Nascar Photos

[brian_f2.8]

I agree, I look for the unique shots. Last year I submitted 5 photos 1/40th pan through 2" space behind the Armco at The Glen. Everyone in the media center loved it. I was chastised for wasting my time afterwards.
I admire F1 photographers that have the ability to go to a race and shoot from a unique perspective that most don't get to see.
I'd love to be able to do that but again no one cares but true photographers.
I have only been shooting for 2 years going on 3(second year doing pro sports). I'm pretty happy with what I have been able to do.
I was asked to go to LeMans next week but can't get enough time off work.
I must be doing something right because it has been a very good experience so far with good money on my end.

 

[Pallycow]

I'd love to be able to do that but again no one cares but true photographers.

I was having this conversation with a friend today, and more recently many. I feel this is a sign of how things are going. So we need to adapt. I have just not yet figured out how to adapt...without conforming. It's my struggle I guess. lol I hate conforming, but I love money. lol.

No one appreciates my, well what I call my true work, except other photogs. The general masses like the chit I would normally throw away, and they pay for it. Sigh...oh well. I'll figure it out one day.

 

[brian_f2.8]

Yep either create a photo or get paid. Sorry but business before pleasure.

 

[imagemaker46]

40 years and you are justifying your self to a 20 yr old kid online? Seriously when you loose your ego let me know. You are acting like a baby not a professional.

I never said I was Joe McNally. Everyone has something to learn. Who doesn't besides you.

You reply to each comment like you are in 5th grade. You have stalked all my previous threads. I don't see anything on your site that says wow. I wont even look at your site again, not worth my time. With all your knowledge and experience that's pathetic if you ask me. If that's your best work for 40 years sell all your gear, it's the most money you'll make in photo!

Keep teaching school and play the pro/am on the weekends, it takes guts and skill to give up a full time pay cheque to really understand what it's like to work as the other.

 

[imagemaker46]

Yep either create a photo or get paid. Sorry but business before pleasure.

I'm pretty sure all the F1 guys are doing both, consistent shooting at every single event is what clients want. They want to see solid boring action as well as creative generic images that they can use for advertising. There shouldn't be any limitations put on yourself when taking pictures. Not shooting something you see simply because you don't think a client would like it undermines why you want to be a photographer in the first place. The best pictures come from the ability to see what others don't.

 

[brian_f2.8]

40 years and you are justifying your self to a 20 yr old kid online? Seriously when you loose your ego let me know. You are acting like a baby not a professional.

I never said I was Joe McNally. Everyone has something to learn. Who doesn't besides you.

You reply to each comment like you are in 5th grade. You have stalked all my previous threads. I don't see anything on your site that says wow. I wont even look at your site again, not worth my time. With all your knowledge and experience that's pathetic if you ask me. If that's your best work for 40 years sell all your gear, it's the most money you'll make in photo!

Keep teaching school and play the pro/am on the weekends, it takes guts and skill to give up a full time pay cheque to really understand what it's like to work as the other.

Do you have any clue what you are talking about? Ask the staff photographers in Chicago who got laid off and are now stringers with iphones. The star ledger laid off most of their photo staff. The equipment is too good these days to get a good shot. If you want to pride your self on the work you have done - go ahead. I wouldn't hire you.

And I have talked with Getty, Red Bull and Sutton Images about doing work for them. They all said nice work whats your availability. Im not giving up a good salary with benefits and a pension to take photos. If someone would, then they are the biggest idiot on earth.

Read an article online and look at the small photo that goes with the story. Sorry dude but photography isnt what it use to be so adapt to the times.

And thank you for ruining my thread all because you have no talent and hack other peoples threads. Where is some of your current work? Please show us something better than whats on your webpage.

 

[brian_f2.8]

This is why I dont and will not consider your work professional

All images are taken at eye's height
All images are clean and evenly lit
No use of varied shutter speeds
No use of varied aperture
They all look like snap shots
All center point focus - (digital shots)
Your work relies on a pro line body and your 600mm ( nice avatar are you trying to be cool?)
A 9 yr old could do what you do
You say this is your best work for 40 years? Please dude, dont ever comment on my stuff again

 

[o hey tyler]

Brian, before you do work for red bull or Getty... Go back in time to that special place where you took photos of a hockey team. I don't think it would be wise for you to do paid work for either outlet.

 

[brian_f2.8]

Well I will be the first to admit that portraits and studio stuff is not me. I understand it now but I was never taught anything like that before but yes I know what you mean. However, the ability to show up to an event and take pictures and put them online for clients - works for me.

I would not take any assignments with portraits or studio lighting set ups. I do action sports and thats it.

