mention this too! Also consider raising your prices for the benefit of others

Why? Because let's say you're professional and you charge $5 (exaggerating for the purpose of easier visualization xD), and other professionals charge $100-200 for the same 'full picture' commission.

Under simple circumstances, you'd look at those two prices and even if you had a good $300 on you, I think we'd all go for the $5, at least first

Because that's just natural and it's fine.

But you know what you should do? Raise your prices, benefiting yourself, and the market. It's awfully nice for the consumer but not only are you going to be overworking yourself, others are going to really lose out on a lot of business too!

-By the way, Art is a creative business, you can't price the priceless

-OH, I must not forget to mention, this is going to be one of my biggest tips.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.

Build your reputation! When I first took commissions I spent 6-7 hours on a 1000 point commission which is ($12 not converted, $10 converted), meaning I made 70 points an hour. I then got a chibi commission I spent 3-4 hours on and made only $2. The initial time investment is FINE. It helps to start when you're younger and not needing the money to live, but as logical as you find it to not spend the big bucks on some company you don't know, it's the same case with art. How can you trust the artist will finish it on time? Or even at all? Or that it'll come out good? Chances are you INSTINCTIVELY DO NOT. So build people's trust and show them you can get the work done.

With practice, the same quality image you spent 4 hours on, will reduce to 1 hour. As with me xD It's different for everyone, but trust me haha.

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31 MCR-Related Journal Entries

Mon May 6, 2013, 11:08 AM

Summer is coming up, and now that you'll (hopefully) have some time to yourself, it's a great time to polish your writing skills. A good way to start is keeping a journal. Here are 31 MCR-related journal entries, one for each day of the month. Instead of the usual "fave song, fave member" prompts, I tried to make them a little interesting. If you actually do this, feel free to post them on DeviantART, Tumblr, etc. (If you want to print this, you can copy and paste it into a Word document and print it from there.)

1. Wow, some interviewers ask awful questions. It's your turn to ask what you really want to know. Imagine that you're interviewing one (or more) of the guys. What do you ask him? How do you think he'd respond?

2. Well, you've done it-- you've discovered the answer to one of the biggest mysteries about the band. What mystery did you solve, and what's the long-awaited answer?

3. An insider gives you one of the guys' (you choose which one) email address and password. You try it out, and lo and behold, you now have access to his email account. What do you do next? Read his emails? Leak some info to Tumblr? Log out and never return? Send some very interesting messages? Something else?

4. You run a popular MCR fan blog. One of the guys likes it so much that he joins Tumblr and submits a message for you and followers. What does it say? How do your followers react?

5. Write about any MCR dream(s) you've had. (If you haven't had any, write about one you want to have.)

6. Read any MCR fan fiction (slash or non-slash, whatever you prefer.) Write at least three positive things about it, and at least three ways the author could improve. (You don't have to share this with the author, but analyzing other people's strengths and weaknesses can help you improve your own writing. Spelling/grammar and personal taste-- i.e. "i don't like plots about depression"-- don't count.)

7. A friend of yours has recently discovered MCR. She loves the music, but doesn't know much about the fans. How do you describe the fandom to her?

8. Choose any MCR song and write a review for it, as if you were writing for a magazine. Pay attention to the quality and creativity of the music, lyrics, and vocals. (It doesn't have to be a song you love-- you can write a critical review of one you dislike.)

9. Imagine you run a successful MCR fan site. What resources do you offer fans? (If you actually do have this, write about what you hope to accomplish in the future.)

10. You're hosting a fan meetup, and at least 20 people will attend. What kind of activities do you have planned?

11. You're in charge of publishing an MCR fan art book. What kind of art and writing do you include? How do you divide the art into sections? (By subject, by genre, etc.) Who writes the introduction, and what do they write about?

12. You have to help one (or more) of the guys deal with a difficult real-life event (depression, being harassed by fans online, etc.) What do you tell him? (No disrespect to the guys intended. I'm not trying to make light of serious events. I just think we've all seen a situation where we wished we could help, and it can be cathartic to write about it.)

