Photography at the Emirates Stadium

szymon

szymon

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Simon
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Please don't shoot me for this -- I've read through the sticky and searched, but I can't find an answer on this specific question.

I'm going to see a football match in a few weeks time (my first ever, believe it or not). It's part of a family day out with the kids, we're going into town, do a bit of sight-seeing, and then going to see the match. I want to bring a camera and a walkabout lens with me to photograph the day out. This will probably be the 6D with 40mm f/2.8 STM. I do not want to photograph the game (I won't even have a long lens).

The sticky states:

"No person (other than a person who holds an appropriate licence) may bring into (or use within) the Ground any equipment which is capable of recording or transmitting (by digital or other means) any audio, visual or audio-visual material or any data or information in relation to the Match or any aspect of it."​

So in theory, this means I can't even bring my camera into the ground, turned off and in a bag (I'll probably have a rucksack with me for carrying the various things one needs to carry when visiting with kids). However, the guy we're going with (an avid arsenal supporter, he's the reason we're going to this particular stadium) says that there won't be a problem. He sent me a link to this PDF on the arsenal Website:

http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_file...1335371370_pdf120424_Ground_Regulations_2.pdf

which says very clearly:

"Mobile telephones and cameras are permitted within the Ground, provided that they are used for
personal and private use only provided that no audio, visual or audio-‐visual material captured by a
mobile telephone or camera may be published or otherwise made available to any third parties
including, without limitation, via social networking sites. Neither mobile telephones nor cameras
may be used to record any audio, visual or audio-‐visual material in relation to the Match."​

So, as long as I don't take photos of the match, I should be fine -- right? I could even take a photo of us sitting in the seats before the match starts, and a photo of the whole ground as it's filling up (without any players on the pitch) -- right? Or am I missing something here?

My sole concern is to make sure some security guard doesn't try to confiscate my camera. I could easily live with not taking pictures inside the ground at all, but if someone's going to search my bag on the way in (as I'd assume, since otherwise people could take dangerous things in) and try and take my camera away from me, I'll be very unhappy!

Thanks,

-simon
 
Your problem is the camera.. if the stewards see what they think is a pro setup (dslr and lens) then they will probably stop you... yes yes its silly.. I have a small pocket camera thats equally as good as my dslr for taking happy snaps like you describe...

Personally i would risk it.. your not taking pics of the players in action.. you should be OK ... But.. there is always that risk.. pro looking setup.. without getting into the rights and mostly wrongs of this.. having a pro looking setup is what gets you I am afraid :(
 
I don't really have a pocket camera for those sorts of things. I have an iPhone 5S, but it's not much cop inside (e.g. if we decide to go into a museum or the like). I think perhaps the 6D + 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake is small enough that it doesn't look professional enough!

I suppose I'll print the rules from the Arsenal website to take with me too. I mean, their own rules say you can bring a camera in!
 
I would be inclined to e-mail the ground, explain the situation and hopefully get a helpful and supportive response. If you do, print it and take it with you! If the response is not helpful.. then don't take the camera
 
Against all the rules as it is, plenty of fans take small DSLRs and are generally free to snap away during the warm up. You'll probably be told to stop, if you continue once the game is being playing however.
 
purpleclouds said:
Against all the rules as it is, plenty of fans take small DSLRs and are generally free to snap away during the warm up. You'll probably be told to stop, if you continue once the game is being playing however.
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That's the point though -- it's *not* against the rules!! See the PDF I linked to where Arsenal (the owners of the stadium) explicitly allow it!!
 
I'm sure you'll be fine if you stick to the guidance in the PDF.

For what you have specified above and the warm up.

I have shot under accreditation at the Emirates, and seen plenty DSLRs in the crowd; and as a gooner follow a lot of Arsenal fans on Twitter including one guy (an aspiring sports photographer) who every home match puts images onto Twitter from the warm up (and the club are very much aware of him).

I can't see you being singled out, but I would suggest you put it away before the teams come back out for the match.
 
szymon said:
That's the point though -- it's *not* against the rules!! See the PDF I linked to where Arsenal (the owners of the stadium) explicitly allow it!!
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"Match" is very loosely termed, and could be construed to mean the entire event - anything from the guy unlocking in the morning through until the last man out turns off the lights. It's all part of the "event", which is also mentioned.

