BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY THROUGH SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY -  My journey into sports photography began quite unexpectedly! As a graphic designer, I needed high-quality photos for my son's sports photo books, but my phone just wasn't cutting it. That's when I invested in a Canon EOS R5 mMirrorless Camera with a 100-500mm lens – a game-changer! Suddenly, I was the go-to photographer for all the parents, and a fantastic business idea blossomed. Living in a small Massachusetts town, I already had connections to the local sports leagues through my kids' participation. Many parents were familiar with my work, so I took the leap and approached the board of directors of a few leagues to propose becoming their official photographer. I was delighted when they embraced the idea – a perfect example of local businesses supporting each other! My plan is a carefully balanced approach: photographing football and soccer in the fall, and lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball in the spring. I coordinate schedules to ensure I can capture the action while still being present for my own children's games. To build trust and ensure everyone feels comfortable, I've obtained the necessary CORI and SORI clearances.

MARKETING YOUR SPORTS PHOTOS - Okay, so my plan to get my photography business out there was pretty simple. I partnered with local sports organizations – soccer leagues, basketball teams, etc. – either by sponsoring them or by trading photos for advertising space on their websites. Think of it as a trade: they got free publicity from me, I got more people seeing my work. Then, I made some cool sweatshirts and t-shirts with my logo and a QR code. Anyone who saw me wearing this – coaches, parents, referees – knew I was a professional photographer right away. The QR code took them directly to an online gallery where they could see my photos of their event. When I was shooting games, I chatted with parents, showed them what I was doing, and encouraged them to scan the code. I even suggested they share the link with their team's group chat – parents loved sharing photos, so they jumped at the chance!

SELLING YOUR SPORTS PHOTOS - ShootProof is this amazing online platform that lets me upload, organize, and sell both digital downloads and prints of my sports action shots. Setting it up was a breeze, and honestly, it's just as easy for parents to browse and buy their kids' game photos. I've had fantastic customer service with them too – only good experiences so far. Want to see how I do it? Check out my gallery here: NikiJamiesonPhotography.Shootproof.com. If you think ShootProof might be a good fit for you, feel free to give it a try!