late to the party and it looks like you got good advice, super fast lenses (f/2.8 or better), and IMO know the sport, It really helps, but also know your gear, what you can and cannot do. When I was active I’d be sitting with 30 other photographers and every. single. one. did a spray and pray. Well, almost. I didn’t, and the AP photographer didn’t either, but he’d show up, take 1-3 shots, edit them, upload, and leave. I mostly shot ice hockey and play/knew the game well enough that I didn’t have to spray and pray. I could take a few hundred photos and I’d keep more than 50% and my photos told the story of the game. Whether that’s 51% or 70% I can’t recall, it was 15 years ago and it varied from game to game some better than others, some worse. It was a lot of fun, met a lot of the hockey players I got to photo but it burned me out and I set the camera down for many, many years.

read Ansel Adams books on the dark room and the negative if you’re really interested. In simplest terms you would use an enlarger that would flip the negative into a positive and increase the print’s size from say 36mmx24mm film to 8x10 print. The process is no different than taking an actual photo, but you’re inside the camera now. You shine light through the negative onto a piece of paper that is light sensitive similar to film. The techniques to make an area darker or lighter are simple. Each ‘print’ might be exposed for say 30 seconds, the more ‘exposed’, the stronger the print. By controlling how much area is exposed to how much light, you can “dodge and burn”. It may be as simple as putting a piece of cardstock over the paper for 5 seconds to reduce the ‘exposure’ in that area for 5 seconds less than the rest of the photo. Once exposure is complete, you move the print through the developing process and in this case you can ‘see’ the print develop. How long you leave it in the developer will also affect the outcome, but in this case you may have a soft red or brown light to help/enable you to see what’s happening. It’s quite an experience to watch it come together.

was told I was on the list by someone reputable showed up and guess what, not on the list. The gal working the ticket window looked around and said here, and handed me a ticket and pass. Lucky, but scary.

I can’t 2nd this enough - it’s a lot of practice and finding good chemistry with someone where you feel safe. But more than that, a lot of these can be a collaboration not just one sided. It depends though, as the photograph, if I have an idea, I intend to direct but sometimes I want input from the model/models. A couple of times I’ve met the model I’m working with at thrift stores for ideas. Studio work can be really fun IMO because it’s creative vs reactive. Sports is reactive to the game, nature is reactive to well, nature. Studio is or can be new and unique but it can also be VERY hard.

I tried the Olympus OM D 10(?) or something like that and while weight and convenience were great, I just didn’t like it. I really do not want to look at a screen to frame my shot, it’s interpreted and I don’t like it. I went back to my 5D/2 and picked up a 5DS/r and am happy again.

I use a white van with the words “Free Candy” on the side, works every time. HA! j/k.

I’d say this is one area where certain gear sticks out and people kinda recognize it and think ‘oh yeah, he’s a professional’ which helps tremendously. I was in the SW corner of Colorado back in 2004 and these two young kids (under 10) kept calling me “The Photographer”… when you show up with multiple cameras and big white lenses and yeah, you can’t live it down really. I was enjoying DSLRs as they were new/fresh on the scene still and it didn’t matter where I went people begged me to take their picture. Don’t come off as creepy (no white vans, no free candy), just be polite and professional at all times. And NEVER think that because you’re the photographer that that gives you privileges. I remember ducking out from in front of a couple at a hockey game and they were shocked. No other photographers ever apologized or got out of their way or view of the game. What we do is a privilege not a right.