13. For the next 30 seconds, write about whatever pops into your head. Don't worry about it sounding silly or stupid, just write it. It's fun to see what your brain comes up with when you're not paying attention.

14. You're a chef at a restaurant that creates fandom-specific dishes. Your boss asks you to create an MCR-themed dish. What do you create? (If you're in a particularly creative mood, write more about this intriguing fandom restaurant and how it would work. And yes, you can include other fandoms you love.

)

15. MCR reunites for a brief period and collaborates with your favorite band/musician. What does their song sound like? Who sings? What are the lyrics about? What does the single cover look like? What's the music video like?

16. Good news: Gerard is accepting a fan letter. One fan letter. And you've been chosen to write the letter that will represent the fandom. What do you write? Do you let other fans have input?

17. You're pitching a Killjoy TV show to a major network. How do you describe it to them? What's the plot? Who are the characters? Why should they buy this show?

18. Choose any MCR photo or piece of fan art and develop a story behind it. (You don't have to write an entire fic, unless you want to. Just write a summary of the plot.)

19. Write about your strangest experience, your saddest experience, and your most surprising experience with the band and/or fandom.

20. Imagine that you had never found MCR. How would your life be different? Consider both the bad aspects and the good ones.

21. MCR songs are known for having several possible meanings. Choose one song and come up with at least three meanings. (They don't have to be original, you can mention meanings that you've heard before.) Which one is the most likely, and why?

22. Congratulations, you've been named director of an MCR movie. What's the title? Who will play the guys? What parts of their story will you include? What parts will you leave out? What will the movie poster look like? What songs will be on the soundtrack? Add as much detail about your movie as you want.

23. Imagine that 1,000 years from now, archaelogists uncover an MCR fan fiction. Not knowing that it's a work of fiction, they assume that it's a mythological text and 21st century people worshipped them as gods. What kind of "god" would each member be? How would they regard the fandom? What weird ideas about the band would people come up with? Would CDs and merchandise be displayed in museums as religious artifacts? Be creative.

24. You're developing an MCR video game. Which era do you focus on? What genre is it? (Roleplaying, multiplayer, fighting, etc.) What characters are in the game? What's the plotline? What can players do, and what's their ultimate goal?

25. Choose any significant event from MCR's history and write about it from one (or more) band member's point of view. Try to emulate his voice as much as possible.

26. There's not much poetry in the fandom. Write at least one MCR poem in any form (haiku, limerick, rhyming, free verse, etc.)

27. Imagine that MCR were a boy band. What would their music and concerts be like? How would the guys act? What would the fandom be like? Have fun with this one.

28. Look up the meaning of the names Gerard, Michael, Frank, and Ray. (There are plenty of baby name websites to help you out.) Do those names fit the guys? Why or why not?

29. Fandom apartments have arrived! The MCR fandom is going to move into a complex, and it's your job to assign fans to their rooms. But you don't want any fandom wars, so you're going to divide them into sections and put each section on a different floor. How do you divide the fandom up? (Get a little more creative than "frank lovers, gerard lovers, etc.", haha. Feel free to write more about this "fandom apartment" and what it would be like.)

30. The world now recognizes MCR Day as an official holiday. How do people celebrate? What are the customs? What day is it on? (I know we have International MCR Day, but imagine it as a real holiday, not just a fandom thing.)

31. Congratulations! You've made it through 31 days of writing. That's a huge accomplishment, and you've probably improved a lot, even if you don't see it. To celebrate, write about your most joyful MCR-related experience.

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To Praise Life: 4

Mon May 6, 2013, 6:14 AM

Welcome to To Praise Life! This article series will be a newsletter/feature for those who have participated in my project, as well as a place to find some inspiration.

It would be much appreciated if you help spread the word! ( & Comment!)

Contribute to the Project or Donate

I am hoping to reach at least 300 inspiring messages from the community if I can.

At the end of this year, 2013, 10 calenders and 16 three month PMs will be given away to inspired deviants.(that means random/anyone.

)

The calenders to remind you of how special every day is, and PMs because sadly the notebooks are no longer available.
However, the points cost of this project's completion is around: 30,176 points.

