I’m not done with the metaphotography series yet, but I’ll confess, this is one of my favorites because of the two layers of photography. In the foreground, we have a professional photographer hustling his butt off. These guys wander up and down the stands, looking for people willing to commemorate their attendance at a football game with a photo. After taking their picture, he hands them a business card, which I assume has a web address on it where they may purchase the picture. He’s shooting with a consumer grade DSLR with a cheap external flash to fill in the shadows. Equipment cost $800, plus the $6 screen-printed string bag. He’s probably paid on straight commission, taking a cut of every sale that gets made, to the harder he works, the more likely he is to get a decent income for his time. What that income is, I have no idea. Will he make more than the $150 I would charge for a three our portrait session? I’d like to guess, but I probably shouldn’t. As quality portraits go, this ain’t one. As a way to memorialize your attendance at a football game? Yeah, sure. Is it worth $10-20? Probably for enough people to keep the business going, since I’ve seen them working the stands at a couple of games.

In the background, we have the professional sports shooters. There are three photographers, and a number of videographers. The photogs have big lenses and are all pointing toward the action–the part that everyone expects a photographer to be shooting. Yeah, not me. I was more interested in the fans. Would I be totally stoked if I got a press-pass and was on-field for a game? Hells Yes. Would I turn the camera back on the crowd for at least some of time? Oh Hells Yes. Football players = interesting. Crowd = Mega Sweet. Just imaging the fans completely aping for a camera if they thought they might get into Sport Illustrated. And I would totally work that angle.