Newpaper Photogs ARRRRGGGGG

[Stouthearted]

What is the deal with these people??? It is impossible for these clowns not to get in the way. I had a female newpaper photog stand in the background of my interview. We had to stop the interview so I could ask her politely to move the f**k out of the way. I mean does it really take ten minutes to frame up a posed shot of a high school marching band? I watch these guys on occasion when in the field and I can't help but laugh to myself. They show up, fire off like 500 pictures with their little camera and poof, they're gone. What a job huh. I just wish they would stay out of the real photojournalists.

[TightShot]

give them a break. They only have one picture per story usually, to convey what we convey in several shots. We know we have to work harder. But they're photogs too.
I had a horrible reporter from a rival TV station walk through the background of my interview, and then speak loudly on purpose during another to attempt to ruin my sound. SHE was a jerk. Maybe the newspaper photog didn't realize her mistake. Maybe she's new.
U have every right to be upset. Just some thoughts.

[Shaky & Blue]

Yeah, wait 'til they all start carrying video cameras. I worked an event a while back that was crawling with VJ-types with mini DV cameras. They kept circling around us and the other real photogs, shooting video of US shooting video of the event, as if the news media were somehow the story. They also piggybacked on other people's interviews and got in the way of our shots. They were like cockroaches scurrying all over the place.

Soon enough Rosenblum will have infiltrated newspapers and will convince their management that the reporters and photogs need to carry mini DV cameras to gather video for their websites. You can then forget about getting any good video at events where an open invitation is sent to all press.

[WillyG]

It is particuliarly aggravating for me to be at a press conference with a newspaper photog. They stand right next to you and reel off seemingly thousands of shots. How hard is it to get a decent shot of one guy behind a podium?

[newshooter]

I don't have as many problems with newspaper photographers as I do radio reporters. The still photographers know we'll do exactly the same thing to them if they get in our way, so they respect us...we respect them.

Someone, please tell me why radio guys need mic flags?...and no, they don't get paid for getting it on TV. We have one station that has a ridiculously large mic stand so the mic flag stands higher than everyone elses and they put it so the mic flag is almost in the persons face. I almost always take my mic flag off for press conferences becuase I think it looks bad...sometimes I can get my fellow TV 'togs to go along with me, but this one radio station refuses. Most of the time, she shows up late, looks to see how we're set up then get the mic flag in every shot.

I did witness quite a funny payback a few weeks ago. One of the other photogs started standing over her shoulder during an interview and just started screaming "WXXX, Channel ZZ" She finally got pissed and turned around to ask him to stop. He said no. Proceeded to tell her that her putting that ridiculously large mic stand in every shot is exactly the same thing as him standing over her shoulder screaming the name of his station.

Unfortunately, it didn't do any good and probably made things worse...although it was incredibly funny...you should have seen the look on the face of the guy she was interviewing.

Anyway, sorry for ranting.

[Icarus112277]

They're the worst in sports. Pricks think they own the sidelines...guess whose commercials paid for the game biiiatch?

[Spacey]

i got a great one from today. liveshot from galv.tx,press conf, i guess someone arrived late, and mid shot, the tog (on the live) does a CU on the mayor, then all of a sudden, entereing on the right, is a guy that runs into the shot and places his mic down. gosh....some people eh? our cams need a "your in my frame" warning light...

[Canuck Photog]

They have their uses though ;)

I find print photogs useful for "event" stories (i.e. banquets, award ceremonies, cheque presentations etc.). Usually at these things the attendees will pose for the print media photogs... this presents a good opportunity for us motion picture types: I find their camera flashes useful for making these types of shots less "static." I also like to do pans from the still photogs firing off their cameras to the people posing in front of a giant cheque, plaque, etc. That's a helluva lot better than just having a bunch of guys standing still in front of you, smiling, and waiting for you to get your ten seconds of b-roll (it also just looks weird...not that I've shot anything like that ....)

CP

[Bars and Tone]

Why is it that some newspaper and radio reporters need to put their recorder 2 inches away from a persons face? Is it that they like to see their hand on TV or what?

[Run 'n' Get 'em]

You all know though, that somewhere on this big ole' internet, there is a newspaper photog. messageboard where they are all saying the same thing...

They're still annoying as f@#$ though... Had one ruin my touchdown shot last Friday because he decided to move at the last second. You don't like your spot, that's not my problem...move, but don't stand 2 feet in front of my lens when you're 6ft wide. :mad:

[robbrad]

Originally posted by Stouthearted:
I just wish they would stay out of the real photojournalists. That a pretty arrogant comment. Consider this still photojournalists have been around a hell of a lot longer then you or any other person on this forum or in our business. They have a job just like you do and I'm sure you have been in their way just as much as they have in yours. Most of these still photographers have masters degrees. Digital has changed them a little because they now know if they got the photo. Being a still photographer (not photojournalist I only play) give them a break. Get to know some they are pretty cool guys. Oh and get off your high hourse your nothing special either.

