Marc Kollar's Photo Blog

We now continue with my thoughts and recommendations regarding shooting on the field.

On the day of the event …

Know your schedule and stick to it.

Get your pass early so you are not dealing with last minutes lines.

Check in with the contact from the media relations department. Don’t be a stranger to this person. They made the contact with you to shoot the game. Let them put a face with a name and give them a chance to give you any last minute information you may need to know about. It will also give you a chance to provide them with your business card so they know how to get in touch with you after the game.

Find out from your contact how to provide copies of the photos to the school. Usually there will be an file transfer protocol (FTP) site on the Internet at which you would post your files. In most cases your contact will give you the address, user name and password via email.

Ask for a game card. This is a two-sided card with the names and numbers of the players for both teams listed in both alphabetical and numerical order. It will also have quick reference points about each team that may help you to key in on certain players.

Confirm what and where that pass gives you access to. You want to make certain you maximize your time. Knowing for certain where you can roam helps you to confirm your itinerary and not waste time with Security or other venue staff whose job it is to keep out those not cleared to enter a part of the site, which could be you.

Get to your locations and setup. As soon as you get to the site for the first round of shots, identify the security or event contact for that event and confirm who is going to be there and what they will be doing. Make sure you know the entrance point and the what will be taking place. Find a location with a clear line of sight and get situated. If anyone gets in that line of sight, be polite but firm and ask them to move. If they refuse, don’t waste time arguing. Acquire a new position and set up.

Get your shots and move on. Don’t dawdle at each site. Get in, get your shots, and get out.

On the field…

Keep your mind on shooting the game, not watching the game. The team has brought you onto the field to do a job. You are not there to be a spectator. Identify the location of the players who you are to focus on.

Shoot the action. Keep in mind that the game is not just about a few players; it is about the team. Sure shots of the quarterback (QB), wide receivers (WR), tight ends (TE), and backs will be of importance. But the guys on the line, the left and right guards (LG, RG), the left and right tackles (LT, RT), and the center are equally important. Some of the more interesting shots are ones that go down the line of scrimmage, especially when the team on offense is close to the goal line.

Recognize when the action is coming your way. When you photograph plays, you obviously have your eye to the viewfinder. But it is critical that you be aware of where other players are in relation to you so you are not bowled over.

Example: Say you are positioned in the left corner of the end zone and are focusing on the QB who is on the 20 yard line. You need to be aware of crossing patterns to that corner of the end zone. You can do this by look at the eyes of the QB in your view finder. If you see him looking right at you, grab the shot and look around quickly to see where the other players are. I would bet money that you will see a WR coming across the end line or a running back coming toward you for a catch in the corner.

Do not get in the way of other photographers. It may seem obvious, but you need to be aware of the people around you. When you watch sports on television, you will see that photographers are generally lined up shoulder to shoulder. This is to make sure everyone has equal access to the field of play. Follow through on that when you are on the field and be respectful of the other photographers.

Do not chimp. Every photographer is going to want to look at the pictures they have taken during the game. Some may do so because they are trying for a “perfect” shot and need to check settings or the like. You may even want to delete a few that were blurry or for which the settings were blown. BUT DO NOT CHIMP.

What is chimping? It is the act of looking at photos on the LCD screen, finding one that you really like and making sounds like a chimpanzee (ooo – ooo; wow – wow), then trying to show the image to another photographer.

In the world of professional sports shooting, however, even taking time to look at photos is generally frowned upon. Why? Because most magazines like SI and The Sporting News want every photo, regardless of who good or bad it is. While you are not shooting for one of these entities, it’s good to take photos as if you were just to learn how to be more professional in your approach.

Finishing up…

When the game is over and you have finished taking your photos, take a moment to take stock of your gear and make sure you have all your cards, all your lenses, all your bodies, monopods, and bags.

Then go back up to the press box where your media relations contact will probably be and thank them for the opportunity. Ask if there is anything else they need from you. Finally, ask if there may be additional opportunities for photographing another games. You may get a yes or a no. Take it for what it is; it’s not personal, just business. Be sure to also confirm the access information given to you for the FTP site or make sure your contact has the email address to which it needs to be sent.

Finally get back to your car, but keep your wide-angle lens out just in case you run across some funny or interesting post-game celebrations.

Do not wait on doing post-processing. Many times, people will try to rationalize why they shouldn’t do post-processing immediately. None of them hold water for me. If you have to wait until the morning, it is time wasted that could get a top-quality shot to the school’s media relations department for use. So jump on this. Get the import done to your cataloging software (I use Adobe Lightroom) and start work on processing.

Once you are done, post them to the FTP site and burn a DVD of your images for reference. If you can, submit the copyright paperwork that evening through the Copyright Office online site.

Last, but not least, take a moment and reflect on your experience. Make notes of things that worked and what did not. Jot down anything that sticks out in your mind as a positive or negative. In the morning, review the notes and see if other things pop into your head or if you’ve come up with ways to address the negatives.

Happy shooting!