Great Texas 2008 - Photographer's Blog

GPS Tracker

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:46:00 +0000

GPS tracking powered by InstaMapper.com

Static Map of where I am, using my BlackBerry and InstaMapper.com, IF I have the app turned on and shared. Refresh for updates.

Free is Killing Me!

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:07:00 +0000

For the photographer shooting on spec means: Spending your time to travel, photograph, edit, submit (and all other activities related) to delivering submitted images. In addition to this it also invloves self financing all of your camera equipment, automobile expense, insurance, camera repair (and all other photography expenses).

By Matt Brown
Stop working for free!

Next time you're in the local hardware store, ask the salesman to give you free tools and tell him in return you will tell all your friends you got your tools from his hardware store.

Or try it at the grocery store. I can see it now, standing at the check at line: "That will be $102.85, sir."

"You don't know me but I will tell everyone I know to shop at Ralph's if I can just get my groceries for free". "

Sure Mr. Brown nobody knows about us yet, here's your food and have a nice day!"

Sweet!

Can you send me a photo? Can I get a photo for free? We will give you credit for the photo!

How many times have you heard that?

Free! Free! Free!

I've had CBS.com, Wilson Sporting Goods Global Marketing, Fox Sports, ESPN.com, ABC, CBS, Fox, Rivals.com, Baseball America, college websites and yes, newspapers, magazines, all ask for FREE photos. Some are even willing to give me photo credit.

Wow! Give me photo credit for a photo I created!

So these companies can take it and make money from a product I provided free. Yes, money. The bottom line here is money. Give me your photos for free and I can post them on their company website or run it in a publication... what a concept!

continued here..... http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1989

(Matt Brown is a freelance photographer based in Southern California. You can see his work at his SportsShooter.com member page: http://www.sportsshooter.com/mattb and at his personal website: http://www.mattbrownphoto.com/. He is also the co-director of the Sports Shooter Academy.)

Anatomy of a Flip

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:24:00 +0000

Random Photos Slideshow

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:29:00 +0000

Random photos from the 2008 GT300. These include wierd crops, slightly soft but still interesting, tight crops, small file sizes, good for the web but not suitable for printing

GT300 Compilation Video

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:39:00 +0000

A highly compressed compilation of video clips taken at the GT300 in 2008

Helping hands in the surf

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:38:00 +0000

Broken rudder less than 1 minute in

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:26:00 +0000

You can almost see the exact minute Team Chums broke their left rudder less than one minute into the 300 mile endurance race. Repairs where made on the beach and they were off again after a 17 minute pitstop.

Got Surf?

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:20:00 +0000

This year was some of the best surf I've seen for this event. It provided some great action, a few broken masts, a few strandings on deserted island. The Great Texas 300 makes Survivor look like a reality TV game show!

Team Chums negotiating the surf

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:16:00 +0000

The Race is over....and everyone is still alive!

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:54:00 +0000

Seriously...this year I'm surprised there were no major injuries, or worse, deaths. Masts and rudders....replaceable. Expensive, but replaceable none-the-less.

I come back to this race because of the people. I've met some stand-up (top shelf) people here. Cat sailors are a breed apart for sure. I saw a t-shirt last night at Surfside that said something like 'Cat Sailors aren't Pussies'...or something to that effect. And after this year's GT I think you've all proven that. But, it's not what people do for me that makes them stand-up, and out, it's what I witness them doing for others. There's too many to name names....it's just the whole collective of cat sailors.

I grew up on the water...learned to sail at my dad's knee. Went on to the navy, spent years working on foriegn factory freezers and such....so I'm no slouch when it comes to the sea....even have awards for rescuing people...but that's another story. I raced monohulls for years...inshore and offshore....always had a cabin to take shelter in...longest race was half a day or so. I just couldn't do what you guys do. I'd LOVE to do what you guys do.....but I know that halfway through a 100 mile leg, you just can't get off if something happens..injuries, heat exhaustion, whatever. So, my hat's off to cat sailors.

My job is hard enough following this race. On top of the long drives, my day kind of starts when the last boat is ashore. Sorting through 100's of photos, trying to find internet connections, digging the sand out of delicate equipment, etc.

But, I also get to see an outside view of the road crews closer than most. I share the long drives with them, and I watch them setting up on the beach...sometimes just in the nick of time, or sometimes with hours to spare. I watch them worry when they hear reports, that their boat is in trouble; or worse, that they don't hear from their boat at all. I watch them pack everything up again once their boat dips below the horizon. This year even had a few extra surprises, and everyone pulled together to make sure everything went off smoothly. When you say 'road crew/team manager' the first name that comes to mine is Terry, and my advice to any rookie is 'follow Terry's lead'. This ain't your father's Vista Cruiser on vacation.

Anyways, to the sailors and crews, and the support crews....thanks for all the great photo ops. This year provided some of the best action shots. I don't want to see anyone damage their boat, or experience some other disaster or hardship, but if it happens, I want to be the one to take the picture.

Slideshow - Surfside to Galveston

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:28:00 +0000

Happy to be alive!

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:27:00 +0000

A little too happy if you ask me.

Team Ruffrider at the Finish!

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:07:00 +0000

Hook 'em Horns!

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:02:00 +0000

A Busy Beach

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:22:00 +0000

Green/Fulmer after flip video

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:47:00 +0000

Click To Play

Neccessity is the mother of jury rigging

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:24:00 +0000

60 miles on a screwdriver and a piece of string

Kissing the Beach

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:09:00 +0000

Click To Play

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:08:00 +0000

Lee Wicklund, Team Chums, trying not to stuff it, pitch it, flip it, all of the above, seconds from the finish line.

Start of a bad day

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:06:00 +0000

But still alive

The view from the shore

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:05:00 +0000

Probably not as half as exciting as we can imagine

Contemplating a day on the water

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:02:00 +0000

If Chris only knew that just minutes later he'd be upside down and tangled under this tramp.

Poison Girl closing fast

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:59:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't wanna see Poison Girl that close to me coming off the surf

Day 2 Clip 3

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:56:00 +0000

Click To Play

Day 2 Clip 2

sean.hotshot@gmail.com (Sean Stevens) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:20:00 +0000