articles/Sports/sportsphotography-page10
by Mike McNamee Published 01/08/2011
The devices that you can use may be hardwired or 'radio controlled'. Use of unscrambled transmission by radio can be fraught with problems of interference if a number of photographers are working. Infrared controllers require shorter distances and usually line of sight to ensure working. Response times can also be an issue with some technologies and this includes those that operate by beam breaking. In all cases the security of the gear from theft has to be considered.
The availability of LiveView has opened limitless possibilities for remote operation as the view from the camera may now be duplicated some distance away and the camera controlled from that distance. Articulated, motorised heads also allow the camera to be moved, although this is very slow compared to much sports action.
For all remote activities and particularly using LiveView you need to know the capacity of your battery system, some of them are quite short in our experience. As with all 'fancy' technology it pays to dummy-run trials before you commit to a real event!
Don't forget to check the weather and rain protection of your remote rig.Once an event has started it is unlikely you will be able to approach your gear and if it starts to rain you could be in trouble.
Image Transmission
A feature of the modern world of sports photography is the instantaneous transmission of images from the event directly to the news desk. Some remarkable publicity stunts have been pulled with this, images from a match at the European Soccer Championships in Seville arriving and placed on the page within minutes was just one example.
The transmission requirements are likely to be defined by the commissioning agency or pre-agreed with the photographer.
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