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Photography at a match


sussexsaint
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Contemplating taking my 100-400 lens to the match Saturday. Am sat in front row so shouldn't annoy anyone in front of me and am keen to try and get some good action shots. Has anyone ever had any problems taking cameras / lenses in ?

 

I emailed the club about photography asking these questions and basically I was just told they had added my request for work experience to the database, which was kind of missing the point a bit.

 

Some clubs do photography days and this is really what I was asking about but it clearly frazzled the brain of whoever read it at the club.

 

Appreciate this will probably descend pretty quick but would really appreciate any advice/experience

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A mate of mine took his high-spec camera to an FA Cup match at St Marys a few season ago and was very quickly told that photography was not permitted.

 

Clearly camera phones, the odd Kodak (to use wonderful aged slang) for a souvenir or a famiy pic is one thing; but something at the high end, with zoom lenses or whatever, is deemed to potentially be commercial.

 

I am sure you will be asked/told to stop - the only question being how many shots you get beforehand.

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From the Tablets and Laptops at St Mary's thread :-

 

1.6 Save only as set out in the Ground Regulations, no person may bring into the Ground or use within the Ground any equipment which is capable of recording or transmitting (by digital or any other means) any audio, visual or audio-visual material or any information or data in relation to a Match or the Ground.

 

1.7 Mobile telephones are permitted within the Ground provided that they are used for personal and private use only and in any event purely for the purpose of transmission and/or reception of voice data only not being commentary upon the Match in progress.

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Have taken my digital SLR twice. On both occasions I asked a steward at the entry gate if it was OK, and both times told "yes no problem at all, sir"

But when in the ground a steward once asked me to stop because, and get this .... "you need the approval of the people you are taking photos of...." WTF?

 

I carried on taking photos anyway....

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You'll get told to put the camera away. If you have a 50mm prime take that. It will be fine for players near the touchline.

 

You won't be able to legally upload any photos to the internet as you're covered under the Premier League rules for recording matches (you agree to this as one of the terms of entry)

 

If you don't have. Small inconspicuous lens don't bother. You're in the front row you'll be easily spotted by the stewards and told to stop.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I doubt the intellectuals in the hi-vis will like it to be honest.

 

That's more than a bit unfair, the Stewards do a great job at every match and if ever there is an emergency at the stadium your life and mine might depend upon their skills and braveness. I think you should withdraw your silly insinuation about them.

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Why don't you just put your camera away and enjoy the game instead?

 

This. I don't understand why the hell you'd want to take a camera to a football match. Just enjoy the action and banter. Even the food and drinks (sorry Turkish), but taking a camera is just a bit odd in my opinion. Do you plan to watch the match? What are you going to do with such high quality images?

 

It's like people who go to a concert and spend almost the entirety of the concert staring at their mobile phone screen instead (ref: Kate Bush in the press this week, she's right)

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Why don't you just put your camera away and enjoy the game instead?

 

I agree.

 

It is like popular music concerts that are ruined by the hordes of mongs who stand slack-jawed and drooling, gazing at their iPhone screens as they film it. They detract from the atmosphere and are not "there". God knows why they even bought tickets - they could see it all on You Tube from the sofa.

 

(Edit: Sorry Patrick didn't see your almost identical post above as I was so incensed to write!)

Edited by adrian lord
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This. I don't understand why the hell you'd want to take a camera to a football match. Just enjoy the action and banter. Even the food and drinks (sorry Turkish), but taking a camera is just a bit odd in my opinion. Do you plan to watch the match? What are you going to do with such high quality images?

 

It's like people who go to a concert and spend almost the entirety of the concert staring at their mobile phone screen instead (ref: Kate Bush in the press this week, she's right)

 

(And Adrian)

 

Some instances:

 

At my daughter's graduation I started taking photos and then it occurred to me that I would miss seeing her big moment so I put my camera down. I lost the roll of film later on the transfer bus anyway but at least I have my memories of her big moment.

 

On a tour of St Petersburg we visited the Hermitage and were taken to see their Da Vincis but everybody was holding their phones in front and taking pictures. What the f...? You can download as many shots as you want but you're standing in front of the original!

 

On the 50th anniversary of D-Day at the fleet review I was anchored of HMS Daedalus and there was a flypast, Spitfires, Lancaster, Hurricanes, Mustangs and all that. I nearly missed it because I was taking snaps.

 

At a referees' meeting we had a talk from an FA linesman who told us about officiating at the Athens Olympics. He had wangled tickets to the 100m final and had his camera ready for the start. Then he realised that it would only last 10 seconds and he would never gave another chance so he watched the moment instead.

 

So my advice, for what it's worth, is to open your eyes and enjoy the world around you with all its wonder and beauty. Photography is a wonderful hobby and very rewarding but if you're not careful life and all the experiences it has to offer will pass you by.

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Well thanks for the replies and I won't take it. It's a great hobby and one I enjoy very much. If you wouldn't be interested in doing it then fine, good for you. Personally I'd love to get some great action shots like you see put up on here from the official photographers. It would be a challenge for all sorts of reasons and one I'd definitely like to try sometime. There is , in my opinion a world of difference between a few carefully taken shots and standing with an iPhone filming a concert.

I'd happily pay to shadow a club photographer.

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That's more than a bit unfair, the Stewards do a great job at every match and if ever there is an emergency at the stadium your life and mine might depend upon their skills and braveness. I think you should withdraw your silly insinuation about them.

 

You think they would like it?

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Well thanks for the replies and I won't take it. It's a great hobby and one I enjoy very much. If you wouldn't be interested in doing it then fine, good for you. Personally I'd love to get some great action shots like you see put up on here from the official photographers. It would be a challenge for all sorts of reasons and one I'd definitely like to try sometime. There is , in my opinion a world of difference between a few carefully taken shots and standing with an iPhone filming a concert.

I'd happily pay to shadow a club photographer.

 

Clearly you have more interest than just recording the odd memory of an event so if you're serious about it, then do as I suggest and get along to some lower level matches first to learn about positioning around the pitch, anticipating your shot, player movement, framing, AF tracking, required shutter speeds etc. You may love Saints and think it's an ideal opportunity to mix your two interests but you're better off going to a game where you have less personal interest in what is going on, and can focus on the technical aspects of what you're doing. That also means you can just enjoy the Saints game where you probably won't learn as much because it's Saints, and where you probably won't last more than 3 minutes with your camera out anyway. :)

 

(I realise that you may now be asking how I was able to do it for 18 months, including the FA Cup Final, without being distracted as a Saints fan - but I was quite lucky and happened to know the club photographer at the time well through another route, and so when the chance came, I wasn't going to throw it away. Your situation is slightly different!)

 

If you want any more tips or info, drop me a PM.

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Well thanks for the replies and I won't take it. It's a great hobby and one I enjoy very much. If you wouldn't be interested in doing it then fine, good for you. Personally I'd love to get some great action shots like you see put up on here from the official photographers. It would be a challenge for all sorts of reasons and one I'd definitely like to try sometime. There is , in my opinion a world of difference between a few carefully taken shots and standing with an iPhone filming a concert.

I'd happily pay to shadow a club photographer.

 

That's fair enough. As long as you accept that you won't be following Saints and joining in with all that entails. You know what you want and good luck to you. Have fun! :)

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