Digital SLRs still have shutters, right? Of course they do. I think. Anyway, it doesn't really matter. I was reviewing some paintball sites looking for info that could pertain to upcoming posts on the PSP affiliates and the next promotions post--yes, I'm still going to finish those posts--when I noticed how many photographers there are trying to drum up business at paintball tournaments. It almost seems like it's inversely proportional to the number of teams and players participating. The fewer players there are the more photographers looking for a gig. Which is a good thing if you're not a photographer...
(It could also be I just never noticed before.) It also seems as if the numbers of photographers has exploded since the print magazines died. Almost as if Joe Photographer no longer has to justify his (or her) work in the context of "what magazines have you been published in?" Of course there have always been photographers at events and since I shun having my picture taken like a superstitious New Guinea headhunter I'm the last one to notice just how many. Even so, it's kinda creeping me out. I assume most of them got into shooting paintball events through playing paintball. At least I hope so. If increasing numbers of professional photographers are circling around tournament paintball like sharks attracted by chum in the water is anybody still making junior high yearbooks anymore? At this rate how long will it be before the sound of shutters drowns out the rat-a-tat-tat of paintball guns?
Thursday, July 22, 2010
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8 comments:
See, now I'm going to make a point to hunt you down and take your picture at this year's World Cup....
Are you referring to the WCPPL and the insane number of photographers trying to cover the event?
Its interesting. You want as much media coverage as possible, but it comes at a cost to the players and reffs on the field. Too many bodies create problems..Too little coverage reduces your exposure and growth potential. Catch 22. Hopefully that league has hit critical mass.
Decent digital cameras are relatively cheap these days. I think it's just a lot of hobby "wannabe" professional photographers these days. It was certainly a lot different back in the day when you had to develope your own pictures in your dark room, or heaven forbid, pay someone else to do it. I doubt very many of them are making any kind of real coin.
I'd be more concerned with how they all take the same pictures. The guys who made art taking photos of paintball were all run out of the sport a few years ago.
I think Reiner has it mostly right - the barrier to entry is lower. And it's the kinda thing where more people want to do it than there is any need for them.
I will say this whole 'League needs photographers for promotion' thing is off the mark. The league needs coverage in major outlets for promotion - PbN, ProPaintball, APG, Faceful - and those guys need photographers. Having event pics up on the "personal" website of another photographer isn't driving business to the leagues.
all this talk makes me miss Miguel Cruz really bad right about now.
Ask the players if you think they want the Photographers there. I am guessing you will get a resounding "Yes". It's not hurting the sport. Gary has been monitoring who gets PSP access and Chris has been watching over NPPL. Unless the sidelines are ridiculously small, you are not going to get overcrowding from media. You have all sorts of folks that take pictures. Some working and some hobbyists. There is room for everyone. If you think that too many people taking photos of Paintball is a problem, I worry about what you think the real problems in Paintball are. My only distinction at National Events would be who gets Pro Field access and who doesn't. That's where the Vendor Photogs need to be and whatever true paintball media presence (Facefull, ProPB, Splat) needs to be. Everyone else can shoot divisional play and charge teams for photos. The more legit guys shooting Paintball the more players have a chance to get their picture taken.
The leagues don't need the media for promotion anymore. Paintball Media does most of it by default and PSP went out and partnered up with Social Paintball and NPPL has Chris and the folks from Splat.
Since I guess since I have been photographing paintball all over the world for the past 10 years for just about every magazine and I work as the PSP Media Liaison I feel compelled to give my views on this subject.
When I stated shooting paintball 10 years ago there we very few of us and we all worked together and knew each other very well. I am currently amazed at how many photographers have appeared in the past few years in tournament paintball and yes it has produced significant problems for not only those of us who actually work for print media (maybe presently three photographers in the entire world), but for refs and players too. The ever narrowing side lines of tournaments have become impossibly crowded producing an almost unworkable situation for the refs and the real pro photographers.
I am particularly well know for getting in the way of many of these new “point and shoot” “running man” photographers who have just gotten their brand new digital SLR. Since they frequently have no knowledge of photography what better place to learn than on the side line of a national paintball tournament. This creates a very difficult situation for me since I am usually under contract with FaceFull and alone covering an event and I have to produce images. As a result of this I now really have to fight to get in to position to get the images I need so I have resorted to becoming more aggressive and I use a shorter focal length lens which puts me closer to the action and in front of the other photographers.
Since I am become the PSP Media Liaison I have established a system to limit the number of photographers on the field and I have established a system to classify and limit access the pro fields to the few real pro photographers.
I have always wondered why there are so many photographers at tournaments and almost none at scenario events. The print media covers both aspects of our sport equally but frequently at a scenario event I am the only one there. Why is this? I believe the repetitive nature of speedball events makes it easy to photograph …my recommendation to all the new photographers is to try shooting a scenario event. It’s much harder but more challenging and rewarding. At the 2009 D-Day which was a 3000 player event I was the only photographer on the field
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