How do professional sports photographers?

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alex_m90

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I had a quick question that after some searching on the internet I have not found an answer, so I thought I would ask on here to see if anybody knew the answer!

Basically when working for an agency or newspaper, the photographers are uploading their photos during the game whilst taking more. Once they have finished images, they upload them to their paper or agency.

My question is how do they send these several MB files to the required recipient(s)? They upload them somehow, but how and to where? I read that it is likely to be via ftp upload, but what is this exactly? How does it work with regards to getting them sent to the right people? Also how does this make it any easier sending larger files than emailing them?

I hope that somebody can help me with my question. The annoying this is that I have done a few premier league football match coverage for my local newspaper (wasn't required to get the images to them until much later so could be done in comfort of my own home and also images emailed) and I saw lots of photographers doing this. I didn't want to seem like an idiot there so didn't ask. Now I regret that!:lol:

I hope somebody can help me with my question. I hope it makes sense and that I havn't rambled on too much. If so, my excuse is that im extremely tired and in need of sleep:lol:!
 
FTP is file transfer protocol. It was designed for transferring lots, and large files...unlike email, which is more of a messaging tool! It works just like your Explorer, or Finder does on your PC/Mac, except over a network (in this case, the internet). Most large grounds will have a wifi connection and a fast internet link, or some photographers may use wireless internet from the likes of o2, 3mobile etc...

As regards to who to send it to, I am guessing the press agencies/newspapers....whoever you are there working for! They will have a file server set up at their end, with an ftp server running on it...which you connect to remotely and dump all your images on.
 
purpleclouds said:
FTP is file transfer protocol. It was designed for transferring lots, and large files...unlike email, which is more of a messaging tool! It works just like your Explorer, or Finder does on your PC/Mac, except over a network (in this case, the internet). Most large grounds will have a wifi connection and a fast internet link, or some photographers may use wireless internet from the likes of o2, 3mobile etc...

As regards to who to send it to, I am guessing the press agencies/newspapers....whoever you are there working for! They will have a file server set up at their end, with an ftp server running on it...which you connect to remotely and dump all your images on.
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Ahhh, that makes sense now actually I think.
So the agency would then give the details of the server location and then the ftp client (e.g. filezilla one?) can be linked to this and then finished images just dragged and dropped into there and thats it pretty much? How do all the images descriptions (added in lightroom) remain with the image through this though?

Really appreciate your help purpleclouds. Cheers mate! :D I knew I could rely on TP to help me understand something! :lol:
 
FTP will just copy the file (or photo) exactly as it is on the laptop. If this includes details added in Lightroom, it would still copy that. Not that I think any photographer would have any time to do any Lightroom editing pitch side :)

FTP is just an efficient way of transferring large files over the internet. As said before, email should really only be used for text messages :|
 
email from pitchside to newspapers and/or agencies
 
Biggz said:
FTP will just copy the file (or photo) exactly as it is on the laptop. If this includes details added in Lightroom, it would still copy that. Not that I think any photographer would have any time to do any Lightroom editing pitch side :)

FTP is just an efficient way of transferring large files over the internet. As said before, email should really only be used for text messages :|
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Ahh ok. So when you export it from lightroom how do you make the description remain intact? What export presets do you need?

Also description wise there are some things that they do. I think tobers posted something about it in the sports section, but so they can write in the description something along the lines of this: Old Trafford, Manchester England: 11 Ryan Giggs crosses the ball into 10 Wayne Rooney for his second goal of the game. Photographer name.


Thanks for all the help and advice so far everyone!
 
alex_m90 said:
what size do you send the images then? Is that not a LOT slower than sending it FTP if you need large images?
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speed has nothing to do with it.. I would prefer ftp as you can see the file upload and you know its there.. email you have to then phone in and make sure they got it... But the choice isnt with the photographer.. its the agency or newspaper who decide how they want the files and whats best for them..

i save all my jpgs that are being sent to papers/agency at 10 in photoshop and there generally about half a meg each
 
Bear in mind that for use in a newspaper (which is really the only time they'd have to be rushed over) the file size doesn't need to be that large.

You're getting caught up in the technicalities, I think. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is just another protocol, like SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol - e-mail!)

FTP can be used in all sorts of ways, just like SMTP. It could also be done over HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) i.e. via a website with an upload form.
 
The agency you work for would normally show you the ropes anyway as they may want them different to another agency anyway.
 
Blapto said:
Bear in mind that for use in a newspaper (which is really the only time they'd have to be rushed over) the file size doesn't need to be that large.

You're getting caught up in the technicalities, I think. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is just another protocol, like SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol - e-mail!)

FTP can be used in all sorts of ways, just like SMTP. It could also be done over HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) i.e. via a website with an upload form.
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Ah ok. That makes more sense then as well.
I appreciate that newspapers don't need that large file sizes, but agencies such as getty, action images, and the likes of them, the photographers have images uploaded from the first half before half time even starts! All of the images on there tend to be 10MB+ files.
Was just really curious as to how this is done, as this is something I am interested in and would like to do more of.
Is the speed of the upload via FTP all dependant on the internet connection speed then?

