Sports Shooter - Before Looking for sponsor

[arich]

I was just approved as an active member and I went the no-sponsor route so that is possible as well if you have good images/captions

[tshea]

If I am may chime in.

If you want to freelance for a paper or try to be a member of a photo society, freelance for a wire image or trying to land a full time job at a paper here are a few suggestions.

Show your best work, your weakest image weakens your portfolio. If you only have five great photos show only those five photos. Don't show 20 photos, if five are very good and 15 are average.

Spell everything in your caption correctly. Write concise accurate AP style captions. The information in the caption is just as important as the information in the photograph.

Show a variety in the edit. Demonstrate that you know how to shoot news, sports, portraits, features and illustration. But remember; don't show a sports photo if it is crap ! If you don't have any great sports photos it is best not to show a sports photo. Showcase what you are good at photographing and what you enjoy photographing.

Don't show an average sports photo from a professional game just because it from a pro game. If you have a fantastic little league game photograph show that instead. The editors are looking for composition, light and moment. It doesn't matter if it is pro sport or a little league sport.

If you can, try to show something different. Editors look at thousands of images every day try to show them a photograph they haven't seen before. Wow them, make them stop and take a second look.

Most of you have more than one lens. Use the tools in your camera bag effectively to create a variety images. Your whole portfolio should not be sports shot with a 400 mm at 2.8. Show how you can shoot sports with a wide angles also, how you can use a remote. Change you angles, from straight on, to birds’ eye perspective to worms eye perspective. Break the rules and shoot with the sun in front of the subject instead of behind the subject.

Remember to include a strong picture story, one that is edited very tight with great moments and light. A picture story illustrates to an editor that you can work a situation and work with a subject matter.

The last thing, I may suggest is before you apply for whatever position, is have a co-worker, a friend or another photographer look at your portfolio before you apply. You may be emotionally attached to a photograph that is not that great. You might have gone to the end of the world to create a photograph. Because you put so much effort in the photograph you might think it is great but in reality it is just an average photograph. Also the person checking your work may find a spelling error or grammatical error you have over looked.

Hope this helps,

Tom

[mdurisseau]

Tom: Can't agree enough. One of the keys most miss is the 'show your best work.' I know that as someone who see lots of photos, mine and others, if it's a good shot, it's a good shot...doesn't matter if it is from a pro game, college game, or whatever. Your work should be consistent regardless of the subject matter.

[arich]

Also remember that great moments do not great photographs make; you might have a shot of the slide into home plate to win game 7 of the World Series, but if the player's face is blocked, he's underexposed and out of focus, then my routine BoB shot that is all of those things beats yours 9.9/10 times.

[crbeveri]

If you apply for SS.com and get rejected can you apply again in the future or is it a one time deal make it or break it? I know I don't have the portfolio built up yet for the level SS.com looks for but it is something that I am passionate about and hope to become a member in the future.

This thread has been very informative and opened my eyes that I have a lot of work still to go till I am at a spot where I can apply. Thanks all for the great information and help.

[mdurisseau]

@cbeveri-you can try as many times as you like, from what I understand. The tips provided will reduce the effort to get aboard there! It's not easy, though...