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gibtheo

gibtheo

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Steven
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Hi everyone,

After a good 6 months at least break from sports photography, I'm going to head out to some footy this weekend. I guess I kind of lost the spark for it for a while. I'm actually really excited to get back pitch side this weekend now. I guess I got a little bit bored of going to the same places and getting the 'same' photos every week. I'd consider myself averagely ok at shooting sports and I guess I didn't feel very challenged doing the same routine every week.

Just wondered if anyone else goes through patches of not wanting to shoot, then getting excited again?

Hope everyone is well. :)
 
Would guess most of us go through a patch like that (personally couldn't afford six months without work....)
The routine of covering same teams/same sport/same venues can get a bit repetitive....

My personal 'cure' for this one has been always at those times to convince one of my clients to send me to cover a different sport, in different country and venue (to what I normally cover).
You sometimes just get that little buzz when you swap to cover from your every day sports (which vary from country to country.. but in the UK that's footy) to something totally different..

But yep - going week in week out to cover that game in Leicester (or wherever) you can start feeling like your images all look the same.
And if shooting for the sports pages - going 'creative' isn't always an option fi you want to see your pictures on the back pages ;-)
 
technology for one - can't believe how good the cameras are today. they were great then, but my word now is unreal. And lightroom and photoshop are now so so good.

Second thing is the rates papers and magazines pay - most are now expecting images for free in exchange for your name printed. And almost sound offended when you try to negotiate rates.

Thirdly people are pretty much expecting images free now as well. Ye put some on Facebook and on the website, next thing messages to "email me a copy of that photo" - photos appear to be treated with contempt almost, throw away instances of a moment in someones life, instead of memories to look back on in 5, 10, 20 years time when you aren't so young, fit, beautiful and generally awesome.

I truly bebelive photography and documenting events is a true art form, not to be commoditised, but rather savoured, encapsulated and held for ever.
 
gibtheo said:
Hi everyone,

After a good 6 months at least break from sports photography, I'm going to head out to some footy this weekend. I guess I kind of lost the spark for it for a while. I'm actually really excited to get back pitch side this weekend now. I guess I got a little bit bored of going to the same places and getting the 'same' photos every week. I'd consider myself averagely ok at shooting sports and I guess I didn't feel very challenged doing the same routine every week.

Just wondered if anyone else goes through patches of not wanting to shoot, then getting excited again?
Click to expand...

Felt little like that for the last 12-18 months with Premier League and Football League stuff. I've always put it down to the poor quality of the football I cover (At the time it was Sunderland and Newcastle in a relegation battle so not many home wins etc). Now its little better but not as enjoyable as it was 3/4 years back.
 
Hiya. I say that to myself at the end of each season - and feel a sense of foreboding doom as the preaseason's start. But its soon over and I find I'm enjoying it still. I find the home games a bit 'samey' in some ways, and away games tend to offer awkward viewpoints or other restrictions. But that's the challenge. At least I get the best of the summer to do something different and refresh the creative juices, so to speak :)
 
I chucked it all in after finding that:

1) The rates keep dropping.
2) The time to cover a Premier League game properly is about 8 hours and the income didn't justify it.
3) I'd never be "properly" good at it unless I was doing it full time, and I couldn't afford to chuck my job.
4) Covering league football was just a bit dull after doing the World Cup,

But.....I do miss it. World Cup 2018 is coming up....2 years to prepare?
 
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