Current Balance: 1,814 Points

Inspiring words from contributors

~1w1w Each day of life is like a chapter of a story, filled with drama, happyness, sorrow, and many emotions. These expierences make us a better person, for we learn to see both the brutality yet beauty life presents us with. We also learn that life will throw both good and bad days. Yet we keep plowing through, as life is not gonna stop for us nor are we gonna stop for life. There have been days were things kept getting worse and worse, and I just wanted to end it all right there and then, but I realize that was not me thinking, I would say to myself this is a lesson that I need to learn from. We keep plowing through life, learning along the way.

I'll get you Out of Here [1/2]Series: Transformers Prime
Main Characters: Orion Pax, Starscream
Warning: Major Fluff alert!
Genre: Hurt/Comfort and Friendship
Discpirction: Based on/taking palce during the season two episodes, in the final part of "Orion Pax", in the scene for those who had seen the episode, where the two eradicons were beating Orion Pax.
Summary: As Starscreams encounters Orion Pax after the Eradicons beaten him, he just can't simply leave him, knowing his pain as a mutual friendship begins to form between the two former enemies...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He just didn't understand...
After Megatron had beaten him, he just lay there, tears of pain threatening to overcome him. It just fragging hurt. He looked down at his side and winced when he moved it. His sides were bloody with his energon and the gashes flared up with pain that racked his entire frame, his hands and arms shaking un

~oakleafninja23 "This is amazing! And for anyone reading this- keep holding on, no matter how hard your life is at the moment. There's always a better day, a light at the end of the tunnel.

~Dr-Aim "Life is extraordinary, but we forget that because most people happen to live, right ?
praise life, you need everything in it, the bad and good !"

~Sloppity One day life will cease to be when the sun burns out and the universe is plunged into a deep freeze.

But on the bright side no life = no suffering."

=SeedofSmiley "I look at people this way, they all have the ability to be nice or bad, what they choose and what they do with it their choice. So, I try not to hate anyone because its not going to do anyone any good. Personally I am feeling really good at this point in my life and love my life that I am living. Hope youre loving yours too"

Latest Donators

Thank you so much!

If I missed you, you can remind me with a note!

I'd also like to shout out to #CRCommunityProjects for accepting this in their gallery!

Amoris

A collection of inspiring artwork.

Theme: The Sky

Wise Words:

Quotable quotes that you might want to apply to your life.

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, or worn. It is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace & gratitude.” - Denis Waitley

Contribute:

Provide a theme! What makes you praise life?
Contribute and get featured by writing inspiring words for the community here.

Have a wonderful May!

`Infinite-Heart

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Surviving Sports Photography

Thu May 16, 2013, 9:22 AM

Photography Week

Sports photography.

This category of photojournalism is one of the most sought after positions in professional photography. VIP access to pro athletes, frontline seats, locker room interviews, and a paycheck to photograph the whole experience year after year?!!

...
.....
.........
Sign me up!!

Well, that's how my story began anyway. Years ago, I made the mistake of going to a pro hockey game and within three hours fell madly in love with the smell of ice and the sound of blades. I left the building thinking to myself (and telling anyone who would listen to the ravings of a madwoman): "There has to be some way I can be involved in this for the rest of my life." What actually happened after that night is one of the wildest stories I've ever told and it's still a crazy ride. But getting on that ride and staying on is tricky.

So here's what I've learned so far about actually surviving sports photography in a nutshell. What you'll need, how much it's going to cost you (think your accountant is going to shoot you in the face with a bazooka), and everything in between. We'll even cover eating because, trust me,...managing to eat as a sports photographer is complex.

Gear

The first thing you need to know about sports photography is that once you decide to go pro you're going to have to tell the kids they are never ever going to see Disneyland. Or eat food again. You know what? Just give hand over the teddybear so we can pawn him for that new lens. How expensive is this? Well, don't panic but you're going to be in the $20,000+ USD dollar range for competitive equipment and you're going to destroy most of it within a year or two.

