GooGaBu is good enough name for me
Not sure many here even know my real name.. (although probably not hard to find out...)
It's quite rare that I get to enjoy the place where I go to work (when abroad) - and when I get back people ask me "So, how was Paris/Istanbul/Berlin???"
My answers tend to be something like "Didn't like the airport too much, bit of a hassle to get to the hotel, decent room and good WiFi... the Arena had better lights than I am used to, and it was hard to find anything healthy to eat at midnight after the game...."
Unfortunately the sports I cover do not have World Cups that last for two months .. like Rugby, Cricket or Football ;-)
But still.. you are right, definitely get to meet some interesting people and the networking court-side has provided me lots of contacts that have lead to some really cool jobs!!
One thing that from my experience has been very important in finding my jobs abroad : Contacts !!
In the crowded marketplace where work at - it often seems to come down to who you know, rather than the quality/price of your images.
But to start with, when I had no contacts... it was a case of finding my little corner of the market, that wasn't covered yet.
So it was long hours trawling through the internet finding sports/events that weren't covered by the big boys.
Looking at clubs, newspapers, organisations, sponsors, federations and their websites to learn what type of images were there... and compare these amongst one another.
That gave me an idea where I might pitch my queries... and yes, there are lots of No Reply or No Thanks ... but keep on trying and there will be the first one to bite!
UK (in my eyes) is a tough market .. with few sports getting the coverage and lots of big agencies covering their games. But if you look under the radar, you can find stuff that no-one covers.. but that might still be worth your time.
But then again, why would your sport have to be BIG in the UK?? If you are looking for work abroad.. broaden your horizon.. if you are willing to travel, and have the skills to capture striking images, there is a market out there for you!
Even these days, I keep on looking through various sports related Twitter/Insta/FB/websites... and searching for new events to attend.
And sometimes just a simple Tweet from an event can land you a good job... when you contact them and they realise that they do need a photographer
Is it easy to find the work?? No. Does it make me rich?? No. Do I enjoy what I do?? Damn right I do!!!
Just remember.. that where as if you cover games close to home.. you get to come home after work, sit comfortably on your sofa and relax.. while nipping to the fridge to grab something to eat.
Meanwhile... the guy working abroad.. they've just finished covering a game.. they somehow need to negotiate their way back to the hotel.. and finding no Taxi's and public transport having stopped... they get to the hotel hungry/sweaty and tired... and the only thing to eat is the bag of Wasabi nuts you bought at the airport... ;-)
LOL.
