Nice freebie for the paper, should always charge them at least £50 a shot, they get paid for the paper, why shouldnt you for your time and skill, they just love freebies and are putting pro photographers out of business
Please see my comments above. If there were any pro photographers at the game I wouldnt have taken my camera out of the bag, dont belive in doing things like that.
Having been involved in ice hockey for 18 years, and playing for the Tigers senior tems for around 5 years, ive NEVER seen a pro togger, freelancer or anything like that at the ice rink to shoot a game. Whether thats because no one wants to photograph it or they dont ask I honestly dont know. Its a sport that not covered by the newspaper photographers for whatever, and thats a massive shame.
I was shooting for the event organisers for their pesonal collection and was ASKED by the paper for some photos along with another photographer that was there (another amature, actually the father of one of the players). They told me then that they would not pay but I did it out of a favour for the event organisers so they could get some free publicity for the game seeing as it was CHARITY GAME FOR HELP THE HEROS!!
Please dont jump on me as if i go around every local sports event snapping the games and sending them into magazines and papers for free and put pros out of work...THATS NOT THE CASE!!
I wanted to share some good news with the forum as pros and amatures on here have largely helped me improve on my photography from help and advice they have offered.
EDIT: I would really love to become a professional freelancer at some stage of my life so agree with the point your making guys, I would just hate it if you thought I was doing anything wrong on purpose!
But I supose there is another way to look at this scenario (playing devils advocate....) If these so called 'pros' could be arsed to get themselves to the game and photograph it maybe they wouldnt be put out of work by amatures?
Its not just the amatures that cause the problem, the club would have to run the rule on who takes the shots too and only allow a pro to take them. Then there is the publication, they should only accept submissions from pros then we wouldnt have this issue!!! Swings and roundabouts?
And what constitutes an amature, just because they dont do it as a full time job? If that amature can take just as good picture as the pro then is he a pro, or is the pro producing amature pictures?
Shade of grey??