Rant - Volleyball Tournement Disaster

CMfromIL · Mar 28, 2012

I just wanted to share a frustration I've experienced. I'm not a 'pro', don't charge for my services, and really take pictures as a hobby. I appreciate all of the C&C, and work hard to take the best shots that I'm able, and enjoy sharing my work with the parents of the kids on my daughters VB squad.

Here's the issue. Back on Feb 11th, I attended my daughters 1st tournement of 6th grade volleyball. I offered to take pictures of my daughters team, and of other teams for free, for fun. I was told that not only would I NOT be allowed on the floor, but they were also restricting ANY photography save the 'professionals' they had hired for the specific purpose of walking the floor taking pictures of all the teams.

I silently called BS, and packed my bag anyways. Afterall I didn't purchase the 70-200/2.8 L for nothing. Glad I took it. Got some great shots, many could have been better but being restricted to the bleachers wasn't optimal. I didn't notice any other photographers (except some parents in the stands) walking the floor or taking shots.

After the tourney ended I waited a week for the 'photographer' to upload her pictures (to Walgreens no less). Timeframe came and went. I emailed the organizer who assured me they had taken 'thousands' of pictures and would upload shortly after picking (in his words....'only the best').

Long story short, the pictures were posted yesterday (3-27-2012). To say the least the quality is terrible. The album is public, and here is the link. I won't post specific pictures, as I didn't take them. It's shameful to have someone represent themselves as 'professional' and post such crap. I'm embarrased for them. And it's especially frustrating for parents that have waited 6 weeks for a nice picture to find this. And double disappointing if they followed the tournement request to NOT take pictures in the stands, as they had hired a 'professional' to do it.

Edit (It does appear you have to 'login' to see the pictures. Not really worth it unless you already have an account. Suffice to say the pictures are not worth the time.)

She did leave her exif data. Here is the typical settings for an 'action' shot IN VOLLEYBALL!!! Indoors, with terrible lighting.
Camera: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
Exposure: 1/15 sec.
Aperture: 4.97 EV (f/5.60)
Focal length:
ISO speed: 400

If you do want to really see some horrible shots here are the links:

Whole album (28 pictures)

http://photo2.walgreens.com/walgree...tsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=walgreens/

Single picture, pretty much sums up the 'album'

http://photo2.walgreens.com/walgree...tsc=SHR/otsi=SPIClink/COBRAND_NAME=walgreens/

cnutco · Mar 28, 2012

I can understand the restricted to only the event hired pro... but I would be pissed too if that were the outcome!

Can't see the pics and do not want to sign up for a Walgreens sign-on.

CMfromIL · Mar 28, 2012

cnutco said:
I can understand the restricted to only the event hired pro... but I would be pissed too if that were the outcome!

Can't see the pics and do not want to sign up for a Walgreens sign-on.

Didn't realize you needed to sign up. Sorry for the trouble, thanks for looking.

Hooligan Dan · Mar 28, 2012

I feel bad that you missed out on some good shots and are instead expected to buy the crap shots from their "pro," but the pro side of me has to side with the organizers of the event.

I'm not saying this is how you are, but it is an incredible pain in the backside when I'm trying to shoot a sport and some parent with their rebel is getting in the way, not watching where other photos are and going where they shouldn't. More than a few times an official yelled at all the pro shooters and at a sporting event(mostly basketball) and forced us to move because some parent got in his/her way.

Big Mike · Mar 28, 2012

I don't think that you'll find many people here who are surprised at something like this....it happens all the time.

Not much you can do about the current situation, but you could contact whoever is in charge, show them that you can do better and try to land the next job for yourself.

cgipson1 · Mar 28, 2012

Another instance where the equipment is indicative of the skill of the photographer... Most pro's don't use low end equipment. Send this case to Judge Joe Brown! lol!

2WheelPhoto · Mar 28, 2012

Bestbuy had a clearance on DSLR's the day before that shoot!

CMfromIL · Mar 28, 2012

Big Mike said:
Not much you can do about the current situation, but you could contact whoever is in charge, show them that you can do better and try to land the next job for yourself.

Here's the truth. I contacted them before the tournement, after, and been generally a pain in the ass about the whole thing. I have no interest in turning 'pro'. I enjoy taking pictures of my daughter, and the team. I don't interfere with a true professional (the really, really nice lady who takes the 'official' team pictures of my daughters team, in fact I buy them from her), but what chapped my ass is that I was told specifically that a 'professional' was going to take all sorts of pictures for all the teams for sale, and that even parents were being restricted from taking pictures from the stands.

And then they deliver what at best could be called a disaster. What about all the folks that tried to follow the rules, and didn't take pictures? They got totally hosed.

And I could have (and did) take substantially better pictures than the person at this tourney, and would have shared them willingly. But was totally rebuffed.

MReid · Mar 28, 2012

I don't need to see the pics, I can tell what they look like from the exif data.
Obviously not only is this person not a pro, but they don't know the first thing about photography.

LRYoung · Mar 28, 2012

Honestly - I think it is unreasonable that a pro would want other photographers not to take photos.

Sure I can understand the reason behind it, less competition. However professional photographers should be just that, professional. In my opinion that means they are capable of taking great pictures, and delivering them on time. If they can do that to truly professional standards, then they should not have to worry about parents, and amateur photographers. After all, the Pro is meant to be taking pro quality photos.

Though I do think it's fair that they request amateur photographers to not be on the floor.

CMfromIL · Mar 28, 2012

LRYoung said:
Though I do think it's fair that they request amateur photographers to not be on the floor.

I can agree with that, and didn't leave the bleachers. It is however unreasonable to request that NO photography be done by anyone other than the 'professional'. And that was what was being requested by the event host.

Big Mike · Mar 28, 2012

Some will define 'Professional' as someone who gets paid for what they do. And in this case, that is apparently one thing she did right...she got the job.

She may be a terrible photographer, no sympathy for her, but the blame should go to whoever hired her (which I think is what you're doing).
And I think that most agree that there should be restrictions on who can be on the floor for these events. If not, it would be crowded with all the parents and their P&S cameras.

So like I mentioned, there isn't much you can do, besides tell them to hire someone better...if not you, then maybe recommend someone. They probably don't have much of a budget, and that's when it may come out that their 'professional' was just someone's wife or sister who is just 'really into photography' and did it for peanuts.
Like I recently said in another thread, it's not what you know, it's who you know.

One thing you could do, would be to offer the other parents, the shots that you took. If you don't want to be in business, then you could just give them away. This would likely undermine the so-called professional...which would typically be frowned upon....but it's also upon them to take advantage of their on-the-floor privileged to get better results, and if they don't deliver, then no sympathy for them.

Big Mike · Mar 28, 2012

I can agree with that, and didn't leave the bleachers. It is however unreasonable to request that NO photography be done by anyone other than the 'professional'. And that was what was being requested by the event host.

If it's their venue, they can do what they want. But just because they have that rule, doesn't necessarily mean that they will enforce it.