Straight left

[oleleclos]

I took this picture of Italian boxer Piero del Papa being floored by Danish Tom Bogs on 28th January 1969. I was not a press photograper but an 18-year-old photogtaphic apperentice who had lied and cheated my way to a ringside press seat at this light-heavyweight European Championship match. I made this shot and many others that night using Kodak Tri-X film rated at ISO 1600 (heady stuff for its day) and, as I remember, a Pentax Spotmatic camera with an 85 mm f/1.8 lens.

But that's not why I post this picture here. The reason is that it did NOT make the front pages the next day as it should have. After all, the local hero won, and here's a shot of his opponent receiving the straight left that lost him the match. And there was no other picture to match it. So why not?

Because no matter how much I could sweet talk myself ringside and master the technology of this kind of available light shot (no mean feat in those days, believe me), I did not have the business skills to sell it. I learnt those later (not in press but commercial photography), but I thought it was worth making the point here that if you have saleable pictures, and you want to sell them, you need a plan.

These days online agencies are a good option, but don't underestimate personal contacts to local and national press and with makers of greeting cards, book covers, packaging and anyone else using pictures in their business.

Don't be as shy as I was, or your pictures will end up collecting dust for decades, like this one did.

C&C, please (late addition )

[Carl in Louisiana]

What a story and what a hugh disappointment it had to have been not to be noticed with an exclusive shot. Thank you for sharing that experience. Maybe it will help someone on their way up in a career.