Photographer Has Credentials Revoked After Being Removed from US Open Match
what happened?
So, Veteran freelance photojournalist Selcuk Acar of the Turkish agency Anadolu, entered a match during a pretty high stakes moment in the third set of the US Open 1st round match between Daniil Medvedev & Benjamin Bonzi, looked to have been moving from the sidelines toward the center...likely a preemptive move aiming to catch a victory celebration. I don't follow tennis or cover it much, but I understand the game and that's what I gathered. Moving into position for winning/celebratory shot, is part of the process. In this case, he had really bad timing.
Selcuk says that he didn't do anything wrong & had been told that he could enter the court by security at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, telling him “the match is stopped."
Nonetheless, the USTA (United States Tennis Association) responded by revoking the photographer's credentials and removing him from the stadium.
I have mixed feelings about this. Firstly, the photog, even as a pro, should have had better situational awareness to see what was happening and then got a name from the security guard who told him all was well (at least noticed their name badge). He also didn't get off the court at the immediate request of the chair umpire, instead continuing towards the designated shooting area.
What made this a bigger issue was that the chair umpire, Greg Allensworth, gave Bonzi a redo of his failed first serve after Selcuk was asked to leave the court. That decision sparked Medvedev into a furious outburst, delaying the match for around six minutes. The onus is on accredited photographers to avoid entering the field of play unless explicitly directed, in this case he was...to leave.
I've been reading through comments on various social media platforms, websites and will say, this guy is a Professional who is held to high standards. He wouldn't be there if otherwise. Folks making a big deal about his lens hood being on his lens or that fact that he was using manufacturer supplied camera straps, are ignorant and missing the whole point. But I'd like to speak to that...
Many of us will sometimes leave our lens hoods on backwards to have it handy especially while we asses the lighting conditions for the particular venue we are in, getting settled. I can't tell if that is the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II, the zoom ring would be unobstructed by the lens hood. It'd safe to say he knows what he's doing.
As far as the manufacturer camera straps? Sounds like someone needs to get out more often. Many amateurs & pros alike use the camera straps that come with the camera for various reasons. Pros alone, have been doing it for decades. I'm no pro, but heck, I still use them, especially for my Nikon D4S bodies when I don't feel like using my spider holster or Peak Design slide.
They're well padded, and designed by the manufacturers with their cameras in mind. Why spend more money if you don't need to?
Anyways, that was my rant and info. Yeah, the guy looks to have made a mistake. No, using a lens hood mounted backwards or using the manufacturer camera straps doesn't mean someone isn't a pro. Let's just learn from this lesson, about using situational awareness and the consequences of not adhering to the rules.
