Youth football

[ac12]

For high school, here are some suggestions.

• Volunteer to help the yearbook staff.
  
  • This is what I do. I can go to most any sport and shoot on the field or gym court. The only place that I can't shoot is on the tennis court; players and coaches only. My goal is not so much to shoot myself, as to train the students to shoot for themselves. But I had to shoot last year to figure out the various sports and venues, to write their photo guide.
• Volunteer to shoot pix for the Athletic Department. If the AD gives you the OK, you can shoot on the field and gym court.
  
• Volunteer to shoot pix for the team your son is on. The coach may get you field access.
  
  • Today, many/most teams have their own site; Facebook, Shutterfly, etc. and they are looking for pictures of the current season.

Tip1. For any new sport photographer, I tell them "no picture is worth getting hurt for." Your own safety should be your primary concern. I've seen too many people student and adults on or near the field that are just asking to get run over and hurt/injured.

Backgrounds are very hard to deal with. If you are panning with the player, the background is whatever it is, that he is running in front of. You can choose to not shoot, or shoot and accept the background. A FAST f/2.8 lens, if you can afford it, will help to blur out the background, and make it less intrusive.

The background for night games is bad for a different reason. Depending on what the background is, it can totally confuse the meter. On the field, I am shooting flat across the field, so sometimes the background is BLACK, and the meter totally overexposes the players. So I shoot in Manual.

Warning: HS games can be hard to shoot. The major issue is the low light level.
At my HS football field, at night, I was shooting at ISO=12800, 1/500 sec, f/5.6 (lens wide open). I am now at ISO=6400, with a f/4 lens. A 70-200 f/2.8 lens would be nice, but too HEAVY for this old man, and $$$$ over my budget.
The gym is just as bad. Same ISO=12800, 1/500sec, f/5.6. I gave up the zoom and switched to a DX 35mm f/1.8 lens, so that I could shoot at ISO 3200, 1/500sec, f/2. Like football, the f/2.8 DX 16-50 or worse the FX 24-70 zooms are $$$$ over my budget. I did not like the Sigma 17-50/2.8; the zoom was too stiff.
So you need a camera that will work decently at HIGH ISO (12800 or 25600) and/or FAST glass.

Tip2. If you shoot sports, you want the zoom ring on all your sport lenses to turn in the SAME DIRECTION. Muscle memory only works when the zoom rings turn in the same direction. It is frustrating when you turn the zoom the wrong way, and miss a shot.

 

[Big Mike]

Nice shots Pete. Your grand kids are really growing up.

My Son is 10 (birthday is actually today). He plays hockey, which I shoot when I can. I played HS football (also for a team named Tigers) and I'm uncertain if I would want my kids in football...knowing what we know now.

 

[SquarePeg]

I like the idea of volunteering for the yearbook to get access. I know at our local HS games there is a "guard" at the gate to the playing field and everyone has to have authorization to get by. I was asked to get some photos of the cheerleaders by one of the cheer coaches and had to jump through some hoops to get on the field for that one game. All adult volunteers at the school and anyone on the field has to have a CORI check every other year and they needed to make sure mine was current as well as having the request for field access come from the cheer staff.

 

[Christie Photo]

Nice shots Pete. Your grand kids are really growing up.

My Son is 10 (birthday is actually today). He plays hockey, which I shoot when I can. I played HS football (also for a team named Tigers) and I'm uncertain if I would want my kids in football...knowing what we know now.

I know! I do a bit of praying before EVERY game for ALL the players. I know nothing really about sports, but I am a big fan of my grandsons. Back in the film days, one job for a sod farm took me to the home of Dave Duerson. I sat with him on his lawn and chatted. It all makes me wonder if he would have continued his career with a greater understanding of the risks.

Hope you have a memorable celebration for your boy!

-Pete

 

[Christie Photo]

I like the idea of volunteering for the yearbook to get access.

The thing is... the competition for school contract work is pretty fierce. And while I merely want to make photos of my grandson and his buddies, it could raise a few eyebrows (and maybe some complaints).

I'm a long-time pro and will likely be recognized as such. So even though no image will ever be sold, I might cause a stir. I dunno. Maybe I flatter myself. We'll see.

Thanks!
-Pete

 

[Christie Photo]

My Son is 10 (birthday is actually today).

Any recent shot of him here?

 

[ac12]

I like the idea of volunteering for the yearbook to get access.

The thing is... the competition for school contract work is pretty fierce. And while I merely want to make photos of my grandson and his buddies, it could raise a few eyebrows (and maybe some complaints).

I'm a long-time pro and will likely be recognized as such. So even though no image will ever be sold, I might cause a stir. I dunno. Maybe I flatter myself. We'll see.

Thanks!
-Pete

The difference is, he is your grandson.
You have a descendant blood relative reason to help the school.
That is VERY different than me, where I have no relative at the school that I am helping at.

Schools being budget constrained are always asking for parents to help.
If you are a volunteer, you are not being paid by the school. Your only compensation is access and satisfaction from helping your grandson's school. You are cutting out another photographer from making money off the school. But the money that is saved, is then spent in other ways on the students. So is that so bad? Not for the school and not for the parents.

There will always be pictures that have to be contracted out, but my goal is to teach the student to do as much as they can themselves. Because it is THEIR yearbook, and I want them to have ownership and pride in it. And the more they do themselves, the more ownership they have.