Every fraction of a second counts in sports and this means you'll need to shoot at a rapid rate while keeping moving objects in focus. When shopping for a sports camera, look for models that provide high speed (both frame rate and shutter speeds) and multiple AF points. Typically you'd like a camera that gets at least 5 fps (frames per second) and a shutter speed going on up to 1/8000. Full frame sensors aren't quite as important in sports, but do seek out any model with good performance (low noise levels) at high ISOs.

And don't forget!!...you're going to need at least two of those camera bodies. The first fact of athletes: they move around a lot. First they're within inches of you, then they are a hundred yards away and all in just a few seconds.

There's no way you can swap lenses out midgame so the trick is to wear several cameras around your neck with a different lens locked on each. That way when they get close you pick up the wide angle or maybe a fish-eye, and when they leave you drop it and switch to the telephoto zoom. It's heavy and awkward and you'll look like Flava Flav, but it's necessary.

Then there are your lenses. Sports photographers need to keep their shutter speeds above 1/1000 to freeze the action for most sports, but you also need to do that at events that are frequently held at night or indoors without using flash and without cranking up your ISO to levels that would ruin the quality. How do you solve this? With fast glass. And there's no other way around it. You're going to need F2.8 or lower in every variety of lens from the wide angle and the fish eye to the macro and telephoto. Fish eyes and macros aren't as necessary in the beginning, but sooner or later you'll find yourself setting up a shot and thinking to yourself "this would have looked great with a (insert this or that) lens." Sports photography encompasses everything so eventually you're going to find yourself needing one of just about everything. (note: Some buildings might allow you to use strobes, but you better spend some days getting them up and testing them yourself, and then testing them alongside the athletes to ensure it never distracts them or the crew. It's a bit of a pain in the ass, so few of us ever bother.)

Monopods

Now the big telephoto lenses capable of that aperture beginning with the 200m and going on up are very heavy and you will injure yourself holding them up for hours. For the sake of your own long term health and to keep those images tack sharp when action panning, I recommend utilizing a strong monopod with a very fluid head. Youtube has all sorts of reviews on various sticks and heads, but you can't go cheap on this. This stick has to support extremely expensive and heavy glass and it has to move with you so treat the decision as a serious one worth investigating beforehand.

Other

Filters, extra batteries, remote triggers, external flash for those rare opportunities you're actually allowed to use it, and several packs of extra memory cards are all to be found in a sports photographer's kit bag. But there are other tools we use too. Take the new GoPro cameras, waterproof cameras and cases, or even timelapse models.

The ability to strap a camera to the athlete, a net, or a catwalk forty feet above makes a sports photographer ridiculously happy. We can be in multiple locations at once with some advance planning and the click of a remote. But it still means extra cameras and extra lenses and all of the other extras that go with those new tools to support them. It's like getting a new kitten.

At first you're like "Yay, kitten!" and then you realize it's not just a kitten. It's the litter box, the food, the vaccines, the scratching post, the bed, and the catnip mouse too. And, of course, the kitten might get sick...

Insurance

Always insure your equipment and yourself if you photograph sports full-time. If you intend to own your own company, pick up business insurance as well. These athletes are celebrities (even the little kids...try working with their parents!) and image is everything, if you or someone else makes a mistake with them you could be sued or fined. Not to mention, the most bizarre things you've ever heard of can and probably will happen when photographing sports. I've been speared, stepped on, sneezed on, cried on, bled on, hit with pucks, and even launched ten feet backwards into the air. I've damaged several camera bodies and numerous lenses. A puck once struck my camera with such force it disintegrated the contacts and turned the fine little gears inside to dust. Another game two weeks later gave me a concussion. So it's not a matter of "if" but "when" you or your gear are going to take a beating, and believe me the insurance companies know it so they're not going to like you.

No, you don't actually need all of this expensive gear to take a great sports shot...but you will need it eventually to operate a great sports business.

I know a lot of people are going to argue that you don't need expensive gear to start up as a sports photographer and that's very true. After all, I got my start with a $500 Canon Rebel T2i and I still use it. No one needs twenty thousand dollars worth of equipment to build a portfolio. But I'd be lying to you if I didn't give you the longterm reality. If your goal is to make a living off of this, if you dream about photographing a pro team or traveling to the Olympics, you're either going to have to invest in serious equipment or get yourself hired by a company that will supply you with it.

