Get Something Different

You know what it’s like……

You turn up at an event ready to shoot and there are another 20 photographers there already.  There are the Agencies, the “Wanna be’s” and the Freelancers.  The match is about to begin and everyone heads for the touchline.  The home team is playing from left to right and the anticipation of a handfull of tries/ goals is high.  What happens?  Well all the photographers head for the same spot and stand next to each other.  Great.  If it happens everyone gets the shot.  The agencies all have it and wire it out immediately, The “Wanna be’s” have it for their desktop to say they were there and the freelancers have it in the hope that someone will buy it.  Why should they?  What makes you different?

If you want your work to be published and to be successful try something different.  Look at your market,  If your local market is saturated with the other 20 photographers go and stand on your own at the other end.  The newspapers in that team’s home town also want pics (and the internet and email makes distance no object).  They also need a scoop.  Imagine if they start scoring/ winning, you can sit back and watch the other photographers gather their gear and run down the touchline towards you.

Be the one that gets something different!

Stars In Their Eyes

On Tuesday I was asked to cover an event in Hout Bay.  The job was for Stars In Their Eyes.

This is quoted from their website:  ( http://www.starsintheireyes.nl/index.php?lang=eng&id=process )

“In close cooperation with a number of South African supporters, Stars is engaging 40 football clubs in the South African disadvantaged communities. The same number of football clubs and communities are being engaged in Europe. These two sets of clubs and communities will enter into twinning agreements, and the process will be closely managed by a professional team.

Supported by football specialists and a multi-disciplined team of volunteers, Stars has developed a comprehensive programme, which is based on the internationally acclaimed Dutch football training model. The objective of this programme is to ensure that the participating European coaches and players, and the South African mentors possess the required skills, with which to transfer the Stars model to developing countries.
The next step is the implementation of a five-year plan, during which time the European coaches and players will visit their counterpart clubs in South Africa every year. These visits will focus strongly on transferring broad based technical knowledge and skills. In addition, a substantial time investment will be made in covering issues such as HIV-AIDS awareness, community and personal values, gender equality, leadership and creating an own future. The project leaders will have a specific assignment to identify those players who have ’stars in their eyes’, who are motivated and committed to creating a new future.

The unique nature of the Stars project not only appeals to football clubs, it moves entire communities into action. Stars is confident of the sustainability of its plan, and continuously searches for cooperation with existing sport, social and job-creation projects in South Africa. Talk to us, and together we can make one plus one equal three!”

During the event footballs were given away to all the kids that attended.  There were messages of hope and inspiration written on the footballs donated by Nike:

If you can help make a difference contact me and I will put you in touch with Stars In Their Eyes

Ron

Ever Shot Netball?

The weekend saw the final of three tests between SA and Barbados. The games took place at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town.  A huge old building with a vast main hall and, as expected, very poor lighting.  This was the first time I had shot netball in a very long time and to be honest I was really impressed with the game.  It was fast and action packed.  The skill involved in scoring was amazing, especially when you consider that there is no back board to use.  SA won by three tests to nil.

1 year on…..

Wow!  Can you believe it’s been a year since John Smit lifted the Rugby World Cup!

It is amazing to think that a year ago today I was in Paris full of hope and anticipation…Will SA lift the trophy for the second time?  My trip was coming to an end I had spent nearly two months away from home and my wife.  I drove 7500 miles in France and covered 19 world cup games.  Was it worth it?  Well as I sit here and think about the last 12 months I realize that that trip to France meant so much more than covering the RWC07.  The people I met and the contacts I made have brought friendship and business.  Maybe even some dreams have come true because of that trip.  It was a life changing experience in many ways.

Was it worth it?

Hell Yeah!

To George and back

I picked up a few of Golf days for a client and decided to do two of them myself.  The one in Cape Town was easy enough but the drive to George can be really boring.  So I decided to take the long route.  Headed off up the N2 and then turned left up the Tradouw Pass.  It was a strange day, not really sure if it wanted to rain or not but luckily the sun kept coming through.  I went past Barrydale and then took the R327 to Van Wyksdorp, an awesome road and great fun in the Landy.

The next day in George it poured with rain.  Took some Gv’s of the course and the four ball pics but wanted to do something different so asked the guys to pose in a silly way.  Everyone was game for a laugh and we got some different pics for a change.

Golf days should be fun and the pics should reflect that.  Enough of the boring group with their drivers.

What a weekend!

Wow that was a weekend and a half!

The Weekend was a great one but there was lots of travelling.

Friday two Currie Cup rugby games, Boland vs Valke (Wellington) and Western Province vs The Sharks (Cape Town).  Saturday up at 3.30am to get a flight to Joburg for the Springboks vs Argentina test.  Sunday up at 4 am for a flight to Durban for the SA vs New Zealand Polo test and today up at half five for the flight to Cape Town and the All Blacks training sessions.  Four days, three flights, three cars and four beds oh, and about 3500kms.  Was it worth it?  Yes it was.   Remember, It’s a glamourous job!

The Boks got off to a bit of a slow start but then kicked into gear and scored 9 tries to easily beat the Argentinians. A great game to photograph but not the match that was a replay of the RWC encounter.

The Polo was interesting and a very relaxed game to photograph.  It is awesome to see the power of the ponies as they charge around the field.  The skill and horsemanship of the players is truly something to admire.  How they can hit the ball(?) at that speed with a mallet with a very small head is a mystery.  New Zealand won this, the first of two tests.  Have a look at the pics on our main site:  www.sportzpics.net

And now the build up to the Tri Nations test on the 16th against New Zealand.  Less travelling for this week.

Enjoy

Wet and Windy!

What can I say?

Last Saturday saw one of the wettest games at Newlands for years. There was a brief respite in the rain for about 5 minutes just before the game started and then…. Well lets just say there was not much left that was not soaked through.

Cool game though and although there was an onslaught in the second half from the Waratahs the Stormers held off.  Thanks to Bolla Conradie the game was ended and we could all get back to the warm and dry.

The main problem with Saturdays game was the front of the lens.  I have to say the EOs 1DMk2  is such a great camera and the housing and weather proofing was certainly put to the test.  Why can’t the manufacturers come up with a final solution to covering the body and the lens in the rain?  How many times have we seen photogs using black bags and gaffer tape to keep their kit dry?  Maybe I should launch a solution and have it branded Sportzpics?  Any way back to the front of the lens.  Well, with the rain dripping off it and the wind howling I tried to use a Chammy Leather to keep it dry.  Good idea, it mopped up the rain and left a nice smear over the lens,  Nice fogged pics…  No solution really unless you have a very deep and dry pocket with a constant supply of dry cloths.

Anyway despite all of the above I managed to get an awesome pic of Sireli scoring his try.  Front page of the Weekend Argus on Sunday!

R