There is a meeting place in the middle where you the volunteer, and the contract photographer(s) can coexist.
The stuff that I shoot, I do not/cannot charge for and access is restricted.

• Pictures for the yearbook, are not available or for sale to students or parents.
• Pictures for the AD and coaches, only go to them.

The stuff that the contracted photographer shoot (team pictures, individual portraits, certain events, etc.) are for sale to the students/parents.

The only time that I shot team pictures, was when the yearbook deadline was so close that the pros turnaround time was too long. But even then, those team pix were not made available to the team for purchase, to separate yearbook from the contracted photographers.
For last year's graduation, the student body advisor restricted access to my photos, so as to not compete with the contracted photographers.
So you can coexist with a contracted photographer. You just have to define the borders.

 

[Christie Photo]

The stuff that the contracted photographer shoot (team pictures, individual portraits, certain events, etc.) are for sale to the students/parents.

And THAT'S where it might get messy. The contract guy/gal may not be so happy to see me around. He or she is speculating on sales. They may wonder why would anyone buy if there's a veteran pro doin' it for free? I don't suspect this will happen. BUT I sure don't want to provoke anyone.

And so ya know... I DO support the school.

-Pete

OH... forgot to say... I do post game photos on FB and anyone is welcome to them.

Here's the link to my youth football group: Log into Facebook | Facebook

 

[ac12]

The stuff that the contracted photographer shoot (team pictures, individual portraits, certain events, etc.) are for sale to the students/parents.

And THAT'S where it might get messy. The contract guy/gal may not be so happy to see me around. He or she is speculating on sales. They may wonder why would anyone buy if there's a veteran pro doin' it for free? I don't suspect this will happen. BUT I sure don't want to provoke anyone.

And so ya know... I DO support the school.

-Pete

OH... forgot to say... I do post game photos on FB and anyone is welcome to them.

The catch would be, if you work for the school, you likely need to work out with the school, the border of what you shoot and what the contracted photog shoots.
Example1, I cannot post my pictures publicly. Instructions directly from the principal.
Example2, conflicting events like graduation, may cause my pix to have to be restricted in access, to not take away sales from the contracted photog.

If you shoot as a grandparent, independent of the school, do as you please. He is your grandson. You shoot and publish like any parent would. And unless the other photogs are people you have to work with in your business, I would not worry about them. You would be no different than any other parent or student who had a decent camera and shoots a lot of photos, and posts it on the web, for free. And some of the parents and students take some dang good photos.

I've seen parents with PRO level camera and lenses.
So any contract photog will have to deal with them.

 

[Christie Photo]

You would be no different than any other parent or student who had a decent camera and shoots a lot of photos

Well... I like to THINK that I am. Again... maybe I flatter myself.

-Pete

 

[ac12]

You would be no different than any other parent or student who had a decent camera and shoots a lot of photos

Well... I like to THINK that I am. Again... maybe I flatter myself.

-Pete

he he
You ARE different.

But there are a lot more parents and student that will give the contracted photog competition. And they won't thing anything of putting their pix on the web. Some are good, some not so good, some darn right bad. But it goes up on the web. And parents will grab any pix of their child.

At the last volleyball game that I shot, there were at least 6 dSLRs in the crowd, including at least 2 pro level cameras/lenses (Nikon D750 with a 70-200 and a Canon with a grey L-series lens, I think 70-200/2.8). I don't know why they would use a 70-200 in the gym, in the first row of the bleachers

The only real difference is the access that a school sanctioned photographer would have. "Normally" parents and students can't be on the football field or volleyball/basketball court. However, I have had parents and students on the football field and volleyball court with me, so sometimes there is no difference in access. Just what the officials and coaches will allow.

 

[Big Mike]

My Son is 10 (birthday is actually today).

Any recent shot of him here?

Here is the photo I shot for his profile on the hockey team webpage.
Error | ThePhotoForum: Film & Digital Photography Forum

I shot one game this season so far, didn't manage to get a good face shot of him yet but here is an action shot.
Error | ThePhotoForum: Film & Digital Photography Forum

 

[Christie Photo]

His mother must be REALLY good lookin'. What a face!

 

[Christie Photo]

At the last volleyball game that I shot, there were at least 6 dSLRs in the crowd, including at least 2 pro level cameras/lenses (Nikon D750 with a 70-200 and a Canon with a grey L-series lens, I think 70-200/2.8).

I see it all time. LOTS of folks with MUCH nicer gear than mine. Oh well.

They're just tools (the camera/lenses... not the users).

 

[ac12]

I know! I do a bit of praying before EVERY game for ALL the players. I know nothing really about sports, but I am a big fan of my grandsons. Back in the film days, one job for a sod farm took me to the home of Dave Duerson. I sat with him on his lawn and chatted. It all makes me wonder if he would have continued his career with a greater understanding of the risks.

-Pete

I've seen a few of those hits, and even with protective gear on, it bothers me.

One of the hits that scares me is the low hit, where the runner or pass receiver is then flipped over the hitter. It is how he lands, that is where the danger is. Landing on his head can be REALLY BAD.

The problem is that football is so engrained into the culture, that I doubt it will ever be removed from school sports.