Silverstone 2010/Event photography

[andy owen]

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me how its possible to become an Event Photographer at the likes of Silverstone?

Andy

 

[andrewc]

Yes

Have £ 5m PLI
Have 5 examples of published motorsport from 2009, with 3 being from Silverstone, with your name clearly shown
Have a letter of accreditation from the editor of a recognised publication.

 

[n1kcy]

Piece of cake then

I used to be an official photographer for a couple of kart clubs, it was hard enough getting registered with the MSA.

 

[andy owen]

so if i need 5 examples of published photography - 3 from silverstone, how do i get the 3?

 

[antc]

so if i need 5 examples of published photography - 3 from silverstone, how do i get the 3?

Exactly, its a bit of a vicious circle isnt it. Cant get a pass without the photos, cant get the photos without a pass :shrug:

 

[andrewc]

Contrary to popular opinion, you can get great motorsport shots at virtually every UK circuits without having to venture beyond the safety fencing.

 

[photorod]

I have had shots published which were from the spectator side of the fence. These were the shots which helped me to gain accreditation. Getting the shots is not the main problem. The hard bit is gaining accreditation from a publication and the motorsport organisation especially as there are so many photographers trying to do it now.

 

[eftpotrm]

Silverstone is awkward though because the greater distances mean yo'ure just very tight on space to get decent shots - it's my local track but there are very few places I've found for getting nice stuff without shooting through a fence, which is pretty much an instant no-no for publication.

Plus, most of the larger events there have terms on the ticket which state that any pictures you take are for your own personal use only and woe betide you if you try and do anything remotely commercial or public with them. It's a while since I've been to a smaller event at Silverstone to know if their terms are the same, but from what I remember FIA GTs and Le Mans series both did this, as did Brands for the truck racing.

 

[Gary]

so if i need 5 examples of published photography - 3 from silverstone, how do i get the 3?

when you say event photography do you mean races? or driving experience days?

 

[andy owen]

i meant racing days.

 

[desantnik]

When I hear the term "event photographer" it means to me "someone there to take photos of the competitors with a view to selling them on the day or maybe shortly afterwards".

Do you mean full on commercial photography, or do you mean there for news reporting?

If you mean the former, ask how much they want and if you've got the cash, you are probably in. If its the latter, then get the job from a publication and ask with your editor's backing (in writing).