It all boils down to this, Access and Opportunity. With out that, you can forget about getting 'the shot.' You can study, you can shoot hundreds of thousands of images, know your camera inside and out. But if your not in the spot, you have no opportunity to put all that work to use. If you do get the access and opportunity... Be ready and don't mess it up, or you'll never be invited back.
If you are reading this, than you know how passionate I am about this craft. I have been working at it for most of my life. I have been fortunate in that I get to shoot assignments for a local daily newspaper. As weird as that sounds, I love the work. I only wish It were a full-time thing.
This weekend, I had an assignment to shoot an equestrian event in Saugerties, NY. Very upscale and prestigious.
Not only did I get to photograph some amazing riders and horses, my image made the front page of the paper for the third time. The lead image was a shot of Jessica Springsteen, yes, that's right, Bruce's daughter, jumping her horse.
I worked the event, from beginning to end. Took shots of the guests, local performers during a pre-show, the skilled riders jumping. I even got to photograph the concert after words... John Fogerty. I had the chance to meet and photograph Bruce and his wife Patti while they were getting ready to leave. Even though I was standing right next to them during the event, I held off until the end. It was a great experience, and looking at the images, I'd say... I can do this job... Just need the access and opportunity to show people that I can do it.
Access and Opportunity... Don't take them lightly. Use them to your advantage, but never abuse the trust someone has put in you and your skills.
