Going to take photos of people playing netball at my club, was exhausting, but I don't have the hassles that I have at other venues there. The people running the centre know I have permission and I can just walk around and take photos. The exhausting part is that there are so many Macleod teams and they are all playing during the day, so you don't really get a break if you want to take photos of them all. I couldn't do all of them, but I did quite a few and will catch the ones I missed next time.
Going in to Parkville is a different matter. I hate the suspicion you are treated with as soon as you say you are there to take photos. You have to fill out a form, and get the other team to sign it. So silly, because the form doesn't say anything except that you were there taking photos on that particular day. It doesn't ask who you were photographing, what you are going to do with the photos or anything else. Even the signature from the other team doesn't tell them who they are. Not sure who it is meant to protect, not me that's for sure.
They also have this woman who runs around with a clipboard and makes sure everything is above board, but she is not a pleasant person. She was very abrasive and made me feel really bad because I didn't know the rules and, oh, because I was taking photos. I'm starting to understand why kids love photos of themselves, they don't get to see them very often because their parents aren't allowed to take them. Anyway, I found the woman to be really offensive and I made a compliant to the netball and they have organised it now so I don't have to get permission anymore and can just go in there to take photos of Banyule. I will have to take a copy of the permission letter with me because I know I will get asked for it. 
Taking photos at Parkville presents a photographer with some interesting problems from a technical point of view as well, it is dark. There are lights, but not enough light to make the courts seem like daylight. The ISO has to be pushed to the absolute maximum so you can get a fast shutter speed. You need to use a fast shutter speed for netball. I don't know where people get the idea that netball is a slow girls sport, I'm here to tell you that it is fast, especially a team that is good and has been playing for many years. Flash is frowned upon, you can't have a flash going off in a players face, so you have to do the best you can. It really does require different skills than is needed for photographing cycling. As I stated earlier I went to Hisense Arena and took photos of the Vixens last week. It was tougher getting permission, and not anyone can rock on up and say they are there to take photos. I had to get a special pass, or a temporary Media Accreditation pass. It was waiting for me at the door and then I got to go in and down to the basement. I had to find the media room and then I was introduced to Kate, who showed me around and took me up to the arena where I could take photos.
There is one whole section where the media are allowed, one side of the court. It was fantastic. I think I always imagined that we would be placed in one spot and we would have to stay there, but it wasn't like that at all. We were allowed to move around on the that side of the court, but not behind the goals and not on the side where the players were. I do remember reading that we were not allowed to approach the players. We could go up into the stands to take photos, but I decided to stay put. I really just wanted to observe what the other photographers were doing, so if I get to go again then I have more of an idea of what I can and can't do.
Kate told me that I would have trouble photographing them because of the speed. That new photographers, or rather people new to photographing the Vixens find it really fast and have trouble. I have to say I didn't. I don't know if it is because I have done some netball before, and some of the teams I get to photograph for Banyule are also really fast, or whether the fact that I know the game and can often predict where the ball is going to go has helped. I loved it. I loved how fast it was. I think I like a challenge and you certainly get that. Probably the hardest part was taking photos of players that was close to me, the lens couldn't quite cope with it. Doesn't matter, I got photos of the rest of the court.
My biggest obstacle for the evening was the umpire who kept walking down and standing in front of me. So frustrating, but nothing I can do about it and something you have to work around. So many times, what would have been a great shot was ruined because she was standing in part of the shot. Oh well, I probably should have moved, but I quite liked my little spot.I did get some great shots, well what I think are great, to the top photographers they are probably not, but I was really pleased with my first efforts. Who knows if they will get better, but I will have to find a way to get some media accreditation. I would really like to find a way to be able to keep taking photos of them. A plan is hatching and will see what response I get for it.
I do want to thank the people from the ANZ Championships for organising the pass for me. It was a great experience and I really enjoyed it.
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