Congratulations AP

It only took you 67 minutes into the season before you ran your first two fucking dimwit cliched "pitcher hangs head in dejection as batter rounds bases in background" pictures. Looking forward to 9,000 more over the next six months.

 

I can only assume this means nobody has turned a double play yet.

 

Up until this morning I'd have said "Big whoop. There's only so many angles you can get good, clean shots from in most ballparks."
And then I did a search on AP Exchange looking for a random spring training picture to run with a preview story.
Holy crap, there were some great shots turned in by those Florida photogs in the last two weeks.
Unique angles (including a couple shots of outfielders chasing down fly balls taken from behind the fence), cool stuff that played with the lighting, sun and silhouettes, crisp action shots. It blew my mind that we can get this from spring training, but the next six months are going to be humdrum.
Is it just better access at these smaller spring training parks that lets them try some different things? Maybe they can get in some nooks and crannies that aren't available (or are off-limits) at the big league parks? The photogs in Florida can't be THAT much better and more creative than the big-market AP guys, can they?

 

Well, I understand Starman's frustration, but I also don't know how many papers or websites are going to want art shots of suns and silhouettes or whatever -- or even great action of a fly ball being chased down in the fifth inning.

The problem with news photos is that they have to show the news, too, and certainly a pitcher giving up a game-losing home run is part of what you're talking about.

The double-play turn? Completely different story.

 

Completely agree with Starman. Sometimes I get the feeling AP photogs don't even try anymore.

 

Something tells me it isn't that simple, that maybe hearing their side of the story would add some perspective.

Or maybe I'm wrong, and the only people stretched thin and doing what two or three people used to do are writers and deskers.

 

There are 2,600 baseball games a year, not including playoffs. I'm pretty sure they ran out of new shots to take years ago.

 

It's vantage points. Photographers are confined to certain spots at MLB parks. You can pretty much roam anywhere in ST, and the parks are so much smaller. Plus, no one is looking for "news" shots from ST games.

 

I also think it's partly about repetition. Once you've shot your 60th game of the season, you might as well be creatively tapped. The Florida guys are shooting, what, 10 or 15 games a year?

 

Some of "Florida guys" are regular AP shooters sent there for a few weeks.

 

Getty and US Presswire are the way to go, if you can afford them.

 

And if they cover every game . . . which they don't.