V8 Supercar Photography/Press Passes

[Chatters]

Does anyone have any word on how I can obtain one of these passes that lets me stand on the other side of the fence, getting in the way of everyone else, taking photos?

Do you have to be officially credited with V8 Supercars to get one at their events, or can they be obtained for a fee? Any advice would be helpful.

[alfacors]

You have to be shooting for a media publication such as a magazine, newspaper or recognised media outlet. The application form includes having to supply a supporting letter from the Editor of your magazine, and examples of your previously published V8Supercar work.

[NewsStalker]

You also have to be 'accredited' with CAMS for a photographers licence errr pass errr piece of plastic (although what the hell CAMS know about this is anyones guess)

[Pro Racer]

bum i was just hoping at the mountain to borrow one of the photographers yellow vests and jump the fence for some good shots (without the ****ing concrete wall cutting half a car off), i even asked a dude but he wouldn't let me. i later realised i maybe should of maybe asked him to take a couple shots with my camera, next year i will though, you never know it might work.

[Chatters]

Righto, thanks for clearing that up.

What about club meetings? Do they require just the CAMS certificate?

[alfacors]

NewsStalker - no, you don't have to have CAMS Accreditation.

Chatters - club events require you to sign on, and sign a disclaimer form. It's completely up to them to decide if they allow you or not.

[alfacors]

Originally Posted by Pro Racer

bum i was just hoping at the mountain to borrow one of the photographers yellow vests and jump the fence for some good shots (without the ****ing concrete wall cutting half a car off), i even asked a dude but he wouldn't let me. i later realised i maybe should of maybe asked him to take a couple shots with my camera, next year i will though, you never know it might work.

If you can't get clear shots on the Mountain, you're standing in all the wrong places or using a lens that is way too short. Bathurst is one of the best places for spectators to get shots along with Oran Park. QR is also good (just boring), as is Eastern Creek.

[Chatters]

Cheers mate.

[NewsStalker]

NewsStalker - no, you don't have to have CAMS Accreditation.

Admittedly I was thinking back a few years - has this changed then/when did it change? According to the CAMS web site you DO need accreditation:

http://www.cams.com.au/content.asp?P...out&ObjectID=7

Or are you referring to V8's only?

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by Pro Racer

bum i was just hoping at the mountain to borrow one of the photographers yellow vests and jump the fence for some good shots (without the ****ing concrete wall cutting half a car off), i even asked a dude but he wouldn't let me. i later realised i maybe should of maybe asked him to take a couple shots with my camera, next year i will though, you never know it might work.

That ****ing concrete wall is there to stop a car jumping the fence the other way and killing you remember. Any official that let a spectator jump the fence would soon be an ex-official.

And do not ask if you are offended by blunt refusals. The snappers are there working and they don't get paid taking a photograph of the big crash with someone else's camera. And if they did it once every spectator with a camera is going to want the same favour. You'd have more luck asking a member of the pit crew to take a photograph of a pitstop for you.

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by NewsStalker

Admittedly I was thinking back a few years - has this changed then/when did it change? According to the CAMS web site you DO need accreditation:

http://www.cams.com.au/content.asp?P...out&ObjectID=7

Or are you referring to V8's only?

It is up to individual promoters whether to grant accreditation or not, generally major newspaper photographers do not have CAMS accreditation, although if a photographer is hurt standing in the wrong spot it's generally one of those guys, remembering an incident at Sandown a few years ago. At state and club level it varies quite a lot.

Rule of thumb is you have to have a client that you are shooting for that the promoter will respect and want the coverage.

[Pro Racer]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

That ****ing concrete wall is there to stop a car jumping the fence the other way and killing you remember. Any official that let a spectator jump the fence would soon be an ex-official.

And do not ask if you are offended by blunt refusals. The snappers are there working and they don't get paid taking a photograph of the big crash with someone else's camera. And if they did it once every spectator with a camera is going to want the same favour. You'd have more luck asking a member of the pit crew to take a photograph of a pitstop for you.

dude jump of ya high horse i know the concrete is there for a reason not complaining about that it's just a bummer it cuts half a car out of shot. also the photographer i asked was actually a great guy had abit of a chat with him found out some interesting things and his response wasn't blunt at all, remember don't jump straight on the high horse.

alfalcors, i was just standing in the wrong place for a perfect photo and didn't move around to much. my lense was abit to short and i have actually bought a bigger one recently.

[fomoco]

Originally Posted by Chatters

Does anyone have any word on how I can obtain one of these passes that lets me stand on the other side of the fence, getting in the way of everyone else, taking photos?