Their rules say you can bring a camera in, however the actual use of it is a little grey. But as I say, I've been there plenty of times and you won't be stopped for using it at any time apart from during the 90 minutes the game is on - and that's what you came to find out isn't it?
 
Arsenal dont make the rules so they actually have very little or no say, its the same with the RL and RFU, clubs have no say, they have to accept the terms laid down by the governing body or risk losing their licence to play
 
At Swansea I sit about 4 rows away from the touchline area. I am also on the end of the aisle so I have a Steward about 10 feet away from me monitoring the aisle and general area. When I had my D7000 with a zoom, I was told that I can't use professional equipment in the ground. I have since switched to Fuji and I have not had a problem using my Xpro-1 or Xt1 with 35mm f1.4 attached. I only take photos of the teams warming up and of the general stadium. I dont take photos when the game is in action and never have.

The sticky part above: covers all media devices which is impossible to enforce. Are they going to confiscate all mobile phones and i-pads etc, short answer, no. Impossible to police.

The Arsenal part, PDF: applies common sense and I think you will be fine, but the Stewards interpertation of the rules maybe different, print out the PDF and take with you.

You maybe higher in the stands compared to where I sit and the stewards may not even notice you have a camera, just enjoy your day out and the match.
 
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Hi. Is there a way to apply and ask if I can take professional photos at the Emirates stadium as a photographer in the touchline?

How do you apply for such a thing?
 
the PDF in the link is not working for me, but i did come across this on the Arsenal website, looks like they have you by the bo!!ocks
"
  1. By entering the Ground, all persons acknowledge and agree that photographic images and/or audio, visual and/or audio-visual recordings and/or feeds (and/or stills taken therefrom) may be taken of them and may also be used, by way of example and without limitation, in televised coverage of the game or by the Club, any other Club Group Company and/or any Football Authority or others (including commercial partners and accredited media organisations), in perpetuity, by way of any present or future media for marketing, editorial, training or promotional purposes or for any other purpose deemed reasonable by the Club.
 
Nikon f1.8 said:
the PDF in the link is not working for me, but i did come across this on the Arsenal website, looks like they have you by the bo!!ocks
"
  1. By entering the Ground, all persons acknowledge and agree that photographic images and/or audio, visual and/or audio-visual recordings and/or feeds (and/or stills taken therefrom) may be taken of them and may also be used, by way of example and without limitation, in televised coverage of the game or by the Club, any other Club Group Company and/or any Football Authority or others (including commercial partners and accredited media organisations), in perpetuity, by way of any present or future media for marketing, editorial, training or promotional purposes or for any other purpose deemed reasonable by the Club.
Click to expand...

Surely that clause relates to the taking of images of people in the ground not to people in the ground taking images.
 
jonneymendoza said:
Hi. Is there a way to apply and ask if I can take professional photos at the Emirates stadium as a photographer in the touchline?

How do you apply for such a thing?
Click to expand...
Bit of a thread revival from 5 years ago!!!

To photograph football matches you need to be an accredited licience holder from what I know. From what I’ve read on here there is a criteria to meet. If you post the same question in the sports section (or search in there) there are a few working pros that may be able to help.

A quick google came up with this:
http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/shooting-professional-football-a-practical-guide-11363823730691

Interesting point in there for a Dataco licence you need to have published images of match action in regional or national papers (in case of premier league) in the last 12 months plus it says you have to invoices to show you were paid rather than given away for free.

Like I said better to get info from the sports pros rather than us amateurs in a 5 year old thread about if it’s possible to take a camera into a ground as s fan.
 
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Giblets said:
Surely that clause relates to the taking of images of people in the ground not to people in the ground taking images.
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Yep that cause is about if you enter the ground you are willing that they can take photos of you for commercial use. That happens often with crowd shots or players celebrating with the crowd after a goal. There is a fan who’s in a photo of a goal celebration at the club I follow that keeps going on about he’s expecting royalties for every time the club used the photo this season. Hasn’t a clue you waiver rights of being photographed when you step foot in the ground and don't get anything from being in a photo taken by the club photographer.
 
rob-nikon said:
Bit of a thread revival from 5 years ago!!!