Thanks for all the replies so far, its definitely clearing things up for me! :D
 
big will said:
The agency you work for would normally show you the ropes anyway as they may want them different to another agency anyway.
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Ah ok. Again, thanks. I was worried that they may presume all of their photographers would have donkeys years of experience in such file transfers. Hopefully if I am fortunate enough to find some more work in this area and immediate processing of images is required, then I would be given help by the agency/newspaper in how to do so.
 
Assuming you are using Lightroom, to caption images, put the caption into the title field. Also set up a metadata preset so that as you import the images, the IPTC data containing your name, phone number, email address etc etc is automatically added to the images.

I use the Lightroom FTP plugin to FTP from pitchside. Very easy and fits into my workflow nicely. I use FTP when the recipient asks me to use FTP. Most of the newspapers use an FTP server which sucks images straight into their picture processing system for the picture desk to look at.

Email is easier when you are sending to multiple recipients. One email to 10 recipients whereas FTP is point-to-point.

I generally send files under 1Mb in size. Any more and they take too long. These are post-processed files which I've cropped, adjusted for exposure & white balance etc. 3-6 top quality images per game.

To transmit, I either use the stadium's WiFi if it's free or on my mobile account, or use a 3G modem on my laptop.

If I'm in a static position, I'll shoot tethered to my laptop to avoid having to fanny about swapping cards - its much quicker that way. One day I'll be able to afford a WiFi transmitter to send direct from my camera to my laptop so I can wander around at will.
 
Tobers said:
I use the Lightroom FTP plugin to FTP from pitchside. Very easy and fits into my workflow nicely. I use FTP when the recipient asks me to use FTP. Most of the newspapers use an FTP server which sucks images straight into their picture processing system for the picture desk to look at.

Email is easier when you are sending to multiple recipients. One email to 10 recipients whereas FTP is point-to-point.
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I've only just stumbled across the Lightroom FTP facility, before now I've been using CyberDuck FTP client.

Good points re the difference between FTP and mailing images out to clients.

I had the pleasure of working for Getty images in January, covering all five days of the European skating champs.
A couple of days before the event, I was given all the details for their FTP server and also an AIM contact for their picture desk. I had to contact the picture desk and test sending files to the FTP and also the correct format to their metadata tagging and cataloguing procedure, making sure that all the details were correct and had the corresponding media ID for the particular day.

I didn't have my laptop with me at the rink side, there wasn't enough room, after taking the images I ran into the elevator and up to the press centre to do my edits and send the images via FTP.
The only photog's rink side were the Reuters guys and the main Finnish papers on the final day.
 
First off, should declare my allegiance; I work for Getty Images.

For our photographers, we have one piece of software (called GIFT; Getty Images Field Tool) that takes care of the entire workflow process.

GIFT will automatically ingest photos from a card, apply the template (media ID, description, etc) and place them ready to be edited. Photographer will then select the best photos, edit them in PhotoShop and then they go back into GIFT to have caption information, keywords etc. Once done, GIFT will then FTP them to our distribution systems.

GIFT is also fully networkable, so a photographer can send this photos to a server and a team of editors can then work on the photos (one will select the best, another will Photoshop and another do the captioning).

The network setup is used at big events, such as the Champions League final or the Olympics. During Beijing 2008, we shot over 40,000 photos per day and these were all edited with GIFT.

We also have a tool for freelancers working for us which is a web-based upload tool and, as someone else mentioned, FTPing directly.

Any more questions, feel free to ask.
 
inkiboo said:
First off, should declare my allegiance; I work for Getty Images.
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BOOO! ;):lol::lol::lol:

I work for a couple of agencies and have slightly different workflow. Firstly I use Photo Mechanic. This ingests each card with a template called stationary pad. It also re-numbers all images with a prefix and title. Once the card has been downloaded all I need do is complete the captioning by discribing the action and inserting each players name & team. With PM you can use code replacement which is a short cut and saves having to type the full name and team. I then crop in PS and save. I would then upload via ftp facility in Photo Mechanic which also allows you to adjust the file size.

One agency automatically sends them to all newspapers where as another I upload to their ftp site and they then send them out. I know of other agencies with no ftp so have to email. PA also have their own software called shootlive.
 
natjag said:
I thought it stood for File Transfer.
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Nope, 100% Getty Images Field Tool

3537097404_00740ff785.jpg
 
I wasn't questioning, I just thought thats what It stood for. Kinda made sense to me. I think someone else told me it stood for that, but they don't work there anymore.
 
natjag said:
I wasn't questioning, I just thought thats what It stood for. Kinda made sense to me. I think someone else told me it stood for that, but they don't work there anymore.
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It's called a Field Tool because it does so much more than just transferring files. Pretty amazing really considering it was developed in 2003/2004 and there is still nothing that beats it.
 
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