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Wearing an Extra Camera Around Your Neck -- and Other Ways to Get Past "Officials"

Written by Rohn Engh

Tuesday, 29 January 2008

These days, it's difficult to make photos without first having to ask permission from someone. Security is tighter at both public and private venues, and it's likely you'll encounter officials in many forms: gate attendants, receptionists, police officers, bureaucrats, teachers, secretaries, security guards. You'll even encounter "unofficial officials": janitors, ticket takers, bystanders, relatives of officials, and the like. My word of advice for these barriers -- I mean, good people? Handle with care.

Tags: photography tips

Example: You arrive at a high school football game to get photos of the opening kick-off for your stock file and an assignment. You'll leave as soon as you get the pictures -- so you have no reason to pay admission. You enter by a side gate and you are met by an attendant with an officious, "Where do you think you're going?" expression.

You don't want to allow this fellow to steal precious minutes from you, so you attempt to ignore him. You walk right past him. "Wait a minute!" he says, insulted that you have not recognized his importance. He has the right to detain you, and he does -- long enough that you miss the kick-off shots.

Sound familiar? Here's how to avoid this kind of situation:

1. Be courteous. No matter who presents her/himself as an "official," be courteous and allot time to appease their "need" to detain you.

2. Ask for help. In the case of the football gate attendant, you say, "Could you help me? I need to get a picture of the kick-off (you look at your watch) for (your assignment or name of publication). Could you tell me the quickest way to the 50-yard line?"

3. Answer questions. If an official wants to know something about you -- why you're here, what the pictures will be used for -- explain everything to the official, the same as you would to the corporate executive you might be planning to photograph. Answering questions is also a good way to cultivate officials who could have access to information helpful to your picture-taking assignment.

4. Bribe them -- a little. When you encounter an official who isn't cooperative, offer to give him/her a copy of the picture you're going to take. But don't take his/her name on a piece of paper. Such papers either get lost or add to your office work. Instead, offer him your business card and say, "Here's my address. Write or e-mail me in about two weeks -- the picture will be processed by then." Experience says you'll never hear from the official.

5. Secure a press card -- for major events. For large, important events, written permission from headquarters is your best introduction to on-site officials (headquarters usually issues its own press cards, letters of introduction, tags, stickers, etc.).

6. Wear an extra camera around your neck. At 999 out of 1,000 events, officials don't ask for a press card if you're carrying two or more cameras around your neck. If you don't have extra cameras, buy a couple professional-looking, inoperative ones at a flea market. They'll be your passport to most any public event you want to photograph.

7. Try a different official. If an official demands, "Wait over there; fill out this form; stand in line; I'll put you on 'hold'; I have to check with my boss first" -- then it's time to try someone else. In the case of the football gate attendant, just walk away and find another gate. In the case of an uncooperative receptionist, wait till she goes on coffee break or lunch. The replacement might be more cooperative.

And what if no officials are on the scene? Don't go out of your way to find someone to ask permission. Volunteers may have no authority (a waiter in a restaurant, an attendant at a conference). Rather than take no pictures because you don't have permission, use your First Amendment rights and begin making photos. An official will usually come forward -- and before he gives you his "routine," you go into yours.

Comments (3) >>

Geoff Penn said:

This is all excellent advice. I would like to add two points.

First: when doing 1), 2) and 3) above, do them with a big friendly smile - it can be used as a weapon to disarm officials as it becomes more difficult for them to deny someone who is being pleasant towards them.

Secondly: have some ID casually displayed - but nevertheless visible. As long it is well designed and has your photo, a bar code, your logo, a signature and is laminated, - it'll look official enough for a number of football gate attendants to let you pass.

January 30, 2008

Primoz said:

Or number 8, which should actually be only rule anyway...
Get press pass/accreditation/or whatever they call it on your side of the world, and play by the rule, like everyone else of us do... without need for second, third or fifth camera hanging around your neck.
If you have no business being on sidelines, then you don't try to sneak in by side gates, just because you want to be on sidelines and don't want to pay admission fee. It really is as simple as that.

January 31, 2008 | url

Steve said:

I am a bit surprised by the advice given here. I understand that in this case you just need to get on the field for a very short period of time after which you would be leaving. However, it's this kind of subversive activity that eventually leads to everyone being punished. If we are pros, let's act like pros and promote professional behavior. How about an article on how to properly get credentialed? The extra time you spend trying to schmooze a gate attendant could be used talking to the Athletic Director instead which would also buy you a lot more down the road

February 08, 2008 | url

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