What's the proper way to ask to get into High School sporting events?

[ilzho]

Hello:

I'm looking to expand my experience in shooting sports and I thought I would ask all of you that have experience in doing this, what is the proper way to go about it?

Here are my thoughts/concerns:

1) I assume some schools might have a contracted photographer, but if they don't, do you ask permission from the Athletic Director or head coach to take pictures?

2) Do you tell them they can have the pictures to help with their yearbook or online site? I'm not looking to charge for the photos, I just want to gain experience.

3) Since the students are minors, do you need permission to shoot them or does the school handle this? It's a public school system.

4) Have you had any parents question you about 'What are you doing with the photos', insinuating you might be a pervert, haha.?

5) Have you gotten any side paying gigs from taking pictures of the games?

I'm sure I'll have more questions, but any guidance is appreciated.

Thank you,

David 

[RobertTheFat]

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@TTMartin wrote:

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What I did was contact the local newspaper. I worked out an agreement where I would provide them with free photos of the sporting event, in exchange for a byline that said more photos were available on my website. On my website (through exposuremanager.com) people could order prints. The printer would take the order, do the billing, mail the prints, and send me the money. There are a number of printing sites where you can do this.

As far as the actual sporting events, I would show up early and introduce myself to the referee or other officials and ask them where I could take photos. For baseball and softball, the coaches would have to agree for me to be inside the fence, because if the ball touched me it would be considered a dead ball. For football generally you have to stay out of the coaches box which extends from 25 yard line to 25 yard line. Generally I would get backfield photos when the line of scrimmage was behind about the 30 yard line. I would then move to the other side of the coaches box for defensive photos or passing plays, as the line of scrimmage moved inside the 20 yard line, I would move to the end zone to get shots of players coming through the line.

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Your second paragraph implies something your first paragraph doesn't actually say. Did your arrangement with the newspaper include press credentials for the events?

[TTMartin]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

Your second paragraph implies something your first paragraph doesn't actually say. Did your arrangement with the newspaper include press credentials for the events?

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The newspapers (I actually did this for two small papers in two different school districts) considered me their photographer, and would verify that if contacted. If a team you are covering advances to regional events you will need to register as a photographer for those in advance and for me that is when press credentials were needed. 

For football games I did wear a high visibility safety vest with my websites name on the back. In addition to being a marketing tool, it reduced the chance of becoming part of the action. I didn't mention it above, but, for football you also need to be back 12' from the actual sideline and endzone. For this reason and the general size of the field a 70-200 f/2.8 really isn't long enough for football, I used a Sigma 120-300 f/2.8. 

Some lessons learned; there are some parents that will buy every photo of their kid no matter what, leave your photos up for years as many parents will come back and buy photos for a graduation collage, if someone is injured and you photograph it a lawyer will probably be buying those photos, and generally Pee Wee Football parents buy more photos than High School parents.

The vast majority of my photography was softball, swimming and football. My daughter was a swimmer and played softball. I did a lot of football was because I enjoyed it. I did also do volleyball, basketball, soccer, and hockey, because the either the newspaper expected it or the school requested it, but, each of those were only one or two games a year.

I did this for 5 years, including one year after my daughter graduated from high school. After I retired from my regular job, I thought I would do even more, instead I decided I didn't want to HAVE to do anything. I didn't want to HAVE to go to games, I didn't want to HAVE to get photos to the newspaper, I didn't want to HAVE to further process photos when someone ordered prints. That's when my wife and I started birding. Birds don't care how long it takes to post process their photos or if you even process them at all.

Now that I've been retired for a few years, I am covering political events as an official photographer, and doing a model shoot for a friend (TFP) this weekend.

[ebiggs1]

ilzho

I don't know where Martin is from but I can guarantee that will/would not happen in Kansas.  You will not be allowed on any HS field and you will be assorted off if you try. You might check how your local school board handles someone like you wanting to photograph high school sports as it is likely different. Pop Warner and 3&2 Baseball, etc, is not the same as high school.

[RobertTheFat]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

ilzho

I don't know where Martin is from but I can guarantee that will/would not happen in Kansas.  You will not be allowed on any HS field and you will be assorted off if you try. You might check how your local school board handles someone like you wanting to photograph high school sports as it is likely different. Pop Warner and 3&2 Baseball, etc, is not the same as high school.

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Tom was working for a newspaper. Do the local newspapers not cover high school sporting events in Kansas?

[TTMartin]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

ilzho

I don't know where Martin is from but I can guarantee that will/would not happen in Kansas.  You will not be allowed on any HS field and you will be assorted off if you try. You might check how your local school board handles someone like you wanting to photograph high school sports as it is likely different. Pop Warner and 3&2 Baseball, etc, is not the same as high school.

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Most high schools allow press photographers inside the field fence. 

Photo from the Kansas City Star, note the photogapher in background.

Blue Valley Southwest's Mickey Brown, right, struggles to make this tackle on Aquinas' Vincent Washburn during the football game between Saint Thomas Aquinas and Blue Valley Southwest at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Sept 7, 2012. Andy Lundberg/Special to the Star (photo used for educational purposes) 

Outside the Limit Line you are NOT 'on the field'. So yes in that regard, you are correct if you went 'on the field' (like the photographer in Kansas shown above) you would be escorted off, but, that isn't what I described.

