Looking for some advice on being an athletics photographer.

[Seventen]

Hello,

I am doing an event this Saturday it will be a half marathon with some smaller events for children going on.
I approached the person who is in charge and asked if there could be a chance I could come shadow a photographer or just practice the even to try and get some images to help me on the way to getting more into sports photography.
He replied that the event is just a small one with limited funding so they were not going to have a photographer for this. So said I could come along have unlimited access on going about the stadium and if I can share images with them. He also suggested that they would add links on the website for people to view the images, so I would get some traffic to my page. He also mentioned I could make the images of low quality and small and then offer to sell the full sized images to the other racers, having not done much like this I don't think charging would be my priority, just to get the practice and have something that could be website worthy.

I have planned that I will use the Tamron 15-30mm for the starting of each race so I can have images the event planners may have more interest in, then I would switch the lens to the Tamron 90mm VC USD for more close up images as they come over the finish line, but on the second camera I planned the Tamron 150 - 600 to capture the racers re entering the stadium the other side of the field.
The Sun will be very high in the sky during this time and will for sure be casting some harsh shadows on their faces. I will have plenty of memory cards and back up batteries for the cameras.

If someone has any advice for the day would be amazing please. If the images were to be sold would selling as digital files be better or actually selling the prints? What kind of prices could the digital files be sold for? But this was something I was not really on thinking about doing but better to ask the questions just in case.

Thank you

 

[table1349]

1. Learn the course for the main event. It is what you want to shoot.

2. Get to the event early, look around, pick your shots where you want to shoot from.

3. If you are interested in the sports aspect focus down. A couple overall stadium shots may be nice however they are not the main focus.

4. No one cares about the officials or staff unless they screw up.

5. Stay the HELL OUT OF THE WAY! It's a race, that is the important part.

6. Shoot the setup at the start line with a fairly deep DOF to get the participants. Don't care if the stands are in focus, just the participants.

7. Catch the instant the race starts.

8. If the course allows, and it should, find yourself a spot or two along the course to shoot shots of some of the participants. Here is where you want shallow DOF. No one cares about the background just the runners. Try to get multiple runner shots, passing or attempting to pass etc. They add a bit to the excitement.

9. Be back in time for the entry to the stadium. You want the first person entering the stadium. They in all likely hood will win or be one of the top finishers.

10. Catch the action in the race. The lone leader is nice but boring unless it is when they are breaking the tape. Capture the sprints by competitors trying to pass or hold off other competitors.

11. Not everything has to be a full body shot. Facial expressions during this time can be great. Waist up stuff is good, we will know they are runners.

12. Shoot a little wide to crop, shot the action, plan, anticipate.

13. Shoot low. Being about waist level ads to the drama of the runners.

14. Most of you stuff should be pretty much wide open. You want shallow DOF to isolate the action. Too much DOF and it becomes a snap shot.

15. Keep the shutter speed at 1/250 or above. 1/500 would be ideal. There runners not drag racers, you don't need to push the 1/1000 range. If the lighting is such you can, no harm no foul, you just don't need to for runners.

16. Shoot the kids stuff as you can. Again know what their course will be, plan you shots.

 

[Seventen]

1. Learn the course for the main event. It is what you want to shoot.

The course is 20km long so I will be at the start line which will also be the Finish line. While this event is on going there will be under 15 year old children doing some track racing for fun. So for the whole duration I will be in the same spot mostly.
I did consider making it to just after halfway point of the race which would be about a 900 meter walk from the stadium and taking pictures there, but would loose the opportunity to image the children doing the fun races.
Also the risk I don't make it back in time for the end of the race is playing on mind a little.
So it is a little hard to decide where to be, but the organisers said something is better than nothing and that is what it would have been if I don't go.

Thanks for the tip though, they sent me the maps today and on Friday while they build and ready the stadium I have permission to take a look around and find good locations to shoot from.

 

[table1349]

Read above. I hit the send button too early.

 

[Seventen]

Read above. I hit the send button too early.

