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Help Finding Athletes to Shoot

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.Ian.
Posts: 1568 - Karma: 72
So basically lately, I've been in need of some subjects/ athletes to shoot and I'm just wondering how you guys make connections to go out and shoot photos of different guys? The town I live in now doesn't have a skatepark, but a couple towns over does and I've gone over there and taken some photos of guys a few times before. All the guys there love the pictures, but it's always the same few guys skating there, so word never gets out that I'm looking for different people to take photos of. Should I just drive a half an hour to the next closest skatepark and introduce myself and ask if anyone wants some photos?
Sometime I would also like to go shoot some guys hitting street stuff, but when I asked thes local kids if they ever hit any street stuff they said no and that they never plan on skating any street either, which is pretty lame.

I know this is probably a problem with a lot of different parks and skaters out there, but everytime I go to this local skatepark, the cops always show up and are yelling at one kid or another, or are searching some kid for doing something. It's just dumb, and the kids are disrespectful and just jerks to any authority type figure.
I mean, obviously skating street is illegal too, but I would at least like to know that I'm with someone who knows when to call it quits and leave, where the local kids seem like they would just try and get into an argument or something.

I'm not just looking for skateboarders either, but I would like to shoot dirtbikers or rollerbladers or bikers, or just any action sports athletes. So basically what should I do to meet some different people? Just go and see what happens?
Thanks for any input guys.
May 8 2012 2:25PM
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CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,943
I think they key is just straight up asking. Nearly every athlete is happy to get in front of the lens. As far as finding them, ask your friends if they have any friends keep an eye out and an ear open for who is throwing down in your area.

Facebook some people in your area and if they look like they shred ask them if they are down to shoot. As far as driving the half hour to the other park i would say its probably worth it, you can always get your name out and let people know you are looking to shoot.

I now this probably doesn't help much, but thats how i found most of the people i film. They are either good friends, friends of friends or they just shred and a walked up and asked them.
May 8 2012 2:51PM
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BolderPro
Posts: 767 - Karma: 426
I'm in this same situation now and I'm thinking about putting like a flyer or something up by the local climbing crag and MX track i also am looking to get people that ride bikes/skate/whateva in the street/trails because the skate park scenes/edits often seem to be pretty lame like you said....

Hope this helps and ill be interested to hear what other people are doing
May 8 2012 4:07PM
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.Ian.
Posts: 1568 - Karma: 72
Thanks for the help guys. I'm definitely going to go to a skatepark in a nearby city today and just ask the guys if I can set up and get some photos. I'll give them all business cards and stuff so they can go online and check out all the pictures. Crotchkiller, I already have you at 10/10 haha but tgar I rated you 10/10 too. I'll let you guys know how it goes and I'll post up some pictures later.
As long as I try and stay out of the way, I don't see why anyone would have a problem with it right?
May 11 2012 8:44AM
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SSteezle
Posts: 9297 - Karma: 7,706
As many people as said, the best way to find talent is to just go and observe. Once you find the kids throwing down ask em if they wanna film.


When you put your pictures online, unless you plan on selling them, keep it to a small watermark. I can't stand when people ruin photos that they could never sell. Plus no one is near as stoked to get a photo of them that's promoting yourself more than them. I had it happen to me once and I never responded to any of their other emails. He asked to take pictures of me and my friend skiing and he sent us about 4 of the worst pictures from the day and they had huge watermarks on them.

As long as you don't do that, everyone is going to be super stoked for you to shoot them
May 11 2012 8:51AM
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Dub_Digital
Posts: 2794 - Karma: 636
if you cant find anyone, try to find a local (small) company and hit them up to take pics with them...its worth a try, and I have first hand experience of it working, ...plus if its a smaller company 99 percent of the time they will be stoked because it means more exposure for them, the only reasonb they might turn you down is if your trying to get paid, which you didnt say you were
May 11 2012 1:48PM
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blatt
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 3,097
The best thing to do is ask; the worst they say is no. All you can control is the quality of your work, and hope that others want to get in front of your lens. Get people stoked on what you're doing and riders will come to you; but you can always ask too
May 11 2012 5:39PM
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Crispy.
Posts: 6109 - Karma: 7,683
Make sure you're pretty good at video/photography as well. I'm going to assume you are but it'd make me mad if some random kid was filming me and had no clue what he was doing.
May 12 2012 11:19PM
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