 

[imagemaker46]

Well lets see, sorry that your thread got high jacked, I don't like it when other people do. After 2 years of shooting you have become an expert on what it is like to work as a full time professional photographer. I agree that anyone that has a full time job should keep the job, if I was in the same situation I would do the same. Yes photography has completely changed in the past ten years. I really don't need to be told how things have changed, or how professionals are being laid off at the papers, these people are my professional peers. I have lots of friends that have been laid off, so I understand far better than a weekend photographer what has been going on worldwide, I talk to these people, I don't just read about it. Does it really matter that you have talked to Getty? everyone talks to Getty, I've even shot some stuff for Getty, so what? What you won't ever be able to understand is that all I have ever done is worked as a photographer, I have gone through the best years of photography, changed when digital came along, started producing consistent quality images over 30 years ago and am still doing that. You have been shooting for 2 years and already you consider yourself at the top of the game.

Good luck shooting whatever you choose to shoot, keep your day job, I would as well. But don't ever pretend to understand or know what a professional photographer does, it's not just showing up and shooting a race on a Sunday, or showing up and shooting a wedding, there is more to it than just that. Answer me one question:

When was the last time that you shot any event that went 20 days straight, without a day off, covering 20 different sports, working from 6am-2am and had to produce quailty images from every event, shooting in sun, rain and +45 heat, but doing it because that's what your client expects? When you have had that experience 40 or 50 times then you'll have my respect as a photographer. Until then, enjoy your weekend shoots in the sun.

As for adding new photos to my web site, well as you may have not figured this out, it is largely an archive site of the Canadian Football League, 6600 pictures from the past six decades, I have been scanning all my Dad's and my negs and slides to add to it, it is a commercial site that does generate sales, no one else in Canada has the images that I post, so I am always adding to that. My current clients get all their images and I do add a few shots to site when I have the time. It's not important to me to be adding new material when it is the archived images that people want. Some things are just time consuming, and boring, but it's all part of that being a photographer thing I mentioned.

 

[imagemaker46]

This is why I dont and will not consider your work professional

All images are taken at eye's height
All images are clean and evenly lit
No use of varied shutter speeds
No use of varied aperture
They all look like snap shots
All center point focus - (digital shots)
Your work relies on a pro line body and your 600mm ( nice avatar are you trying to be cool?)
A 9 yr old could do what you do
You say this is your best work for 40 years? Please dude, dont ever comment on my stuff again[/QUOT

You really don't understand at all. Did you just look at the motorsport gallery and base your opinion on 50 images? Just so you know, the shot with the 600mm was from 1993. I have always used pro gear, reason being, I am a pro. Just for the record, I was playing around shooting pro sports with a Canon t21, and guess what? I can still produce quality images. Lets see now, you are using an entry level Nikon body this week, right, are you going back to Canon next week? It's not the camera, remember that saying? I know that if you were using the best gear you would be shooting Si covers, I'm sure of it, I believe that all that is holding you back is your lack of pro gear, really I'm sure that's all it is.

All you have said about my work is that I am consistent in what I shoot, my clients demand consistency, and all the images are clean and evenly lit, how is that even remotely wrong, so poorly lit crap is your idea of being professional? See how far you go with that thought.

 

[imagemaker46]

Brian, before you do work for red bull or Getty... Go back in time to that special place where you took photos of a hockey team. I don't think it would be wise for you to do paid work for either outlet.

But he's already talked to Getty and they want him. I never did comment on those hockey head shots, there was nothing that could said, they spoke for themselves.

 

[imagemaker46]

Sorry got my avatar mixed up, that's my 400 2.8 and the photo was shot in 1998 while I was covering the Winter Olympics in Nagano. It was shot by a good friend of mine who died of a heart attack, sad situation, great photographer, one of the best figure skating photographers in the world.

 

[brian_f2.8]

You really are pathetic. No pro would justify them selves to anyone. I never said I was a pro so please find me saying that while you stalk me - weirdo. I use all kinds of equipment because I can. I buy things and flip n sell them. At one point I did want to switch only because the average price of a 500 f4 is cheaper for Canon rather than Nikon. I can't jeopardize a brand that is notorious for focusing issues when you shoot moving objects. I have used the D3's in the past and to be honest, in broad day light my back up D7000 was fine(didnt buy a D300s because D7000 is better at high iso for basketball/hockey). Yes I have to work them but ok. I am going to upgrade the bodies to D3/D3s so I dont have to do as much work in post. Id love a D4 but I can't afford 2.

I was at Sebring and used a 1Dx, great camera. Out of the camera - WOW! The dynamic range is great - very little post work. When you have to submit a min of 300 photos per event, there is only so much time you can spend in Aperture. You wouldnt know about post production.

Say what you want about the hockey photos but I learned from the experience. It was my first time and I was lost.

Like I said before your work is not professional level. I stated several reasons before.

 

[brian_f2.8]

Moderators - sorry to have this tangent. Please feel free to close this thread anytime. Is there a way I can block imagemaker from future threads? He could be the biggest tool on this forum.