As far as baseball and softball, inside the fence you could be considered on the field, and if that was allowed as I said was at the discretion of the Head Umpire, and both team's coaches. About 90% of the time I was permitted to be inside the fence (against the fence) past the dugouts abeam 1st and 3rd bases. Larger ball fields have an elevated photographers stand in that area.

The differences in individual experience may be related to city/town/school district size than geography. In a larger city you would likely have to register as a press photographer with the school district in advance. In my case these were small town schools and newspapers. Also, it may have something to do with differing photographers personalities. Regardless of whether you've registered with the the school district or the tournament, it is very important that you show up early, introduce yourself to the field officials (referee/umpire/etc). Don't just show up walk inside the fence and start taking photos even if you registered with the school. The field officials are responsible for what occurs inside the fence, and they are the ultimate authority there. Hint, it doesn't hurt to take some photos of the officials doing their thing. If you show up and arrogantly announce you are going to be taking photos, yeah you'll probably be escorted off the field. If you introduce yourself to the field officials well before the game, explain who you are taking photos for, and ask permission from the field officials to take the photos, it will likely your experience will be like mine. 

[ebiggs1]

I have no idea what the rules are where you live.  I do know what goes on here.

There is always a 'gane of the week' and it is covered by the Kansas City Star.  Each of the local TV stations cover a game of the week.  There is usually an award for being chosen game of the week.  $500 bucks or so to the school.

There is even TV coverage of a game of the week.  Little different, huh?

If you showed up at my school and said I am the press photographer from Tiny Town Newspaper and I would like access to your sporting events.  I would bet they would not take more than a few seconds to tell you, no way.

You can buy a ticket and go in the stands like anybody else.  Take all the pictures you want  like anybody else but you are not getting inside the fence that surrounds the field.

There is a big difference between a Kansas City Star reporter and just a guy that wants to shoot some kids playing football or baseball.

If you have a kid attending the school they may make an exception for you.  Or perhaps you are buds with an administration person, all bets are off. Those people get by with what most of us can't.

Most of the time the students on the yearbook staff do the photography chores.  I usually help them and lend them gear but they do the leg work.

[TTMartin]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

I have no idea what the rules are where you live.  I do know what goes on here.

There is always a 'gane of the week' and it is covered by the Kansas City Star.  Each of the local TV stations cover a game of the week.  There is usually an award for being chosen game of the week.  $500 bucks or so to the school.

There is even TV coverage of a game of the week.  Little different, huh?

If you showed up at my school and said I am the press photographer from Tiny Town Newspaper and I would like access to your sporting events.  I would bet they would not take more than a few seconds to tell you, no way.

You can buy a ticket and go in the stands like anybody else.  Take all the pictures you want  like anybody else but you are not getting inside the fence that surrounds the field.

There is a big difference between a Kansas City Star reporter and just a guy that wants to shoot some kids playing football or baseball.

If you have a kid attending the school they may make an exception for you.  Or perhaps you are buds with an administration person, all bets are off. Those people get by with what most of us can't.

Most of the time the students on the yearbook staff do the photography chores.  I usually help them and lend them gear but they do the leg work.

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The point you are obviously missing it the Tiny Town Newspaper, is the Tiny Town that the school district is in, and those were the sporting events that were covered, both home and away. Yes, if you tried to go to big city against big city sporting event and said I'm from Tiny Town Newspaper that has nothing to do with the two teams playing what you say would be true.

The one school district I covered my daughter went to, the other she didn't. For the school she didn't go to I was only the Tiny Town Newspaper Photographer, not buds with any administration person. Your comments about students and yearbooks, indicates to me you have no clue how Tiny Town Newspapers operate, or how important coverage in the Tiny Town Newspaper is to the school. School coverage in Tiny Town Newspaper, helps funding levy's pass. Most Tiny Town School Districts welcome the coverage.

edit: As for how Tiny Town Newspapers work, most rely on news releases for their stories, not reporters. Some Tiny Town Newspapers, may only have a reporter that works a few hours a week cover local politics, and certainly no staff photographer. They are more than willing to workout a mutually beneficial arrangement with a sports photographer. 

The games I photographed often wouldn't have been covered at all by the newspaper if it weren't for my photos. Oh and by the way, I usually wrote the caption (including my byline) as I was the only one from the Tiny Town Newspaper covering the event.

edit: As for the game of the week, for the larger of the two schools I covered there were typically about 3 or 4 photographers at a regular game (Tiny Town Newspaper for team one, Tiny Town Newspaper for team two, competing Multi-Tiny Town Newspaper for team 1, and possible a parent photographer from one of the teams). When the team was the televised game of the week there were two additional still photographers. 

[TTMartin]

Here's a Kansas Photographer that is doing something similar to what I did.

Everett Royer

Welcome to KSportsImages.com. Specializing in Sports and Action Photography in Kansas.
Capturing sports moments that last a lifetime.

The 2016-17 sports season is less than a month away! Fall beckons, and that means plenty of sports - football, volleyball, cross-country and soccer are on the way. It's an exciting time of year when all of the teams start the season with a clean slate and optimism is in the air. I'm looking forward to covering all of the great action on the field and on the court. Good luck to everyone!

Looking for photos of your favorite team? Use the search window at the bottom of the page and type in the name of your team, and if I have shot any of their games, their photo galleries will appear.

Thanks for visiting.
Everett

[ilzho]

Everytime I ask a question on here it seems the passion/egos really comes out.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing. I never met a timid or shy photographer.

[ebiggs1]

"Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing."

It can be a good thing but not necessarily so.