Women and Sports

This argument is such an old one. Why is it that women are not really given the same amount of attention in sport as men are?

I really thought, maybe, just maybe, things were starting to change. However, last week I went to the newsagency to find some magazines with sporting images in them to use in the kids art classes that I teach. We are looking at movement in images and I thought sporting images, would be perfect.

So I checked out all the magazines and was disappointed that there was not one on women's sport. I'm not saying that you can't buy them, but at the newsagency I looked there weren't any. Lots of magazines covering men's sport, like soccer, cricket, and other stuff. I asked if there were mags that covered all sport and he showed me one. Again, there were almost no women in it.

I ended up getting 3 magazines that had some good images for the kids to draw, but had to apologise to all the girls in the class that I was unable to find images for them of women doing sport.
So now where do I go, I have images myself, I take photographes of women on bikes all the time, but I still don't understand why it is so hard to find women playing sport. I know they do it, we all do. We have some very successful sports women in this country, and still they get overshadowed constantly by the men.

There are people out there doing what they can to help women in their sporting endeavors. One such group is the WomensCycling.net, they make a point of following women's cycling and reporting on their racing. If you want to find out about which women are riding where, then their blog is the place for you. It is really good and great to see only women being covered.

I'd like to say that I do the same, but I don't, however I do try and be fair. Though, it is hard when you go to a race meet and see that the girls/women race in less races, or race shorter distances and don't get the same amount of prize money. On big event nights, like the Revolution nights, I've also seen music played right through the women's races, which I found really rude, it showed a lack of respect to the women. It was like the organisers were saying that the women weren't as important, and if they don't think they are important then what message does that send to the audience.

Last weekend we saw a big weekend of cycling. Friday night was the madison and Sid Patterson Grand Prix. There was a invitational race, but only for the j17 boys, no girls. Whereas on Saturday night at Revolution 6 the Future stars were invited, both girls and boys, good to see.

It is also interesting to note that the most entertaining race of the night, and the one most people seemed to be talking about the next day, was the sprint between Anna Meares and Nathan Carrigan-Matella.
The race had all the things you would expect to see in Match Sprinting. They were track standing, Anna was forcing him up the track and there was head butting, a great race. Unfortunately Anna didn't win it, but she helped make it very entertaining and everyone had a great time watching it.

I'm also pleased to say that one of my favourite photos from the evening was from a women's race. It was the Keirin and the woman leading here, Fatehah Mustapa, went on to win the race. I love the way she is coming out the fog or the blur. I have been getting a few of these that work. It is taking a lot of practice, but hopefully they will get better.

The answer to the question posed here, I don't know, I suppose if we all start supporting women's sport a lot more, then the powers that be will have to start taking it more seriously as well, and I can't help wondering why men aren't more interested in watching women wearing lycra.

Photos, Copyright, and Facebook

When I first started putting my photos on the web so people could buy them, I thought, hey they are going to love these and want the pictures. I try very hard to make sure the photos I take are good and keep striving to get better and better at it. I do lots of research, read a lot, and look at what other photographers are doing.

I know people really like the photos I'm taking, but no one is buying them. Well except for a few. I know people are finding them because they are all over facebook. For many of the Juniors if you look at their pages, you will find my watermark on their images. I know they have to tick a box on facebook to say they have the right permission to do this, I also know that they are lying, because they haven't asked my permission.

Initially, when I first started taking the photos I noticed that the juniors were using my images on facebook, I was pleased. I thought, well they have have found the website. I also thought, they seem to like them. I thought it was just a matter of time before orders started coming in. I was so wrong.

Another photographer advised me against letting them use the images on facebook and said they should pay. We have wondered about this, and, again, thought, some good will would help. I don't think it has. I just didn't want to be hard handed, and to come down on people for doing it.

So now I have to make a decision, do I stop letting them use the photos unless they pay for them first, one option. Another is to have give and take, they buy some images and in return they can have my permission to put other images on facebook. I can stop them putting images up and go to facebook and say they don't have my permission and are breaching my copyright, do something about it. Of course, the final option is to stop taking photos of the juniors at cycling, or only photograph those that I know pay for photos, and do what other photographers do, concentrate on the seniors, or move onto another sport.

I know my website is basic, but we are working on a new site, which will have a better gallery for viewing the photos and there will be a shopping cart that will make it easier to buy images. It all takes time. Still, it isn't too hard to order photos, just takes an email, and those that have bought some have found the experience not to difficult, I hope.

