Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Washington Capitals

My Season With The Columbus Crew

       Of all the sports I have photographed, I never expected to shoot professional football (soccer). At the beginning of the campaign (Season, for all you non soccer fans out there.), I got an unpaid internship with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. I had shot a few matches the previous campaign, but nothing really special. My photojournalism teacher, Doral Chennoweth suggested that I apply for it. I put my application in and I wasn't expecting to hear from them. Doral texted me one day out of the blue just before the campaign and told me to call them. So I gave them a call. A few days later I was shooting Media Day and that Saturday I was shooting their first match of the season against DC United.
        It was different because I had a new Sigma 120-300mm lens, and I was shooting a completely new sport. I had to learn how to make adjustments such as handling a bigger and longer lens on my body and having to time the focus and release the shutter. It was rough the first few games. A few of them were out of focus, had too much noise, I wasn't getting enough shots, and they were thinking about letting me go. So I frantically called Doral one night asking what I should do. He said "Brent, first of all, calm down. Secondly, Never give up."
        He told me if I wasn't getting good enough action shots, pick out some of the rowdy loud fans in the crowd and shoot them. THANK YOU NORDEKE!!! He also told me to relax and have fun. The very next game I hit many action shots and got a few shots of some colorful people in the stands. Instead of getting seven, I was getting 20-30 printable shots!!. I got them consistently. I began to believe in myself that I could actually pull this off.
       My previous camera, the Nikon D300s was a good all around camera, but it was getting too much noise in the higher ISO's. I got a new camera body for my birthday, a Nikon D4s (Thanks Mom and Dad). This is Nikon's top of the line body that professionals use. I had to learn how to use this new body as it was different from the previous one. The noise was no longer an issue and I was still getting the 20-30 shots needed. About halfway through the season, Tim Miller, the Communications Manager and my boss found me before a match and said "Brent, we would like to extend your internship for the rest of the season. Do you want to shoot for us?" The answer was a huge resounding "Yes!"
       I would like to thank my wife Tara for rooting for me in everything I do. Many thanks to Tim Miller for giving me that second chance. I would also like to thank my parents David and Shirley Clark for being on my side since the day I was born. A special thanks to Doral Chennoweth for encouraging me and giving me the best advice any teacher can give their student, "NEVER GIVE UP"!! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I GIVE YOU MY SEASON WITH THE COLUMBUS CREW SC!!!!

            I took a walk around one of the neighborhood parks Saturday with my wife. The sun was out; it was about 75 degrees with blue skies. It was a beautiful morning. As we were heading to the car I passed a guy doing Senior Photos with a girl on the stairwell of the park building. The mother was holding a saxophone as he was posing this girl. I paused for a moment to analyze the scene. At first I thought he was using a camera phone, but as I looked closer he was using a small point and shoot camera. Great. I thought. Another bozo who wants to do it cheap. It sounds mean and cold, but it's people like him that are currently ruining the photo industry for professional photographers.

            How are they doing this? They buy point and shoot camera's like this guy, or they buy expensive professional cameras and don't know how to use them correctly. Some of these people will buy a $5000 professional camera and put it on "Automatic" while the beautiful photos done by a skilled professional are shot manually. They have no formal education or basic knowledge of photography and expect to get paid for their "photography" We call these people "GWCs" or a "Guy With a Camera."

            In contrast,  professional photographers spend years perfecting our art. Some of us spend thousands of dollars going to four year universities, two year junior colleges, and art schools to become professional photographers. This does not include the immense amount of money we spend on our own equipment that can equal the equivalent of a college tuition, conferences, and dues while joining professional organizations. There are others who are self taught who spend the same amount of time and money as a photo student working on their own photography before even thinking about charging for work.

            When these people charge for work, they will charge cheap something like $25-$50 for a CD. That sounds like a great deal compared to the thousands of dollars an actual pro would charge for a wedding. Is it? So you decide to get your cousin Jimmy to shoot your wedding. He's family, he has a cool camera, and he is a bargain. You are at the church, and Jimmy goes to work. He is fun to work with as he poses you, your new husband and the wedding party as he joyfully releases the shutter. He shoots the ceremony and the reception. You come back from your honeymoon and pay Jimmy for the CD. You load the CD into your computer and that excited smile turns to tears. The shots are out of focus, the lighting is horrible, the compositions are pathetic and the shots have a lot of grain or noise. Your memories of the best day of your life are ruined.

            How does this make things a complete mess for the Pro? First of all cameras are cheaper so everybody thinks they are a photographer. It floods the market with people who have no business shooting professionally. It causes distrust between the photo industry and the consumer because of the confusion between the cheap rates of a GWC and the more expensive rates of a Pro. How do you know if the guy shooting your kid's Senior Photos is over charging or if he is a serious Pro?

            Secondly, those who charge extremely cheap rates hurt the market of the photographers who do this for a living. Professionals spend thousands of dollars on equipment such as camera bodies, lenses, CF or SD Cards, lights, insurance ( liability, equipment, health, dental, visual), studio rent, computers, and the like. You can't survive charging $50 for a CD. The consumer doesn't realize this. They want a bargain. This brings the value of the industry, as a whole, down.

            Anybody can use a knife. If you were sick and needed surgery, would you use just anybody or would you use a skilled surgeon. It is the same with photography. Would you use a GWC since he has a camera, or would use a professional photographer? You decide.

            

Crew vs. Crystal Palace

         Wednesday I had the privilege of shooting an international friendly between the Columbus Crew and Crystal Palace FC of the British Premier League. The British Premier League is one of the top football (soccer) leagues in Europe. Some of the world's most highly paid athletes play in the BPL. Crystal Palace placed 11th on the league table with 15 wins 4 losses and 19 draws with a total of 45 points during the 2013-2014 campaign. This match was a pre-season game for the Eagles as they tour the United States playing various teams in Major League Soccer.

            The Crew is beginning the middle part of their regular season. Currently the Crew are ranked 7th in the Eastern Conference. The top five in the Western and Eastern Conference make the playoffs. An international friendly such as this gives the Crews top performers time to rest. Still, this as a very exciting game ending in a 2-2 draw. It is my pleasure to present to you the Crew in action. Please enjoy.