sponsors?

ReptileLover

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hey. im new to the photography media. do photographers get sponsors like in other hobbies? if so, how what would getting a sponsor mean/ do? thanks :D
 
Photographers do not have sponsors. They either buy their own gears, rent them, or get to use them through their company (if they are photo journalists).
 
What??? You mean all this time I have been trying to strive to be on the USA photography team and now I have to sponsor myself...What next? You going to tell me there is no USA Photography team?? lol
 
What??? You mean all this time I have been trying to strive to be on the USA photography team and now I have to sponsor myself...What next? You going to tell me there is no USA Photography team?? lol

Sorry to burst your bubbles :lol:
 
Sure, photographer have sponsors like Canon, Nikon, Pentax etc.

How you would go about getting sponsored?
Well, you'd probably have to be a very successful photographer for a couple decades, but not only successful, popular & well known as well. If for example, you were a 'house-hold name', it might be in Canon's best interest to have people know that you shoot with Canon, so they might consider giving you free gear.
 
Did you mean mentor. I cant figure out what you meant by sponsor, I keep heading back to the 12 step program.

Maybe if one gets enough bad CC on here they will need a sponsor. Some may just drown their sorrows.
 
Sure, photographer have sponsors like Canon, Nikon, Pentax etc.

How you would go about getting sponsored?
Well, you'd probably have to be a very successful photographer for a couple decades, but not only successful, popular & well known as well. If for example, you were a 'house-hold name', it might be in Canon's best interest to have people know that you shoot with Canon, so they might consider giving you free gear.

Photographer and household name.....Can you name one?? I could name one photographer and he's dead so I don't think any gear would do him much good. Ansel Adams
 
Rick Sammon for Canon is another, and i use nikon; go figure.

I don't know that i would class this as a sponsor, more a workable arrangement and as Big Mike has suggested camera companies do make arrangements with certain photographers.
 
Photographer and household name.....Can you name one?? I could name one photographer and he's dead so I don't think any gear would do him much good. Ansel Adams

Stephen Eastwood is another that comes to mind for me (other than those listed). Some sports photographers as well.
 
You don't need to be a household name, but you do need a significant enough presense in the world of photography that you can help a camera maker or other photography gear maker sell gear. Joe McNally is another that comes to mind.

I don't know of many hobbiest that have sponsors. All of those that do race cars and the sponsor(s) is/are a local business. The racer is still out of packet for the vast majority of their expenses.

At any rate an agent is way more valuable than a sponsor.
 
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Touche' to everyone who named one! Although I still think household name isn't going to happen, but I get the idea.
 
Sometimes looking through photo magazines it's surprising the percent of photos credited to Nikon, or Canon, or Olympus.

What other hobbies do you do where you get an actual sponsorship? I know if I go run a 5k the back of my t-shirt might have ads from local places, but that's hardly the same as someone actually buying you photo gear...
 
Usually sponsorship is for pros not for hobbyists. And for the pros you have to be at a certain level in your field to interest a brand. But to be honest, some people like you and I can get sponsorship if the proposal is interesting enough.

Last time I lived in France I got involved with an non-profit that got sponsorship for adventurers. Some of the sponsored people got quite well known through their deeds, most of them didn't but it was still worth it to the brands who put up the money. Free exposure to the media in exchange for a few $1000 is quite worth it.

Actually, most things I have worked in know sponsorship. Photo, films, music and politics...
 

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