How does an amateur make the most of cycling world championships?

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AllTheRain

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I'm an amateur with pro dreams, with my main interest being cycling. I've been heading out to as many local events as I can and getting decent attention from athletes/teams. My goal is to network, build a portfolio, and gain experience this year, and then hopefully go all-in in Europe next year.

The road world championships is coming up in Montreal in September and I plan to go for all 8 days. Mostly to build my portfolio and practice, but it's going to stretch my budget (even going the hostel route), so I'm wondering if there is a way to make a few $ while there. It's going to be swarming with pro photographers already attached to cyclists and publications, so I'm not expecting miracles. Even a few hundred dollars would be great. I don't know other photographers to ask and have no idea how people make that transition from amateur to paid work as a freelancer.
Would there be a point in trying to sell them on spec, by uploading to smugmug each day and trying to get as many eyes on as possible through instagram? Is there another way to sell photos after they are taken?

I will add that though I'm fairly new to photography, I have been a freelancer for 15 years in tech/marketing, so I'm familiar with working for myself.
 
Welcome to TP.

There are some pro-sports photographers on the forum who might give advice, although they will have been UK based, rather than Canada.

A key question is when you say you're fairly new to photography, are you actually good with a camera - can you spot a scene unfolding and choose the moment when everything comes together for a picture people will make the viewer excited, or have you just bought a camera in the last 12 months and hope to make a living from it? Would you buy any of your own pictures?
 
Thanks for the welcome!
I've been photographing very casually for a few years, but have only been taking it seriously the past year. I don't have the consistency of someone who should be taking on contract work, for example. Lack of experience is a definite factor. The ones I do capture the way I want are very comparable to the paid photographers at those same events. When I used to participate in sporting events, I would have had no problem with the quality of my photos I put out. Many teams and athlete have been resharing the photos I tag them in. These are local and continental events, though. I'm not at international-level sports photography. I have a busy summer ahead of me!

Say, however, that my photos were of comparable quality. Where do I then go from there? Is it reasonable to be putting galleries on smugmug at these types of events to get myself started?

I used to live in the UK, which is how I ended up lurking here for some time ❤️ I'll be moving to France at the end of the year.
 
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Youth mobility visa. It's my last year to take advantage before I age out, so I'm not letting it go to waste. Same way I was able to live in the UK, then Ireland. My hope is to spend the year living on my tech freelancing and supplementing with photography as much as possible. If after that year it looks like I can make a real go of things, I'll apply for a freelance visa.
 
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