To photographers: We are better than that
Jan 11, 2018
Jim Colton
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It was a classic NCAA Championship game. Perennial powerhouse Alabama comes back to tie the game in regulation and then win it in overtime. The game winning play was a 2nd down, 41- yard heave-ho into the end zone that broke a lot of Georgia fan’s hearts. It was a play that will be etched in their collective memories for a long time. And one image, a screen grab of that play, will also be etched in the memories of a few people…for a totally different reason.
The screen grab above, has been circulating on the internet for a while now. It shows credentialed photographers watching the play as it happened, as opposed to shooting it. Not a good thing…if you are a professional photographer. There really is no excuse for that. It meant, that they were not prepared.
Any sports photographer worth their salt, will have a second short lensed pre focused camera around their neck JUST for occasions like this one at a sporting event. One that they can grab quickly and “Press and Pray” that they get something as it happens right in front of them. It’s part of the sports photographer’s Play Book. Sometimes you just also have to be “lucky,” but as my good friend and consummate professional Walter Iooss Jr. used to say, “Luck favors the prepared.”
But what bothers me more than the fact that these photographers missed the play of the game, is the amount of “bashing” that they are being subject to on many social media platforms. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve already stated my case about how they screwed up. I’m NOT giving them a pass. But there are ways to say things without coming across like arrogant assholes who know everything and things like this never happen to them.
Remember, we all didn’t start out as “seasoned” photographers. We were all “rookies” at one point in our careers. And it really doesn’t move the issue forward when we so harshly criticize with comments like, “They’re amateurs…or they’re just “kids”…and even in some cases turning this into a gender issue. This has NOTHING to do with gender!
Part of the process of becoming a professional photographer is experience. Part of that experience is making mistakes. We all do. And the best thing about mistakes is that we learn from them. So to the photographers in the photograph that missed the moment…learn from the moment. Wisdom comes with experience.
And to the rest of you who think there can be any positive effect gained from trashing them on social media…remember two things: One, you were a rookie at one point in your career….and two, as an industry, WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT!
About the Author
James K. Colton is currently Editor at Large at ZUMA Press and Editor-in-Chief of zPhotoJournal.com. He began his career in 1972 as the Color Picture Editor for the Associated Press and later joined Newsweek as their Director of Photography before becoming the Photography Editor for Sports Illustrated. He is on the Board of Directors of the Eddie Adams Workshop, is a mentor for J Camp, sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association and was the Jury Chairman for the World Press Photo contest in 2005. He was named Magazine Picture Editor of the Year in 2008 by the National Press Photographers Association, was the recipient of the “Focus” award for Lifetime Achievement by the Griffin Museum in 2010, and has been acknowledged as one of the 100 most important people in photography by American Photo.
To see more of James’ work, make sure to visit his website. This article was also published here and shared with permission.
We love it when our readers get in touch with us to share their stories. This article was contributed to DIYP by a member of our community. If you would like to contribute an article, please contact us here.
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32 responses to “To photographers: We are better than that”
3 things. 1) they look like kids. Probably school photographers and inexperienced. 2) They look to be wearing Alabama colors, so on top of #1, they were caught in the moment. 3) 2 of them have the 2nd camera. But I refer back to 1&2. Probably inexperienced student photographers seeing their school win a championship.
If you look at the monopod the one has, clearly not pro grade.
Terrible photographers can own high end mono/tripods, quality can’t improve a photographer who is bad at the start… so that’s not a fair assumption to make. :/
That was my first thought, too. I had the same experiences when I was a college student shooting my school’s football games. They shouldn’t be on blast for this.
4) make excuses for someone at the right place/time. Those photos could’ve MADE a career. Remember take every chance you get, kid or not. You don’t get unlimited chances…
Easy to say from the outside.
I would like to get the opportunity to make such a mistake…
“Part of the process of becoming a professional photographer is experience. Part of that experience is making mistakes. We all do.”
????????????????????
A mistake as an aspiring photographer would’ve been out of focus or shitty photos. Not taking a photo shows you don’t want to be a photographer.
Lol. Yes we were all rookies and yes rookies need practice, but they can get that shooting a local youth league in their town instead of the sidelines of an NCAA championship game with credentials hanging around their necks.
If you look on the right, one photographer knows what to do, and has crouched down with their second camera. As many others have pointed out, the ones being singled out look like they are new to the business, and perhaps this is first time they have made the mistake and therefore haven’t learnt from it yet.
this is a life lesson learned…..probably wont do it again.
They seem to be caught up in the excitement …no one is perfect.
They probably were all shooting on automatic, and not in the RAW also.
They were enjoying a 15 mnute pause. These cameras are too heavy to keep pace with everything.
monopod…
Imagine messing up on your job, and then being internationally shamed on social media. Nice. That’s the bigger sin here.
People trash these kids because had sideline access that 99% of shooters can’t get.
The two one the right have one shooters gear between the two of them. They look like student shooters for Alabama, there’s probably 8+ of them on the sidelines. They don’t feel the pressure to get shots.
I live in a BigTen university town, the student photographers are either hyper focused or along for the ride.
And perhaps if they were students, maybe thier assignments were not to photograph the football game itself but to record all of those in between moments of the game.
You all assume they were there to photograph the action of the game.
Just a thought….
Good message!
mainly in basketball but how many shots have been ruined with refs running right in front of you? But from experience, most pros have left to turn out photos of the game from the first half.
Joshua Kramer Christy Akemon
Sports photography is crazy. Don’t know how they do it.
I saw this posted before and thought it was the same article I read prior. Love this one. We all start somewhere, glad to see people sticking up for these girls rather than bashing them.
I remember when Joshua was photographing that motorcycle race and those pictures were so crisp. He needs to go and do that again.
Michael James Shields thanks man! Unfortunately the Moto races are the same weekends as wedding. Our dude Aaron Doster kills it with sports photography, doesn’t even make me wanna try lol.
Noooo YOUR NOT!
These wannabes are exactly what they are…so please don’t call them photographers.
I’d like to see any one of you guys catch that shot with that long lens on the blonde woman’s camera, with the football player literally running at you continually changing the focal distance… Then catching the moment the catch happens 10ft in front of you, without only capturing the helmet
I disagree whole heartedly with this article. A strong photographer is hired because there is trust that the photographer will come back with great photos that can aid in telling a strong story. What is not, and should not be expected, is that the photographer will be prepared and in the right position for every single possible moment and scenario. Your judgments on these photographers is based on what you see them missing. However, what you’re not seeing is what they did capture. You’re also not comparing what they captured with the other photographers. For all you know, all 5 of these photographers may have returned to their clients with home run material that doesn’t include this catch, obviously.
Also keep in mind, Alabama had just been sacked for a loss at about the 45 yard line. They were probably not expecting them to go for the endzone.
I read that they all work for the opposing team, so technically there’s no point them photographing the opposition.
The guy on the far right got it
The irony of this article is epic. People are so fickle. Why don’t you “focus” on something more constructive. We already have enough of this going on.