Do you like sports? Love to photograph them?
Many people enjoy watching sporting events, but some love photographing them so much that they’d do it as a business.
If that sounds like it’s up your alley, the process is pretty straight forward (notice that I didn’t say simple).
In order to shoot for the big boy’s some day, you have to start out small. Here are a few tips that should help you along the way:
1. Shoot your child’s sporting events to gain practice and build a portfolio
- Many times, you will have other parents want to see what you’ve taken and even some that will ask you to take photos of their children. Many times, these parents can become your best clients.
2. Once you have a good portfolio and are comfortable shooting sporting events, branch out and shoot for local schools and newspapers.
- High schools are always looking for editorial shooters, especially smaller 3A and 4A schools. Most 5A schools will have a “staff photogapher” in the form of a student, but it never hurts to ask either way.
- Even if the high school has a photographer, you can still shoot photos of the games and sell them to local newspapers, parents, and even the kids. This also opens up a doorway to shoot the sports teams senior photos.
3. One can make a comfortable living just by shooting for local schools and sporting events. But, if you want to play in the big leagues, you’re going to have to bring your A-Game.
- Shoot 3A games and network with players, coaches, and staff.. This is going to take a whole lot of work, but as in most business it’s more about WHO you know than WHAT you know.
- In the majors, business trumps skill every day of the week. You must be a very lucrative business person in order to succeed. Get signed with a major brand like Getty and you’re set.
I hope that leads you in the right direction. Remember that photography is a BUSINESS as well as an art form, so make sure your business skills are up to snuff!