I read it all now, thank you very much for all this information it is just perfect, I really need a moped I went around the course today and for the most part I cant access by car mainly due to the residential parking. There will be a couple of locations by foot I can get too by foot but capturing the front running will be impossible I timed myself today and I need to run to make them locations. Luckily I will not need to cross over the course. However I need to travel light so I am hoping I can pick up a Blackrapid Twin camera vest and use just the Tamron 15-30 VC USD and the Tamron 90mm VC USD and hope dont need anything else with me.
It seems I can't get to the 900 meter away just after half way point location I have a 70 meter drop to contend with, they are racing around a ridge so a lot of it is hard to access, just hoping the start locations could offer enough action, if I can find a helper to drive me to another location would be another chance but worried if I miss the front runners if I take too many locations by foot.
I have a chance to visit the stadium tonight and will see how everything is set up.

I have a question about the lenses I am using would they be ok or should I take along a much longer reach one? I do have the 70-300 VC USD also but I really don't like how the background is never enough out of focus. The 150-600 it truly is amazing for blowing out the background. but for changing locations I don't really want to have to drag everything around.

 

[tirediron]

Try a bicycle! I've covered foot races by going "against the flow" on my bike.

 

[table1349]

As for lenses, that all depends on the venue and where you can shoot from. For track and field I generally have a 70-200 on one body and either my 300mm or 400mm on another body. For cross country 70-200 & 400. Same for our marathon here. As for carrying the gear the 70-200 is always on a Black Rapid and the 300 0r 400 is always on a monopod. They can be hand shot but frankly why when the monopod helps not only with weight/steadiness but with transportation. Lens on the shoulder and go.

 

[runnah]

Sports, like wildlife is the one area where you have to spend serious money to do well. Fast FPS cameras with great low light and big heavy prims that cost as much as decent used car.

 

[table1349]

Sports, like wildlife is the one area where you have to spend serious money to do well. Fast FPS cameras with great low light and big heavy prims that cost as much as decent used car.

Would You SHUT UP!!!!! My wife doesn't know what a couple of 1DX's cost!!!!! Nor does she know that at least one will probably be traded in for a 1DX MkII.

 

[Seventen]

Try a bicycle! I've covered foot races by going "against the flow" on my bike.

The area is too up and down for me, great idea and actually the idea popped into mind but the Wife pointed out "when was the last time you actually rode a bike"? the inclines are so steep I will never manage them. But I have 4 locations I can get to by foot now, with time to make it back in, 2 will be road side locations and one will be in a forest and final location might be a silly idea but I will be a a small ledge about 5 meters above the runners and can catch them coming around the corner about 80 meter down the road. I will try and bike part of the route tonight and see if it is worth it.

 

[table1349]

It sounds to me like you are trying to take on too much, i.e. sports photographer and event photographer. Two different beasts that require a lot for each job. Remember, as the sports photographer you are interested in the action. You don't need to worry about getting a shot of every individual competitor. You are after the best and relevant action.

As the event photographer you are interested in each and every competitor. You are telling the story of the event and the participants like to all be recognized. Mixing the two can be very very difficult especially if you have no vested interest in the event. The only time I ever cared about getting even participant was when my son and daughter-in-lay were running Track and Cross country at the college they attended. Then I made sure to get shots of every individual on THEIR team. Other than than, no.

 

[Seventen]

It sounds to me like you are trying to take on too much, i.e. sports photographer and event photographer. Two different beasts that require a lot for each job. Remember, as the sports photographer you are interested in the action. You don't need to worry about getting a shot of every individual competitor. You are after the best and relevant action.

As the event photographer you are interested in each and every competitor. You are telling the story of the event and the participants like to all be recognized. Mixing the two can be very very difficult especially if you have no vested interest in the event. The only time I ever cared about getting even participant was when my son and daughter-in-lay were running Track and Cross country at the college they attended. Then I made sure to get shots of every individual on THEIR team. Other than than, no.

That is exactly how my mind was telling me what I need to be doing. Now you have pointed it out things do seem to slow down and seem more reasonable for getting around easily, if doing it like the sports photographer after just the action. I had done a small athletics thing a couple of years ago and they wanted the shots of people crossing the line and that was it but it was only for a school so nothing big.
I think what did throw me was it being a whole day event with many things going on through the day so my idea was to capture a story of the day with the excitement of the sporting part.

 

[dennybeall]

Perhaps a videographers outlook? Take the action shots that are the point of the shoot and ALSO shoot what's called B-Roll. As you're shooting to fill the assignment just look around and shoot anything related to the event. Also before and after the assignment do the same. The B-Roll is then available as fill in or if you get enough good stuff it can go to make up a separate product. Learn to shoot with both eyes open and always be looking around.....