Speculative Photography - The Loss of Assets to Leagues and Teams
Allowing Spec photographers to clutter the sidelines is not the same as allowing the AP, Reuters, AFP, Gannett, Knight-Ridder/McClatchy to be there. Each shooting position is, and should be considered, an asset by the leagues and maximized. If you have speculative photographers taking positions that could be better monetized by the team to greater coverage by the local papers/outlets, then allowing organizations who's only investment in the coverage is making a phone call to get a credential, is diminishing the value of these very limited locations.
(Continued after the Jump)
All too often, SID's and PR departments turn away legitimate requests for credentials by media outlets because of space considerations. If Sports Illustrated were to complain about not having enough positions to effectively cover a game because of speculative photographers taking up positions...oh, wait - one of their photographers is listed here as the Managing Member of one of those speculative agencies taking those spaces, so that's not likely to happen. Here's their latest annual filing, as of 4/10/2007, and which we also reported on - US Presswire - Introduction.
It stands to reason that these limited locations should be reserved for people who are going to actually publish a photograph, not look at the seats courtside/on-the-sidelines as the camera being a ticket to the best seats in the house, with ancillary revenues as a fringe benefit, rather than the reason to be there. Those are the expensive "super fan" and big donor seats, so pony up if you want to be there.
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2 comments:
"Allowing Spec photographers to clutter the sidelines..." Well, John, clutter is in the eye of the beholder.
"... these limited locations should be reserved for people who are going to actually publish a photograph..." A snide and unwarranted comment/assumption.
There's obviously an agenda that drives some of the comments being made about spec photographers. I understand that John wants to protect his turf. But when John takes it upon himself to start worrying about the NFL and its teams maximizing their revenues, it should be obvious that it is not John's concerns about the NFL's revenues that drives today's blog.
John
So why not base the people who get access on what their publication's circ size is? Or it's annual ad revenue?
Take a look at some markets such as Tampa or Cleveeland where you have a lot so smaller papers that cover the NFL. None of these papers has a national or even a regional audience. Why let them in?
Hell, why let any of us in? Anyone with half a brain knows the sports leagues don't care if photogs are on the side line. The NFL, NBA's MLB etc... money is coming from one place TELEVISION.
As for clutter on the sidelines (later in your post).
You obviously you have never been to Notre Dame, Miami (back in the day) or hell, most big colleges.
The sidelines are cluttered, and it's not with photographers. Notre Dame -- Catholic Priest, Miami and everywhere else -- Boosters/Former players -- NOT photographers from papers big or small, without with out big ad revenues.
What about the 3 cable pullers per TV camera guy, the 5 guys with dishes for Radio and TV. Most of them are there for one thing -- FREE -- they get to be on the sideline of a BIG GAME.
So John, call a spade a spade it's not spec shooter cluttering the sidelines.
Christ I have been shooting spec for 20 plus years for agencies (including SIPA, Picture Group and for BLACK STAR the people you "worked" for), myself and a ton of others.
So are true "stock shooters" bad for the photo world. I mean they shoot on spec?
What about the big "Self assigned" project. Wow, another SPEC shoot.
Spec, as with any other part of our business, if done right can make money.
All any of us have to do is get off our ass, get away from the computer and make a frekin' picture that will sell. Hell if we were all out there making good images, on assignment or not, most problems would solve themselves.
Too many "photographers' spend more time sitting in front of a computer bitching than anything else.
If they put half that energy into making a damn photo the world would be filled with good photography.
Instead message boards like Sports Shooter are littered with idiots who read some other idiots posts and take them as gospel and the industry suffers.
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