But, of course, no matter your long term goals or whether you're using a $500 camera body or a $5000 dollar one, the truth is you can take a great shot if you know what you're doing.

How to know what you're doing.

Composition, metering, all those things are important tips I could give you, but the fact is most of those just come with practice, trial and error, and feedback. You should already know about the rule of thirds, how to make a shot interesting, setting a custom white balance, or how to get your camera to focus on something moving really fast (google "action-panning"). You should have already read your camera's manual and learned how to use the machine, as well as studied the science behind photography and optics. Those are basic things and there are already a million tutorials online and on deviantART about it. Beyond the basics of photography, specializing in sports photography is really just about keeping two essential tips in mind.

Know Your Sport.

I can't emphasize this one enough. Wanna shoot sports full-time? Know your sports. Know them backwards and forwards. It seems obvious, but it's overlooked. If you don't know what to look for, you won't see it when it happens, and if you don't see it, you don't shoot it, and if you don't shoot it, they can't print it. When a team says afterward, "Where's that goal?" or "Do you have this guy doing this?" and you don't have it? You're in trouble.

I spend a huge chunk of my day researching my events before I even take the camera out of the bag. I research the teams, I research the athletes, I study the building, I examine the lighting, and I'm already planning in my head what kind of shots I want. I've already asked around the lockerrooms and listened to the gossip. Any professional photographer can get a good clear action shot, but a sports photographer is better equipped to tell the story because they know how the characters and the settings are working together. The old saying in hockey made by the famous Gretszky which goes along the lines of: "I don't go where the puck is, I go where it is going to be", is especially good advice, not just for hockey, but for sports photography too. But you can't go where the action is going to be if you have no earthly clue how to anticipate it. That comes from knowing your sports.

See it Differently

Now that you can anticipate an important shot, it's going to take more to stand out from the crowd: you need to show them something different (and that only happens if you're already looking where no one else is). Do you photograph the winners or the losers in that moment? Do you get the guy making the shot? Or the guy blocking it? Are you going to zoom in on the tears and blood, or zoom out to the medics bringing the stretcher onto the field. Do you get a close-up of a smiling captain, or zoom out to show the adoring fan holding a sign behind him? What shot is more important? How can you do it differently? I can't tell you what the answer is because it changes. But once you develop the ability to anticipate a shot, you need to develop the ability to decide which shot you will take and then how you will take it. What angle will you shoot from? How can you frame it? What kind of movement do you want to convey?

Lateral movement:

Forward movement:

Sports photography is a collection of moments that happened all at once. Which one do you choose? Why? Who else could take that shot? Are they in a better position? How can you do it better?

Big teams and events often hire many photographers to ensure that all of the possible important shots are covered and I've been part of a team before, but sometimes I'm the only one or I'm the lead and it's up to me to make the call where my lens is going to be focused. A great sports photographer has to be able to decide in an instant what shot trumps all others. What tells the story? Sometimes we nail it, and sometimes we don't. For me, I tend to go for emotion, reaction vs. action, because I like the human quality, but that's my way of approaching it. You're going to lose now and then in the great gamble that is anticipating the shot, but always remember that only by constantly seeking to see it differently will you ever actually do so.

Surviving

Dear (insert your name here),

Today you are going to be working for many hours in (sunny/rainy/stormy/dusty/snowy) weather. It is going to be very (hot/cold/humid/dry/miserable). Your gear is heavy and you are going to be holding it up for most of your day and since today is (insert appropriate sport) day that means you're going to be working up and down a (mountain/hill/stairs/sand dune/ocean/river/forest/field) so be prepared for some serious physical challenges. Because of this, please eat something healthy and drink some water at regular intervals so we don't wind up in the hospital or not paying attention to the show. Keep a water bottle near your feet, and some healthy snacks in your gear bag in case. And don't eat the (arena/rink/stadium) food. It'll probably make you sick. Especially if you eat it every other night for years. It might even be smart to stretch a little, and make sure you get a good night's rest before a major event, especially since you'll be up all night tonight processing photos. Got all that? Eat. Drink. Stretch. Sleep. Oh, and have fun.