[dan bach]

Originally posted by Stouthearted:
What is the deal with these people??? It is impossible for these clowns not to get in the way. I had a female newpaper photog stand in the background of my interview. We had to stop the interview so I could ask her politely to move the f**k out of the way. I mean does it really take ten minutes to frame up a posed shot of a high school marching band? I watch these guys on occasion when in the field and I can't help but laugh to myself. They show up, fire off like 500 pictures with their little camera and poof, they're gone. What a job huh. I just wish they would stay out of the real photojournalists. Real photojournalists?

For you to assume that we as tv news phojo's are the "real" phojo's...well that's just plain arrogant and insulting on your part.

I'm friends with several professional still news photogs who's photos have been seen by more people than we could ever hope with our video.

Look at the issue of "Time" magazine two weeks ago...dealing with Katrina. Look at the pics by the Dallas Morning News alone. One photographer, Smiley Pool, got two double page spreads of a single photo. They are images that have been seen by hundreds of millions all over the world. They have ONE FRAME to convey the story at the time. I believe that they have done that with their work.

Yes, they can be annoying. Yes they often are...particularly in news conference environements when we're all standing along the back of the room...and the still guy pops up like a whak-a-mole at our critical moment.

I'm also differentiating between the real photographers and the small independent papers whose main idea for a photo is a headshot or a check presentation.

[Sportsguy]

In my market, the TV and print guys get along nicely. It's the radio folks that like to screw up the happy equilibrium.

I got into it with a radio geek doing post at the Super Bowl this year. I was shooting T.O. and he comes and sticks his "suffering from male-pattern-baldness" head right into my lens. I politely tap him on the shoulder and ask if he can move. He says nothing. I smack him in the head, which apparently got through to him, and he's now pissed. He says that I'm not being professional. I again ask if he can move, since I was there first anyway, but he says no. I smack him again, and this time he just leaves. I'm usually not that aggressive, but he was a sphincter and deserved it. I tried "professional" first, and it got me nowhere- but returning the dickhead 'tude accomplished the goal.

[ September 21, 2005, 12:38 PM: Message edited by: Sportsguy ]

[Diggity]

I too had a print photog just stand behind a interview yesterday. I had to stop and politely clear my throat. He looked my way and quickly moved.

He was just not aware of his surroundings.

On a related subject I had words recently w/ a reporter from another station at a plane crash.

I arrived 10 mins before the other 2 stations and busted off most of my shots. I set my camera up for the gang bang w/ the plane behind whoever we interview. I see said reporter walking w/ the fire chief 50 yrds away unrolling his lav.
So I yell to the other photog " Hey it's on!"
and we crash this choads interview. He thought he was going to get the Chief all by himself.

After pinning my lav on his jacket I instruct the Chief where to stand for the interview.
We're all set to go and said reporter tells the Chief to move over a few feet because his photog is jockeying for position. This screws up my framing and my buddy's next to me on the other side. I bellow.. no no no no no no! I'm gonna need you (Chief) to move right back where you were and turned to said reporter and say this is where we are doing this....you ask the questions...we'll frame the shots.
I was initially pissed because this chootch was trying to sneak a solo interview w/ the Fire Chief. When time is of the essence, there's no need to ask this guy to repeat the basics more than once. We share the PIO...all secondary interviews are all on your own.

Dig

[newshooter]

um...at the risk of getting my ass kicked here, why should you get the best framing when he did the leg work and got the chief to talk? Without him, you wouldn't even have gotten the interview. Had I been that other photog, we might have had fisticuffs.

[Stouthearted]

I think we have some people here on b-roll that have a little mega-pixel envy. Just trying to vent a little, I guess b-roll isn't the place to get support from fellow photogs. You guys that are blasting me are probably OK with some hippy newspaper photog killing your b-roll. Now I remember why I don't visit b-roll as often as I used to. Here's to you, uppity TV news photogs!

[Anton Saur]

Originally posted by Stouthearted:
I think we have some people here on b-roll that have a little mega-pixel envy. Just trying to vent a little, I guess b-roll isn't the place to get support from fellow photogs. You guys that are blasting me are probably OK with some hippy newspaper photog killing your b-roll. Now I remember why I don't visit b-roll as often as I used to. Here's to you, uppity TV news photogs! http://www.webdelsol.com/The_Potomac/issue2/crybaby.jpg

[wtv]

Hey Southfarted,

If you don't like it here, don't come back.

