On Fri, Aug 19, 2011 at 12:02:57PM -0500, Walt Gilbert wrote: > I must remember to work the security guards whenever I'm out at > events like that. > > What works best, charm or bribery? Bear in mind that I'm not very > charming, but even less wealthy.
You do have one important bribe you could offer - a print (or even just a digital copy) of any shot you manage to get. But, in general, I find that treating the security guys with respect (acknowledging their presence with a nod, or exchanging a few words), and acting sensibly, is generally all you need to do. The only shot in that collection that was taken from a spot where I technically should not have been was the shot of Scott Dixon taken during the Saturday practice session. I'd bought a high-end ticket, which gave me access to pit lane. When the track went hot I went up to pit in to get a few shots of cars on the track. I didn't go all the way up to the pit-lane wall (where a guy with a press pass was shooting), but stood about ten feet further back, behind a tire wall. When I had taken a few shots from that position I went back to the general pit area, and met up with a friend. At that time a security guard noticed us, and very politely informed us that we had to be off pit lane while the alcohol-fueled cars were running. In areas like that, and up against the track fencing, there's not a lot of discretion for the security folks to use. But the shots I most wanted to get (the start shots showing the cars bunched up in the final turn) were taken from the walkway running along the back of the public grandstands. We had seats in those grandstands, so I had no difficulty getting in there. But the walkway is supposed to be kept clear - it's not a general spectator area for viewing. I moved almost down to the end (so nobody needed to get past me), but even then the security folks came by a couple of times. They told a group of guys who were just chatting to take their seats, told some kids not to stand up on the seats, nodded to me as they passed, and carried on doing their job. I'm pretty sure it helps if you are carrying what they perceive to be a "professional" camera (things like a battery grip and a sizeable lens complete with lens hood contribute to this image). Once in a while you'll run into a small-minded individual who'll enforce the letter of the restrictions. But most of the time you will be dealing with fellow motorsports enthusiasts who will cut you a bit of slack as long as doing so won't cause them trouble. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