To photograph football matches you need to be an accredited licience holder from what I know. From what I’ve read on here there is a criteria to meet. If you post the same question in the sports section (or search in there) there are a few working pros that may be able to help.

A quick google came up with this:
http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/shooting-professional-football-a-practical-guide-11363823730691

Interesting point in there for a Dataco licence you need to have published images of match action in regional or national papers (in case of premier league) in the last 12 months plus it says you have to invoices to show you were paid rather than given away for free.

Like I said better to get info from the sports pros rather than us amateurs in a 5 year old thread about if it’s possible to take a camera into a ground as s fan.
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Actually when i did a quick google this morning, this thread popped up lol!

But thanks! It seems that i need t grind it out and get a few shots published somehow. can it be lower league games? If so, i may contact Leyton Orient and see if i can photograph some of there games even for lower the price just to have an invoice of it
 
jonneymendoza said:
Actually when i did a quick google this morning, this thread popped up lol!

But thanks! It seems that i need t grind it out and get a few shots published somehow. can it be lower league games? If so, i may contact Leyton Orient and see if i can photograph some of there games even for lower the price just to have an invoice of it
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Google can be useful but it can still give duff answers. Post anew thread in the sports section. There are plenty on there who can help.

The link covers premier league and football league (championship to league two). Looks like premier league is 30 images published in national papers and football league is 15 images published in regional papers. If a club accredits you would you need an invoice as you would be an accredited club photographer on their licence rather than your own (I guess they would have a set amount of accredited positions).

I think Dataco will need to revise their criteria at some stage in the future as there aren’t as many local/regional papers left around my area, and I doubt many of those that are left would pay for images. I guess magazines or websites could be the equivalent that are talking about.

To be honest if you want to make a living from it there are plenty of sports pros on here that could explain that side to you and how they do it. From threads on here that I’ve read whilst photographing premier league is the holy grail of sports photography in the UK it’s pretty hard to make a living as there are so many other photographers there too all fighting for the one or two spaces in nationals/regionals that may pay. And that’s before you get agencies like REX(name?) already providing photographers and images at very cheap prices. I gather some photographers make more of their money from local/youth football events rather than the league football.
 
DataCo criteria:


For Premier League applications:

Photographers
30 football match action photographs published in national newspapers (or equivalent) within the last 12 months (with the corresponding payment invoices if an agency/freelancer)

For EFL applications:

Photographers
15 football match action photographs published in regional newspapers (or equivalent) within the last 12 months (with the corresponding payment invoices if an agency/freelancer)
 
DemiLion said:
DataCo criteria:


For Premier League applications:

Photographers
30 football match action photographs published in national newspapers (or equivalent) within the last 12 months (with the corresponding payment invoices if an agency/freelancer)

For EFL applications:

Photographers
15 football match action photographs published in regional newspapers (or equivalent) within the last 12 months (with the corresponding payment invoices if an agency/freelancer)
Click to expand...
How are you supposed to get published work without actually being allowed on the touchline to take the images in the first place?

Its like a deadlock scenario. To get in a Premier league touchline. You have to preciously have shot inside there and have 30 images on a newspaper (that not many read anymore)..

What if my images are on the official Leyton orient website or similar. Does that count?
 
jonneymendoza said:
How are you supposed to get published work without actually being allowed on the touchline to take the images in the first place?

Its like a deadlock scenario. To get in a Premier league touchline. You have to preciously have shot inside there and have 30 images on a newspaper (that not many read anymore)..

What if my images are on the official Leyton orient website or similar. Does that count?
Click to expand...

It doesn't say Premier League photos published. I would imagine that the 30 photos would need to be at EFL level or the 15 at non league level.
 
Marc said:
It doesn't say Premier League photos published. I would imagine that the 30 photos would need to be at EFL level or the 15 at non league level.
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Even at efl level there is still a requirement to publish 15.

Anyways I wil try get contact with a league 2 side and see if I can photograph a few of there games
 
Marc said:
It doesn't say Premier League photos published. I would imagine that the 30 photos would need to be at EFL level or the 15 at non league level.
Click to expand...


Exactly. Kipax wrote a guide to it an age ago.
 
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