I know loads of great stills photographers and am friends with many, if they are professional enough they don't get in your way, but there are some that I have almost come to blows with.

There are jerks in all parts of the media biz, you just deal............

[ September 22, 2005, 06:35 AM: Message edited by: wtv ]

[robbrad]

Originally posted by Stouthearted:
I think we have some people here on b-roll that have a little mega-pixel envy. Just trying to vent a little, I guess b-roll isn't the place to get support from fellow photogs. You guys that are blasting me are probably OK with some hippy newspaper photog killing your b-roll. Now I remember why I don't visit b-roll as often as I used to. Here's to you, uppity TV news photogs! Geez why don't you cry a little since we don't agree with you. If you ARE a professional then you change your shot or ask the guy to move so you can get you 5 seconds of vid for you b-roll. Calling people hippie is a real mature action and say's a lot about you. Getting upset because we, b-rollers, don't jump on your bandwagon of down with still photogs shows even more that your not cut out for this business. Reality sets in.

[Diggity]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by newshooter:
[QB] um...at the risk of getting my ass kicked here, why should you get the best framing when he did the leg work and got the chief to talk? ]
Without him, you wouldn't even have gotten the interview.

......Not true. I don't know about where you shoot, but here we share the talking PIO head.
All others (witness, family member) we wait our turn. Or find someone else.

On the framing question... When we all convene together for the interview, we don't always get to be the center cam.

Luck of the draw.


Fisticuffs?

...The "other photog" showed up last to the party despite his reporter getting the chief. He asks me if I had the plane in my shot... I said yes and moved closer to the left to enable him to squeeze closer to me to get better framing. We resumed. His silence made me believe we were all set.

Now that you have more facts would you still want to step up to me?

[newshooter]

No, because the rest of the story makes you sound like less of an ass than the original story did.

[Diggity]

Originally posted by newshooter:
No, because the rest of the story makes you sound like less of an ass than the original story did. There's plenty I didn't add to the original story.

Instead of a detailed transcript of the entire encounter, I got the point.

Being a quick-to-judge smart-@ss will surely get your @ss kicked in the field. Choad

[Stouthearted]

[/QUOTE]Geez why don't you cry a little since we don't agree with you. If you ARE a professional then you change your shot or ask the guy to move so you can get you 5 seconds of vid for you b-roll. Calling people hippie is a real mature action and say's a lot about you. Getting upset because we, b-rollers, don't jump on your bandwagon of down with still photogs shows even more that your not cut out for this business. Reality sets in. [/QB][/QUOTE]

Dude your website screams I'm a VIRGIN. WTF man?

[robbrad]

Originally posted by Stouthearted:
Dude your website screams I'm a VIRGIN. WTF man? I'm so hurt by your statement. I might go cry oh wait that's your job crying Dude I couldn't give a rats arse what your thoughts on my site is. Your maturity level has already been shown and now you are showing and proving it more.

Have a nice day KID

[Lensmith]

Originally posted by wtv:

I know loads of great stills photographers and am friends with many, if they are professional enough they don't get in your way, but there are some that I have almost come to blows with.

There are jerks in all parts of the media biz, you just deal............ Experience. I always love hearing it. I can recognize it having lived it myself many times over. WTV and I approach these things the same way with the same expectations.

The fact is no matter how hard you plan, if you are in an open public space, you do not control it nor all the people trying to do the same thing you are.

Go ahead and plan. Try and work some cooperation into the mindset of the mob, but don't be surprised when some fool cuts in ahead of you and starts things rolling before your plan comes to fruition.

If you want a private interview, rent a hotel room.

There are always a few jerks and sometimes you have to deal with less than perfect conditions despite all of your well intentioned plans.

It's news. Not a feature film. Do the best you can under the circumstances and don't have unrealistic expectations about how everyone else should do their job.

WTV solves his problems with fools the same way I do. I have a lot of good friends who are still photogs. We work together well. As wtv said above, and I can't help but repeat, there are always idiots out there and there are ways to deal with them.

[Clutch City]

Originally posted by BTW-Shooter:
You all know though, that somewhere on this big ole' internet, there is a newspaper photog. messageboard where they are all saying the same thing...
Yes, usually here:

http://www.sportsshooter.com

I don't have a problem with most of them. I'm friends with a lot of them. I'm sure they get tired of my constant barrage of questions about their camera, flash cards, etc.


I joke with the sports radio guys with their big mic flags that I'm going to stand near them when they go live and say "Channel 2, channel 2, channel 2..." over and over again.