Do you have to be officially credited with V8 Supercars to get one at their events, or can they be obtained for a fee? Any advice would be helpful.

hey chatters, I see a photgrapher from a regional Northern NSW Paper regulary at QR, link up with a local paper and you should be able to get all the support to get over the fence.

cheers

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by alfacors

and examples of your previously published V8Supercar work.

What happens if you don't have any? Get lost basically?


Sounds like Job advertisements 'Junior - must be experienced'

[NewsStalker]

Essentially they want to see examples of your work. Remember that the word 'publication' also applies to the Internet - self-publication doesn't send you blind! This is also a good way to advertise yourself to try and get your initial images published.

Often times you can get an image published purely by accident (I had this happen to some of mine in the mid-70's) - even today I have some published that I don't expect to purely because they suit the storyline a mag is printing and they want something to use.

[STEALTHY]

Yeah i mean, what if your just getting into the field, and don't have any published work.

[NewsStalker]

STart of with club events (many clubs would be more than happy to have images available) and then, as I said, publication includes displayng on a web site. Work up from there - unless, of course, the 'new photographer' intends to start at the top straight away

[PVDA]

There are some pretty strict rules on what you can do with V8 pics and I think VE$A has the right to use your pics for anything they want without having to pay you.

[alfacors]

No, V8SA does not have the rights to use our images unless it is given. They may request images for use. Anyone who photographs a V8 event is forbidden to sell images as per terms and conditions of both the entry ticket and media sign on. Images can be used for editorial purposes only, they are not to be sold without V8SA permission first.

V8SA prefer that people have CAMS Accreditation as it shows those people have been recognised as working in the field and have some idea of how to operate whilst trackside (no leaning over walls, standing on walls etc etc). It's no guarantee of gaining accreditation though as they control it fairly tightly.

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by Pro Racer

dude jump of ya high horse i know the concrete is there for a reason not complaining about that it's just a bummer it cuts half a car out of shot. also the photographer i asked was actually a great guy had abit of a chat with him found out some interesting things and his response wasn't blunt at all, remember don't jump straight on the high horse.

alfalcors, i was just standing in the wrong place for a perfect photo and didn't move around to much. my lense was abit to short and i have actually bought a bigger one recently.

It wasn't intended to be 'high horse preaching', and I'm sorry if you took what I said the wrong way. As for the concrete wall, I literally cut and pasted yourself.

ALL of the photographers I know are good guys, but like drivers, or any crosssection of people at work really, if you hit up one at the wrong moment and the wrong mood...

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

Yeah i mean, what if your just getting into the field, and don't have any published work.

You won't get into V8 Supercar. As with the drivers, you don't start at the top.

Find a client who will buy and support your photographs of other categories at non-V8 race meetings. Get yourself known at club level. Shoot state championship events and get your photos into club newsletters. Offer to sell printed images or burnt CDs of your work to competitors. Get your work onto the websites of the racing series.

Start small and re-invest your earnings into better equipment, enjoy the hell out of it and never think of it as a job, because it never will be. Motor racing doesn't sell enough. These guys are owner/operators, not employees. Even the best professional photographers have to have other income streams, for some its very closely aligned with publishing, others its shooting other sports or wildlife, and maybe a third of them it is a part-time business which takes up their weekends and holidays away from their real jobs.

Think laterally - some of the 'alternative' categories like speedway, drag racing, karting, drifting have much better earning opportunities because they are less well serviced by the good photographers and the big teams have almost as much money invested as some V8 Supercar teams.

Learn how to write a press release, if you go write and shoot you can become much more attractive to minor travelling national series categories. Learn how to write a website to promote your own work.

Above all, learn to enjoy standing at a corner in rain, snow, carcenogenic heat wave, with a heavy pack on your back, slathered in 30+ and be prepared to cop some burn on your hands so you don't grease up the camera, sometimes without even the benefit of a flag marshal to chat with.

Enjoy it. The rewards are as much in enjoying the work, getting a great shot is a magic feeling, and enjoying the company of those fellow mad folk who populate race meetings.

[RotorFan]

If you want to get on the other side of the fence, become a marshal. Then you can tell the photographers what to do

[Reload]

Originally Posted by RotorFan

If you want to get on the other side of the fence, become a marshal. Then you can tell the photographers what to do

What is the first step to become a flaggy ??

[alfacors]

Here's the link to becoming an Official on the CAMS Site
http://www.cams.com.au/content.asp?P...ls&ObjectID=61

[Reload]

Originally Posted by alfacors

Here's the link to becoming an Official on the CAMS Site
http://www.cams.com.au/content.asp?P...ls&ObjectID=61

Cheers.