Wish I had talent wrote:
I know a roads and track meet photog who makes $250K/yr.
Road race photographers including myself make $30-50 per hour of shooting. Of course, it is not my full time job considering a race lasts anywhere from 1 hour (5k) to 7 hours (marathon) and only on the weekends... It is nice supplemental income to my M-F work though.
The old Canon v Nikon debate. I've used a lot of both. The good news is that there's lot of old Canon glass (lenses) around that with adapters you can get a real deal in terms of cost and optics, but the look is different. Coatings matter and some technologies matter like autofocus which in my opinion is very useful especially for sports. Also newer lenses produce better contrast versus oldNikon glass is good too and they're really making an effort as a company to be innovative. Canon has become lazy in my opinion. Nikkor can be very good and I've used a lot of them on a D800 and D4 body with excellent results for stills and filmmakingI've found from colleagues and my own experience, that such random things as menu layout and the sound or weight of a shutter click matter as much as lens selection.If you know how to shoot manual already, I suggest going to a camera pro store and trying out some models for feel. As for the technical capability, start no less than semi-pro if you want to develop as a photographer, hence my recommendation of the Canon 60D. I wouldn't bother with the Rebel. As for Nikon, I've only used the D800. It's a great camera but over $2,000 probably not for the beginner.
trackjc wrote:
I think you need to evaluate your terms. What is a reasonable camera? I would suggest you go through E-Bay and look at Nikon D-80 and D-90. They are both great cameras and should not set you back too much. They are great cameras. Some might come with a lens. Stick to Nikon lenses. Depending on what ou want to capture you will have to select your lens to fit you desire. Nikon 500mm 1.8 is a good lens; or up to the 18-200 3.5/5.6 will give you a lot of flexibility. Great outdoors, need to learn with it indoors.
Don't get a big-ass zoom that will be hard to carry around. Have fun reading and deciding. I say NIKON is the way to go!
Go to Craigslist and pick up a nice, used Canon 40D for a couple hundred max. My wife shoots sports with the 40D and also has a 5D (expensive) for landscape. She makes money with that old 40D. Great camera.
Only world class war photogrphers, Pulitzer Prize winners, staff newspaper photographers, Reuters, and AP photographers are awarded passes to top T/F championships and marathons. Only full-time salaries. NO FREELANCERS (who are shot with a gun if they try to bust in). They get health insurace not Obamacare. They typically make $400K-$900K per year and teach classes at photography sales shows at Jacob Javits Convention Center for Canon, Sony, Nikon, for $10,000 per day.
Only the best wrote:
Only world class war photogrphers, Pulitzer Prize winners, staff newspaper photographers, Reuters, and AP photographers are awarded passes to top T/F championships and marathons. Only full-time salaries. NO FREELANCERS (who are shot with a gun if they try to bust in). They get health insurace not Obamacare. They typically make $400K-$900K per year and teach classes at photography sales shows at Jacob Javits Convention Center for Canon, Sony, Nikon, for $10,000 per day.
None of that information is accurate. Sorry.
Would saying a Boston Qualifier type committed amateur level help?Most of the photographers of track stars are lousy. I think USATF uses influential high school coaches and USATF insiders as photographers. How can I get into meets with rented professional cameras? Should I email Stephanie Hightower and Max Seagull. Suggestions.
I think what's been missing so far is the definition of what makes a good camera.
Simply, the more advanced he user, the more control that will desired by that shooter leaving the camera's controls to itself in the hands of a beginner. That said, this is what is needed from beginner to expert skill:
In the beginning you simply need something to snap and shoot. Next you will want to change lenses. The lenses want to cover from wide angle to telephoto. To begin with you get a mid-range zoom of some sort--the Canon EF series offers the 18-135.
Next, photographer learns about exposure control through ISO, shutter and aperture aka manual. A mid-price camera like the Rebels, or if your budget can handle it the 60D, can handle the lenses and offers manual control.
Next the photographer learns about their own tastes for landscape, sports, street photography, what have you. This is when you purchase better specialty prime lenses or fast zooms, probably after making the decision whether you intend to shoot as a serious hobbyist or professional, so you think about full-frame camera which elevate the budget.
Once shooting with a full-frame gear and proper lenses your chosen subject, you start to learn about your style of shooting and aesthetic. Studying the culture history of photography and perhaps taking a class in medium format photography will greatly aid with developing ability. Shooting a lot of sports, news, candid type stuff will develop your technical ability and speed so you can work creatively. When all of this comes together, you have a photographer.
Some of the best photographers in the world work with a single preferred prime lens and others go by caravan. I have used a lot of gear but I shoot some of my best work with a simple 50, f/1.8.
Only the best wrote:
Only world class war photogrphers, Pulitzer Prize winners, staff newspaper photographers, Reuters, and AP photographers are awarded passes to top T/F championships and marathons. Only full-time salaries. NO FREELANCERS (who are shot with a gun if they try to bust in). They get health insurace not Obamacare. They typically make $400K-$900K per year and teach classes at photography sales shows at Jacob Javits Convention Center for Canon, Sony, Nikon, for $10,000 per day.
That is very accurate. At the FIFA World Cup, Olympics, IAAF WC, Super Bowl, ... there are hundreds of famous photographer who command astronomical fees for their work and have droves of aficionados who follow each of their work. They look and act normal the same as your chubby old uncle at the auto repair garage. But on the street in town Allyson Felix looks normal too ;-)
The problem here is that many people spend $$$ and take terrible pictures because they have no sense of what will look good in a photo! Millions of people toting around DSLRs taking worse photos than a good photographer can take with a simple point and shoot. I don't care what you say, if you can't find something interesting to take a photo of, or a way to take a photo that makes something mundane LOOK interesting, you are sunk! Sunk I tell you! Before I can even suggest an upgrade I want to see your work.
Photog wrote:
The problem here is that many people spend $$$ and take terrible pictures because they have no sense of what will look good in a photo! Millions of people toting around DSLRs taking worse photos than a good photographer can take with a simple point and shoot. I don't care what you say, if you can't find something interesting to take a photo of, or a way to take a photo that makes something mundane LOOK interesting, you are sunk! Sunk I tell you! Before I can even suggest an upgrade I want to see your work.
Our sport has long been the premier sport in the world. As a result the competition for entries attracts every person who has ever expressed and interest in photography as an art form. At TF, XC, and road race events, we are fortunate to have the most talented and highest paid photography professionals of any sport, news, or commerical niche there is.
OP, did you get a DSLR yet?