Love always,

Your body.

Accreditation

" I brought my camera to a game and the security guard denied me access. I'm not going to sell anything, I just wanted the practice. How do I get them to understand that?"

I know what you mean, but you can't prove to the security guard that you don't (make any money off of the images and/or will be responsible for them). They think if you just wanted fun photos of yourself at a fun game, you wouldn't bring in pro grade equipment. Gear is a major red flag.

When someone is accredited they're proving that they are approved professionals and are signing a contract that guarantees they can be trusted with the image (and even reputation) of professional teams and their players. This is getting increasingly difficult to control in the era of smart phone cameras, but they can more easily and do crack down on pro-grade equipment.

See it from their perspective. It is a nightmarish scenario for ushers and security trying to determine who really is accredited press (with access to top-level athletes and facilities) and who isn't when nonaccredited individuals come into a stadium with professional grade lenses and a monopod. Even if you have no plans to enter press/staff-only zones you make it more likely someone else with that gear but no credentials will. Not only do they have to protect the body and image of these athletes and the staff, but there are anti-doping (and even terrorism...Boston Marathon anyone?) considerations involved.

"But it's impossible to get accredited!!! How am I ever supposed to learn how to shoot sports and build up an impressive enough portfolio so I can then BE accredited?!"

I really do understand the frustration because, and this may surprise you, a lot of the pros don't always get badges either! Accreditation is frequently limited to a small number of photographers (most from papers or major networks, so if you're a freelancer like me...wow, good luck!) who may have to be background-checked or even interviewed first. Major events like the Olympics require applications years in advance. YEARS. The point is you'll never get it by trying to simply walk in with equipment. Doing that will only frustrate and anger the building staff and the organization hosting the event whose reputation (and chances of hosting future events) as well as the safety of everyone in the building is on the line.

Photograph high school or university teams or recreational teams or sports where accreditation isn't necessary to get a good shot. Public spaces give you a bit more freedom. Go to the beach and catch a beach volleyball game, street basketball, surfers, skaters, rollerbladers. Go to the park, catch a soccer game, a baseball game. Get used to photographing fast subjects in all sorts of environments. Get published for other subjects under photojournalism, join a school paper, join a photography club, join a valid photojournalism organization or some other governing body, and just keep practicing and applying.

If you want to break in, approach it as you would an employer. If you want to get to that level, treat it as a job. The teams and newspapers have a business to run, and so do you. If you make it a goal worth your time and effort, they just might make your portfolio worth theirs.

Go photograph some sports already.

This article is based largely on my own baptism by fire into the world of sports photography and the wild tales of some of my friends in the business, so it's understandable that not everyone will have the same experience or the same opinion. Sports photography is a process; learning it, managing it, breaking into it, surviving it. I readily admit that I'm still making mistakes, even epic mistakes, and still learning too.

One of these days, I'll write up an article about how to shoot sports for fun, and not necessarily business. Because even though sports photography is hard. And expensive. And hazardous to your health. And maybe even your marriage ( "Bye Honey, I'm off to photograph dozens of hot-blooded athletes! I'll be home really really late!"). Besides the fact that you'll get hit by flying objects and flying people and maybe even flying cars.

Or that your accountant will send you threatening letters made from words they cut out of magazines every time you buy a new piece of equipment and your insurance company will pretend they can't hear you when you call them to report another broken lens.

Despite the unsettling likelihood that your nation's tax authority will probably give you a suspicious eye like they do for most professional artists and that you'll go months without sleep or proper food when the season is going strong, and you'll rack up a ton of miles on your car and some skymiles too...

Sports photography is fun. If you're in the right sport, the right job, the right place...you'll love every second of the aforementioned insanity. It's just fun, and I sincerely hope you'll go out there and photograph some sports.

15 Comments

To Praise Life: 3

Mon Apr 29, 2013, 6:19 PM

Welcome to To Praise Life! This article series will be a newsletter/feature for those who have participated in my project, as well as a place to find some inspiration.