Working at sporting events and "competing with athletes"

It can be said that working at sporting events is always an interesting experience, where each reporter can learn a lot of professional knowledge and skills. They must ensure logistics, physical training, to prepare for the spirit of working, eating and sleeping with sports. The World Cup, SEA Games, or the ongoing event that many sports reporters are interested in is the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

Work at sporting events and compete with athletes, figure 1 — The work "Opening Ceremony of the 31st Southeast Asian Games" by journalist Nguyen Thanh Ha won first prize in the 6th "Golden Moment" Press Photo Award. Photo: NVCC

These sporting events are where they can draw valuable experiences that few training schools can provide. Through this, each reporter will be equipped with additional skills, adaptability, and combat skills, and all of these difficulties and challenges will further hone the mettle and determination of a Vietnamese journalist.

Normally, many people imagine that a sports culture reporter will be immersed in the large, airy space of a stadium or stage with images, sound and light. However, to get beautiful photos, a reporter following a sports culture event needs experience, flexibility, especially understanding of the sports culture field, and the ability to judge situations.

Two years ago, the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) was also a major event in the region, the host Vietnam held a Games that left many impressions on friends in the region. To cover that event, each reporter had a unique perspective and way of exploiting the topic.

At the SEA Games Opening Ceremony that year, journalist Thanh Ha, former reporter of Vietnam News Agency, chose the best position to record every moment and event in the most comprehensive way. He found a good position to observe and at the same time cover the stage, the area where the unique torch lighting ceremony took place at the SEA Games Opening Ceremony.

Work at sporting events and compete with athletes, figure 2 — Journalist Thanh Ha, former reporter of Vietnam News Agency, won first prize at the 6th "Golden Moment" Press Photo Awards Ceremony. Photo: Son Hai

Journalist Thanh Ha said the most difficult thing was to capture the moment of raising the flag and the images of the characters surrounding the event. How to show the spirit of the soldiers participating in the flag raising ceremony on the stage. How to show the solemnity, seriousness and appropriateness to the context...

The photos he took were published immediately after that and left an impression on readers. However, few people know that in order to be present and take photos of the event that day, reporters must also understand the event. Before that, journalist Thanh Ha attended the rehearsals and general meetings of the event, grasped the script and understood the script, the most important moments, the highlights of the event to have a photo that symbolizes the entire congress.

In many countries, sports are also considered a religion, the victory or defeat of a sports team greatly affects the spiritual life of the people. Sports photographers will contribute greatly to spreading positive values, national pride, and national colors.

Journalist Nguyen Tien Anh Tuan - Head of Media Content - Dan Tri Newspaper shared: Working in every competition, whether important or not, whether the event is the smallest or the largest, work with all your capacity, meticulousness and thoroughness. If you disregard and are superficial with athletes and tournaments, you are disregarding your own passion and career. Doing the same thing over and over again for 10,000 days will make you an expert, if you practice seriously, you only need a very small number of days compared to the above number.

Work at sporting events and compete with athletes, figure 3 — Journalist Nguyen Tien Anh Tuan – Head of Media Content – Dan Tri Newspaper working at a sports event. Photo: NVCC

For many reporters following the sports sector, the important feature of taking photos of athletes or taking photos at night is to limit the use of LED lights because it will affect the authenticity of the photos as well as affect the athletes. If you are new to the profession, have no experience, it is best to go as an audience, attend previous events to grasp and have a general overview of the problem. Have experience to draw from for yourself, build scientific , methodical and effective working habits.

Sharing many years of experience as a cultural reporter in general and sports in particular, journalist Thanh Ha said: “When working at a sporting event, you should try to choose competitions that have the potential to win many medals, know the athletes competing and have a high chance of winning. Choose the camera angle, the direction of the area to work to exude the spirit of the athletes when they compete with all their might and win. Photojournalists in the sports sector, always set the mode to have fast shooting speed, lots of light because what happens very quickly. Reporters absolutely do not run to too many positions, to avoid affecting the organization of the match or competition.

“Reporters must seize the opportunity, be sensitive, have a sense of prediction to know when the climax of the match is, the highlight of the match, grasp that time to have many opportunities to have beautiful pictures, with the visual content that they want to convey. Sometimes that event, that image only has one moment and never repeats” journalist Thanh Ha shared.

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