When I first started freelancing, I sought out the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung for a few sports assignments. I was working at the San Marcos Daily Record at the time and New Braunfels was the next small town over. They were in a different county and they had their own high schools, so there wasn’t a lot of coverage overlap or ethical issues that would jeopardize my job.
I shot high school football for the Herald-Zeitung every Friday night, since I didn’t work Friday nights at my staff job. The Zeitung didn’t pay a lot (though they let me keep my copyright), but it was a good way for me to expand my skill set and also start building a client base if I ever wanted to go full-time freelance like I am now.
I still work for the Zeitung when time permits. They still pay the same as they did years ago when I started working with them, but in my book there’s something to be said for loyalty. When they needed a stringer and I needed some extra work, we helped each other out. They’ve always treated me with respect and I am grateful for that.
Anyway, the other day I got an email from the sports editor, who needed a New Braunfels High School softball game covered at Austin Westlake High School. I had the time open, so I took the job.
It was a quick game, without much excitement, but I got some simple action shots of the NBHS girls.
The best part about shooting a game without a lot of action for a client you feel very comfortable with is that you have a few moments to Instagram. Here are a couple of my iPhone shots.
Here’s the tech info:
Action shots – Nikon D700 with 80-200mm f2.8 lens
iPhone – iPhone5, b&w – Hipstamatic cam, color – camera app, all Instagram