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Why Have I Shot Events For Free?
"Why do you spend so much to shoot eSport events for free"?
This Is a question I get very often from people on Twitter, friends, and my own family. Shooting events Is something I really love. It allows me to support the eSport scenes that I am a part of by not only being a spectator, but allowing me to capture and document moments for everyone to remember for years to come.
Now what I have come to learn while being In this scene for a while now Is that It has been hard to book events to shoot. I have emailed numerous companies, organizations, individuals to try and shoot for them but I have either been denied or ignored. So as time starts to run out till the event happens I have to either stay home or book my own flight and hotel to the event because I could find anybody In time.
I have had people tell me to stop shooting events for free but If I can't find anyone to shoot for but I still want to shoot the event....than why wouldn't I go my self? I love being a part of the Halo scene and I love shooting the events. I haven't enjoyed something In so many years. I am not just going to stay home and miss potential Halo(or other eSport history) because someone wouldn't pay for me to shoot.
In the beginning I had hoped to work with 343i and shoot Halo events for them. I decided to lend them my photos for a couple events because I wanted to support the Halo scene and kinda get my foot In the door. But things didn't work out like I planned.
Now that I am branching into other eSports(specifically Smash) I have come to learn that I still get ignored, I still get denied, or most events already have photographers and have no need for me. But thankfully people like Alex at CEO and people at 343i still help me get a media pass even though Im literally just shooting for myself.
So wrapping this up...I have shot events for free because I wasn't going to miss them just because someone wasn't paying for me to go. I love doing It way too much and I want to keep supporting the communities I love for as long I can. Now while I will shoot events for myself for free, Im still always looking to book a event to shoot for someone!!
I want to thank OZ and Astro Gaming for giving me my first opportunity to shoot for someone officially. It meant to absolute world to me! I want to thank Alex at CEO for admiring my work and offering me a media badge If I make it out to CEO Dreamland even though they already have photographers. I want to also thank 343i for helping me get media access at Halo events, they have always been a HUGE help. I hope I can continue my relationship with them In 2017 and support the community who has ALWAYS had my back. I love you guys! Till next time...
-David "Sandman" Doran