[bassetf5]

Sounds like Diggity is winning friends for his station and providing a wonderfully positive example for others in his chosen profession. Let me make sure I understand this.

Diggity showed up at a spot news event, "busted off" some "shots" and stood around waiting to be spoon-fed a soundbite by an official talking head - must not have been anyone else around to talk to.

Some "choad," some "chootch," had the initiative to move away from the pack and try to "sneak" an interview on his own. Maybe he knew something the pack didn't, I dunno - I have been on all sides of such situations as reporter, photog, one-man-band and government PIO, wouldn't presume to know why this "chootch" wanted to do a bite without everyone else around.

So Diggity gets up on his hind legs in righteous indignation, declares "it's on!" and busts up the other guys' interview. He then takes over directing the whole event, "instructing" the chief where to stand and telling the other reporter that if he doesn't like the framing, it's just too bad. It's not enough just to talk to them, either, he feels compelled to "bellow" to get his point across. The chief must have been greatly impressed at Diggity's manly aggression.

Afterward, Diggity brags to his pals here about how he ran over other reporters and photogs at a gangbang and gets defensive when several of them suggest he just might not have acted in an ideal manner.

I started to say something here along the lines of "what goes around, comes around," but Diggity's not gonna hear it. Maybe when he gets as old as Lensmith and I, he'll catch on <G>.

[elvez]

Choad should never be used without it's re-joiner, 'load.

'

[Diggity]

Originally posted by bassetf5:
Sounds like Diggity is winning friends for his station and providing a wonderfully positive example for others in his chosen profession. Let me make sure I understand this.

Diggity showed up at a spot news event, "busted off" some "shots" and stood around waiting to be spoon-fed a soundbite by an official talking head - must not have been anyone else around to talk to.

The chief and his volunteers were still busy doing their thing...So I intended to give them their space until we all were ready for him.

Some "choad," some "chootch," had the initiative to move away from the pack and try to "sneak" an interview on his own. Maybe he knew something the pack didn't, I dunno - I have been on all sides of such situations as reporter, photog, one-man-band and government PIO, wouldn't presume to know why this "chootch" wanted to do a bite without everyone else around.

Ok...I had been to a few shoots w/ this new reporter and each time I gave a "wattsup head nod" to him he wouldn't return one...Fine,
FYI I would consider every photog and most every reporter in my market a friend .
So he shows up to this event and walks behind me (in my ready for an interview position) and we introduce each other and some nominal chit chat occurred.Everythings cool.
Later...When I saw him unraveling his Lav mic for the chief, it reminded me of another reporter he replaced whose motto was " I don't share"
I can't count how many times my interviews have been jumped. When the cop's talking...why make him/her repeat it 2 3 times. all secondary sots are on your own.

So Diggity gets up on his hind legs in righteous indignation, declares "it's on!" and busts up the other guys' interview. He then takes over directing the whole event, "instructing" the chief where to stand and telling the other reporter that if he doesn't like the framing, it's just too bad.

Reread the post...his photog came late, I adjusted to help out. The sun's setting and your losing light on the plane...you bet I'll start to direct in the field.

Not only a shooter for 6 years, but on-air radio for 3 and grew up in the biz all my life...news to be exact. ;) But chose to switch from my cush mgt job for 10 yrs. Not only shoot news/sports, but currently run my own production company. So whatever vast experience you and whoever have isn't much beyond mine.
You see, I enjoy teaching people the ways of TV News...and am very patient dealing w/ common mistakes. But I got set off by this one event.
and felt I could vent here.

Nobody here has had to deal w/ an uppity reporter and wanted to call them on something?..Well I did this one time and I get my term paper redlined and dissected by some blueflame newsshooter who wants to start throwing punches and then Uncle buck comes and crosses his arms all awhile taking a pipe out of his mouth spewing his soapbox gilded syntax.

It's not enough just to talk to them, either, he feels compelled to "bellow" to get his point across. The chief must have been greatly impressed at Diggity's manly aggression.

Bellow was a colorful term...I had it on tape...I'm as calm cool and collected as Mike Brady going to Buddy Hintons' house.

Afterward, Diggity brags to his pals here about how he ran over other reporters and photogs at a gangbang and gets defensive when several of them suggest he just might not have acted in an ideal manner.

Bragging to my pals here??? Ha ha. I RARELY post here much less stop by.


I started to say something here along the lines of "what goes around, comes around," but Diggity's not gonna hear it. Maybe when he gets as old as Lensmith and I, he'll catch on <G>. I like to believe I'm constantly learning new things from new people. Like give a thumbnail sketch of a situation to add to a thread. :rolleyes:

[ September 25, 2005, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: Diggity ]