Tips on Freelance wanted

[pfritzd]

Hey Everyone,

I may have an opporutnity to do some freelance work in my local area ... the local community paper needs someone to take pictures. Anyway, the editor asked to see some of my work on either a paper or on CD ... I rushed home picked out about 25 of "my best" and burned them onto CD and now await his call tomorrow.

I would print the pictures and create a hard copy portfolio, but I do not have the time (I found out about the gig this evning, and the guy is suppose to call me tomorrow) ... and my contact told me that it is a pretty relaxed environment.

I really would love to do this ... what else could I do to show the guy that I am truly interested ... (besides working for free). Any tips. advice, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Bill Huber]

I missed this post, so now the question I need an answer to is ....... Did you get it........

What type of shooting is it...?

[Abel]

exactly, im curious as well. i cant beilve this thread went unnoticed?

id love to shoot freelance one day, im in the process of trying to get a hookup but man i tell ya its tough

[ndsimm]

I agree, how did we miss this one????

[pfritzd]

Hey Everyone ... sorry for the delay

and YES ... I did get it. I'll be shooting primarily H.S. sports for the community paper. It doesn't pay much, but the practice and exposure is mainly what I am looking for.

Had my first shoot yesterday .. Girls Soccer. Got quite a few good shots with my D70/ Nikon28-200 lens setup ... but I will have to invest in a faster lens as well as a lens with a fixed focal length.

When I originally posted this, I wanted to get info on "winning" the job, now it's about keeping the job ;)

I'll keep you guys posted on how I do ... so far so good :)

[ndsimm]

Congrats on the gig man! Pratice with intent to improve makes perfect and it sounds like you are on the way...

[gpgyo]

I started shooting high school sports for a community weekly in February. I covered mostly soccer but also did a little track, baseball, and softball. Now that the school's sports seasons are over, I think I'm pretty much on summer vacation. It was a great run, though. The paper ran 4 of my pictures in Feb., 13 in Mar., and 6 in Apr. (but who's counting?)

Have fun,
Greg

[pfritzd]

Thanks fellas ... I think it will be a fun experience. Right now I am expected to shoot soccer, softball, baseball ... when I get a few "updated" lenses, they will expand and let me shoot football and basketball. Figure I will start a little business so that I can write off the camera upgrades I am going to need ... fun fun fun

[edit -- had to learn to spell]

[lscottpht]

Congrats, Patrick! That's awesome!

[pfritzd]

thanks Leslie ;)

[jerrykr]

call all of the little local town papers around you.

they are usually really mom and pop operations.

they usually have someone lined up to take sports pictures, but they need alternates that they can call on especailly during football season when it is really important to them to cover all of the local HS games. There are many games, and they are all played at the same time. the photog usually has to make a tour of several games, get a few shots at each and get them back for publication. This is not Sports Illustrated quality stuff they require either. If one of the photogs is not available one Friday, the owner is in a real bind. HS football reporting is the highlight of the local paper's reporting, and they can't afford to miss.

They also usually need someone to go out and take pictures for real estate adv.s

How do I know?, I had an owner try to talk me into just what I described. I didn't want to get tied down every Friday night in the Fall. A missed opportunity, no doubt.

-=- Jerry -=-
/*

[pfritzd]

Jerry -- I will take these ideas and see where I can go from there

P

[pfritzd]

The Update --

My first shoot - Girls Soccer Game
RESULTS: They used two of my shots ... one blown up picture on the front page, the second within an article about the game ... Giddy UP!

:D

[lscottpht]

Totally awesome! Way 2 go!

[jerrykr]

Good job. hope there are many more taken and published!