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11/28/2006 12:11:41 PM · #1 |
insights into the world of shooting college sports...
what do you charge to shoot? typically, it depends on the size of the school, the sport, and the importance of the game. for example, a division 1A basketball ncca tournament game will pay between $250-350. on the other hand, a swim meet at a division iii school might only pay $50.
revenue sports like football and basketball usually pay more than non-rev sports like tennis, golf, softball, and the like. nationally ranked teams will pay more than non-ranked teams.
if you are willing to work closely with the SID, and be willing to be flexible, you can probably make more in the long run. by that, talk to him/her before games/matches and find out if there are any particular shots they need you to get. find out if there are any special recognitions that need to be covered (typically half-time stuff, or after-game events). try to develop a shotlist before a season starts, rather than wondering after it's too late if you got what they needed.
the key is to long-term success is establishing strong relationships with the SID, the AD, and the coaches. it's not enough to simply 'cover the game'. you have to keep in mind what you're shooting for. not only will you be shooting to get action shots, but you should also be shooting stuff that can be used by the school for all types of marketing. shoot fans, logos, kids, etc. also, remember this: anything you shoot that would embarrass any player, parent, coach, official--anyone--NEVER sees the light of day. nobody needs to see your goalie getting burned for a score, or what color underwear a cheerleader is wearing. it doesn't matter how badly a season turns out--if someone is browsing the photos you shoot, they should come away thinking the team had a winning season.
you might sign up to cover a handful of games, but be prepared to cover as many as you can. it might dilute what you realize hourly (considering you might shoot a game that you don't get paid to shoot), but, in the long run, you get more experience, and it cements the fact that the school can count on you. i know this goes against what some idiots say about 'oh, don't work for free, you'll never be able to raise your rates', but that's simply not true. if you are reliable, competent, and turn in highly usable product, you will be taken care of. and this i say from experience. along these lines, if you have a shot list at the start of the season, you might find that you can actually get almost all your shots in 1, maybe 2 games. then you can use the rest of the season at your leisure, filling in the blanks, without necessary having to cover every game buzzer-to-buzzer.
from a delivery standpoint, typically you'll be providing the SID with a cd of 150-250 images. i typically provide a cd with two folders, one of 300dpi images that are 12" on their longest side, saved as jpg 12, and a folder of 72dpi images saved as jpg 6. this gives them both print-ready and web-ready images.
i do basic sharpening and minor color correction, but nothing else. that gives whoever is receiving the images the most flexibility for how they can use it. also, when you deliver your photos, you are essentially giving them an unlimited perpetual license to use the images in their normal, regular publications, including their website. you can retain copyright ownership, and you can ask that they don't make prints, but those are details you will have to work out with the school. you can ask that they refer reprint queries to you, but, again, you'll have to work out that understanding ahead of time. also, keep in mind, they will get media request to use the photos, and that is their perogative. you can ask that they try to make sure you get credited when that happens, but sometimes, it might not happen. sometimes, you might get paid by the media source (i know a guy who's gotten some money from USA Today for running some of his stuff), but, more than likely, you won't. these are just some things to keep in mind, after you've taken the photos. it's best to establish these things before the first click.
a couple other things to keep in mind. i know the compensation doesn't seem to be that great. however, if you do things the right way, you can make a lot more money. i have permission to sell prints to parents through my website, and believe me, they will buy, especially when they find magazine-quality images. but, there are some very strict guidelines as to what you can and can't do. i can give you some general ideas, but, to be on the safe side, you will need to sit down and discuss this with the school's ncaa compliance officer (and they will have one, if they participate in the ncaa at any level). for one, you cannot actively solicit business while you are shooting; if someone approaches you, you can give them your card. you just can't be going through the stands, handing out stuff. you can take out ads, but you cannot use photos of ncaa-eligible athletes. if you use photos of graduated athletes, you must have their permission (ie, a model release). you do not have to have permission to put shots in your portfolio; it's just printed marketing materials that are restricted. also, you cannot directly solicit parents through the mail. however, if the school is willing, they can put a 'photos' link on their website that will link directly to your website. that's what i have, and it works. i use Exposure Manager. it's not perfect, but it's the best thing i found after looking for a couple years. if you don't have an account and you want one, let me know and i'll get you a discount code.
another way to make some money, as well as get some real experience, is to shoot the team's group shots and their media headshots. depending on the school, they might pay you nothing, but allow you to make prints available to parents, or they might pay $100-150 per team.
the bottom line? i love doing this stuff. i'm shooting 15 varsity sports for one local college, and am working out a business model to allow me to cover a number of other schools, as well. the more you shoot, the better you'll get, and the more likely you'll be to get those killer shots that the cement your relationship with the school. in a lot of ways, this type of work can seem like it's just not worth it, but, when you weigh out all the pros and cons, factoring in whether or not you enjoy it, and recognizing you probably won't get rich from it, it's not a bad gig...
Message edited by author 2009-06-05 22:11:45. |
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11/28/2006 12:17:56 PM · #2 |
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11/28/2006 12:27:25 PM · #3 |
Thanks skip, Although your posts don't make me a better photographer, they gave such an indepth view of a working photographer that I feel just by reading them I feel more experienceed. :). You're an invaluable resource here at DPC. Thank you for all your post, I see your name on a thread and always see what you have to say.
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11/28/2006 12:28:26 PM · #4 |
I can't tell you how much this helps. Thank you for sharing your considerable knowledge with us.
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11/28/2006 12:32:15 PM · #5 |
I do have one more question, do I need to give the college a copyright release?
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11/28/2006 12:37:49 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by cryan:
I do have one more question, do I need to give the college a copyright release? |
i like to keep things really simple (ie, i don't have a contract the size of a phonebook). i typically send an engagement letter spelling out what i'm doing and what i expect to be paid. in this letter, i'll put in verbiage to the effect that "i'll retain sole ownership of the images and their copyrights, but am giving the institution a perpetual, unlimited license to the images to be used in their normal, regular publications, and that if there are any subsequent needs or requests, they are to contact me first."
Originally posted by cryan:
I can't tell you how much this helps. Thank you for sharing your considerable knowledge with us. |
you're welcome. please buy my book when it's published ;-)
Message edited by author 2006-11-28 12:38:39. |
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11/28/2006 12:41:26 PM · #7 |
I'll buy but you will have to sign it first.
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11/28/2006 12:48:53 PM · #8 |
I'd get that book! I am shooting my first basketball game sat for the school paper. Going to shoot whole game, I remember reading in one of your posts about shooting a whole hockey game even though you already had the shot. Should be fun.
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11/28/2006 12:49:42 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by cryan:
I'll buy but you will have to sign it first. |
you got it!
here's some more stuff to keep in mind. |
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