Media Pass?

[Neilly]

Hi All,

Couple of weeks ago I went to Mallory Park for a motor bike track day. I was photographing my mates group. I wanted to go to one of the better places to photograph from - restricted area - but was told I needed to go race control & sign in. No problem, I thought, got the hi viz, insurance & all that. Got to race control & they told me I needed a media pass before they would let me go into the restricted area. So, the obvious question now is - how do I get a media pass?

TTFN,
Neil

[Trevoreast]

Re: Media Pass?

how do I get a media pass

The publication/agency you're shooting for should arrange it.

Trev

[Neilly]

Re: Media Pass?

Hi Trev,

I'm not shooting for any agency - just taking pictures of my mates group - pictures for them, not for publication (apart from the forum). I know all about the safety aspect of racing - I work for nearly 10 years for Jim Russell Racing Drivers School. I didn't know whether it was worth joining something like BFP. On the other hand - what's the crack about joining a particular agency?

TTFN,
Neil

[colin C]

Re: Media Pass?

If you work for an accredited agency/publication, you will have a generic media pass. Advise the "Press" contact in advance that you will be attending the event and on the day, find the press office and sign-in. You will be asked for a deposit of £10, or so, to cover the safety tabard and the individual media pass you will be given for that event. The purpose is to offer extra facilities to a limited number of people who will publicise the event in appropriate media. The problem is that everyone and their dog who owns a camera and would normally visit that event, would give their right arm for the same facilities. Taking that to it's logical conclusion, event organisors could have more people in front of the barriers than behind!

So, how do you get an event specific media pass when you aren't entitled to one?

Attend the "Mickey Mouse" events that the accredited press just wouldn't cover. The Press Office still have to be there even if no accredited press turn up and if you write in beforehand on your headed notepaper (easy enough) requesting a media pass for the day, turn up and sign in and be the most pleasant person you can be to the press officer, but also don't be tentative. If you act as if you always get a media pass from other tracks you attend, because it's such a limited event without much national interest, you'll probably get away with it. Spend a few months doing that before you try it on with a national event and with luck, they will be so used to you, that it becomes automatic.

If you get any great shots, a couple of A3's now and again wouldn't go amiss and it could be the difference between covering a major national event or not.

Good luck

Colin

[David Stallard]

Re: Media Pass?

Young Colin has just about covered it all - It took me over three years of constant emails / meetings and sweet talking before I got my 1st accreditation. I shoot for a specific club/series and also a couple of magazines, I still have to push like hell to get stuff in print usually between 6 and 10 a year to get accreditation for the following year.

It's not easy to get and it's even harder to keep which I guess is the whole idea. Not forgetting the minimum 5 million PLI of course

Not much help I know, sorry

.DAVID.

[Woolley]

Re: Media Pass?

Mallory used to have an acredited photogropher who had the contract for all photography other than the specialist magazines, and if you wanted to take pictures for them you had to have the relevant pass. If you just want to take photos of your mates, you've pretty much no chance at Mallory.

That said, there's plenty of spots there where you can get plenty close enough and without fences in the way so it's not so much of a problem as at some of the bigger circuits.

[Neilly]

Re: Media Pass?

Hi All,

Thanks for the comments/advice. I don't think I'll be bothering anytime soon trying to get a media pass. I was only really interested in getting to the slightly better places. Sounds like a lot of effort for a pass, but I guess if it was easy every man & his dog would have one!

You're right Woolley, plenty of places at Mallory to get close, but there's only so many pictures you can take before run out of angles & the pictures start looking very similar. You're right there is a guy who takes pictures on track days & has his pictures up on his computer by the end of the day. I did stand next to him at the bus stop corner - I don't think he was to impressed when he saw my 1D iv + 300mm f2.8 lens - he did the oneupmanship bit - walked across the track inbetween sessions to the restricted area. Hey-ho!

TTFN,
Neil

[2Beers]

Re: Media Pass?

Like the avatar picture Neil nice mean looking machine the A10 warthog tankbuster

[Neilly]

Re: Media Pass?

Thanks 2Beers - the A-10 in the picture is a model. The guy who owned it is now having another one built - even more detailed than that one. I'll post some pictures of the paint job its getting. I'm doing an article for RCMW about the new A-10.

TTFN,
Neil

[Woolley]

Re: Media Pass?

he did the oneupmanship bit - walked across the track inbetween sessions to the restricted area. Hey-ho!

That sounds like him!

Didn't think you could stand in the infield any more - certainly for car marshalling it's no longer covered. On the other hand, having had a Renault 5 pass over my head on that post, I can see the point!

[colinah]

Re: Media Pass?

If you're into motor sport does it have to be at a track. Try rallying. The stages are open to spectators and providing you don't upset the marshals and don't put yourself in danger you can get close to the action. You may have to do a bit of walking but it's fairly easy to find a spot where there aren't to many other people. The action is pretty good too, flying mud, stones and water if it's wet.

Colin H.