It will be a shame if I have to stop photographing the juniors, I do enjoy it and through it I've met lots of really nice people. I will wait about a month or so and then make my decision as to the direction I will go in.

Being Allowed to Photograph Events

It's been an interesting week. I found out earlier in the week that my application for Media Accreditation to photograph the Vixens had been turned down. I wasn't at all surprised. Apparently it was because I am not with ANZ Championship or I don't work for a publication like a newspaper. I'm not sure I want to work for either, so I imagine my chances of getting media accreditation is basically zero.

It wasn't totally bad news, she did suggest I might have a better chance of photographing the Australian National League later on in the year, so I will see how I go there, and that she might, might be able to get me a temporary media pass for one Vixens game. I'll take it. One game is better than none, and really I just want to experience it and to watch the other photographers. So I hope she can do that.

Meanwhile I was organising my media passes for two cycling events that are coming up, the Sid Patterson Grand Prix and Revolution 6, both at DISC at the end of the month. I had no problems, though I have been doing this a while now. What different worlds they are between cycling and netball. Cycling has always been great to be involved in, but netball is so frustrating.

You can walk into an event anywhere with cycling and start taking pictures, no one cares, but netball as soon as you bring out a camera, you are on their list as a potential pedophile. It's the world gone nuts. When I first got my camera last year the first event I photographed was my daughters Grand Final. First I had to get permission from everyone to be allowed to do it. I asked every member of the opposite team if it was OK and told them that I was putting the photos up on my website, and gave them a card to let them know where they could find them. Wasn't a problem at all.

This is one of those shots. It wasn't as easy as I thought, and I had to contend with the new camera as well as the weight of it. It would be a lot better now because I've done it a lot more now. Well used the camera.

I have been trying to organise opportunities to take more photos at netball, but there is a lot of "red tape" and I keep asking myself is it worth the hassle. The cycling is always going to be the main thing I take photos of, but my other daughter plays netball and it would be nice to be able to do some.
So I have to try and get permission from people and I've spoken to the relevant people and access is happening. I suppose I do have to ask myself that question of why do I want to do it, and the answer is I'm not sure. I have to admit the fact that parents can't take photos themselves, or feel like they can't, makes me think I could make money from it, but I feel so horrible thinking that is the only reason. I don't know why, we are all looking for opportunities to make money, so why not. I really need to get over that.

I am going to stick with it and see how it goes, but if it turns out to be a major hassle then, no, I don't think I will continue, I'll just stick to taking photos of cycling, which I am loving.

Refining My Craft

On Friday night I went to training with Briony at DISC, they were training for the club teams championships on the weekend. I decided to go and do some more experimenting with the flash. I've only had it about 2 weeks now and I wasn't happy with the results I got from it at the Brunswick Open.

This image is too blown out and the colours don't stand out. I have always hated using the flash, to me it makes the images too flat and does something to the colour of the lights that doesn't seem natural. I have always preferred natural lighting. Even when I was doing portraits, I always tried to go more for natural light.

However, having said that, there is a place for it, because when you are photographing an event like this, where it is indoors, there are going to be problems with the light. DISC is pretty good, there are skylights all over the top and lots of natural light comes through, but there are dark spots and if there are any clouds, or it starts to rain, then the whole place gets really dark.

I did some research on the internet trying to find out how to do fill flash with the flash unit I bought, and managed to find one really helpful site, but then when I went back to find it I couldn't find it anyway. A lot of places had great tips, but part of the problem is having to do things like expose somewhere else and then photograph the subject, which is great in theory, but not practical when you are trying to photograph something that is moving quickly.

From what I could remember from the first site I found, I put the exposure onto spot exposure, so it exposed only the cyclist, and then I put the flash down to -2 and for the most part got some really nice shots.
I think this image is a lot more successful, the light is soft, doesn't detract from the riders and I am very happy with it. I took lots of images on the weekend doing this, and while they didn't all work, a large percentage of them did. I was really happy when I was going through the photos to see how they turned out. I hope everyone else looking at them agrees.

I will have to continue practicing, I know I still have a lot to learn about taking photos of cycling, or any other sporting event, but I will get there one day, maybe one day I'll be as good as Graham Watson, wouldn't that be something.