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I woke up this morning and had a link posted on my Facebook wall. Apparently, Sports Illustrated picked one of images for their website. Not quite the magazine, but I'll take it. Funny thing, it's not even a player... it was the good ole mascot!

PRO or GWC?

A good question to ask any "pro" photographer is, "What equipment do you have?" IF they can't answer. then their probably just a GWC (Guy With Camera).

You're not being impolite. In fact, that is very fair question that any true pro will gladly answer.

Does a photographer need everything under the sun? Of course not, but if a photographer says that he/she specializes sports photography (action, team or player), then their equipment should reflect that.

Here's what's in MY gear bag for covering sports...

Camera bodies...

- Canon 1D Mark III (2)

Lenses...

- Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS

- Canon 300mm f/2.8

- Canon 400mm f/2.8 IS

- Canon 85mm f/1.8

- Canon 17-40mm f/4

Flash...

- Canon 580EX II

- External Battery Pack (2)

- Manfrotto Tripod

- Benco Monopod

- Manfrotto 588 Head

Stuff...

- Canon WFT-E2 (WiFi)

- EyeFi WiFi SD Card

- Canon 1.4TC II

- Lensbaby 2.0

- PocketWizards (2)

- Superclamps

Software...

- DPP 19.0

- Photoshop CS5

- Photomechanic

- DSLR Remote

- NeatImage

The point is, a professional should be equipped as such. If they are ill-equipped, expect less quality that you would get from an equal photograph with truly professional equipment.

There are a lot more ways to tell who is a PRO photographer and who is a GWC. Not everyone who has interchangeable lenses on their camera should call themselves a professional photographer. Be careful!

Do your research, ask for references - who are their current and former clients? If you don't take a thorough approach, you may end up with very overpriced "snapshots".

Any questions, just ask.

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