EMPA News May 2013

Minutes of the May 2, 2013 General Meeting

 

A number of topics were discussed at the May 2nd Board of Directors meeting in Stroudsburg, PA. Here are the highlights:

 

(1) Interest has been expressed by many members in expanding last year’s convention seminar on legal issues.  VP Dino Oberto has since contacted Ricky Yetter, the racing lawyer who spoke last year, and he has agreed to return in 2013.  If you have specific topics you would like addressed, please send them along to Ron at rjhmedia@juno.com.

 

(2) Dino Oberto explained how the speedway he represents, Mahoning Valley, handles credentials and photographers selling photos at the track.  The following is a copy of the information he provides writers and photographers, with the portion on photo sales of special interest to EMPA’s photographers:

 

2013 Mahoning Valley Speedway Photographer Rules

To all photographers who plan to shoot the races at Mahoning Valley Speedway this season we have outlined the requirements expected of you.

Please be advised that our official track photographer is Jim Young.

If you are planning to attend a race event at Mahoning Valley Speedway we require that all photographers be affiliated with an accredited media outlet.

Requests for track credentials will be addressed in the following manner.

A formal hard copy sent to the speedway by your source via email as early as possible prior to the event you are planning to attend.

Requests on race day may not necessarily be accepted due to timing constraints but will not be unreasonably denied.

If you are planning to be at the track on a regular basis please have your request in no later than April 7.

All requests will be at the discretion of track management.

Contact information can be found at the end of this letter.

Only four (4) photographers are allowed in the infield at all regular events---the track photographer plus there (3) others.  All photographers must wear a mandatory Yellow Safety Vest issued by the Speedway at the sign in pit window.

Please note vests will be handed out to credentialed photographers only on a first come first served basis. NO EXCEPTIONS.

At special events we will allow six (6) photographers infield access.  Track photographer plus five (5) others.

For those who do not get into infield please note that there are excellent shooting areas around the outside perimeter of the track.

As a guest photographer you will be asked to submit at least six (6) photos per week to Jim Young electronically at jyracephotos@yahoo.com for the speedway’s website.

The selling of photos by other photographers on grounds of is strictly prohibited.  This includes ALL areas of the speedway (i.e. pits, grandstands, parking lot, etc.).

Jim Young is, however, offering all credentialed photographers the chance to sell their photos at the Mahoning Valley Speedway photo booth.

You may submit a book of photos to Jim and they will be sold through the photo booth on race days.  Photos should be 4”x6” and in a ring binder.  Please, single car and on track photos only.  NO victory lane shots.  Jim will pay you for each photo sold.  We hope you understand that being the track photographer is a full time job and should be respected by visiting photographers.  If anyone is found selling their photos on the grounds you will be asked to leave and lose your credentials for the remainder of the season.

Thank you for your interest in Mahoning Valley Speedway and we look forward to seeing you this year.  Please submit credential request to: Dino Oberto, Mahoning Valley Speedway PR-dlmo@ptd.net-570-401-8168.

 

(3) On a related note for photographers, board member Dave Dalesandro has asked to share the following with members:

Protecting your photo's that are posted on web-sites and on Facebook are becoming an increasing problem.  Photographers should take the necessary steps in protecting their work from being downloaded and then used for other applications without their knowledge or permission.  They should also make sure that receive photo credit when their work is used in another form.

There have been some instances were individuals have taken photo's off a photographer’s gallery or Facebook page and used the photo's for their websites or Facebook pages.  Some have even made up autograph cards using pirated photos.

Also, companies have been found to have taken photos and used them for commercial applications without compensating the photographer for his work.  For protection, members can set their default settings on their photo galleries to make them Right Click protected. But anything that is posted on Facebook can be taken, so the best thing to do is place a watermark on the photo in an area that disrupts the photo when downloaded.  Some photographers also decrease the size of the image to a thumbnail size so when it is enlarged it comes out distorted and blurry.

 

Do you have Vintage Racing Photos?

(4) Robin Ervin, who handles our EMPA website, is working to display member work while adding to the Hall of Fame segment.  If you have vintage photos of any of the HoF members and would like to share them with EMPA members and the public, please send them to her at robinervin1@comcast.net.

       

Please label/caption them, as we want to be accurate and she does not recognize many of the older HoF members.  If she gets enough photos, she will change them on a regular basis to keep that portion of the site fresh.

 

(5) On the advice of HoF chair Earl Krause, the board approved locking in many-time NASCAR short-track champion and Southern 500 winner Jim Reed of Peekskill, NY as an inductee for January 2013.  Others are still being considered for the second lock-in slot and for the HoF ballot this fall.  If you feel that someone belongs on the ballot, send their name and a brief bio to Earl by regular mail at: Area Auto Racing News, ATTN: Earl Krause - EMPA HoF, 2829 South Broad St., Trenton, NJ 08610.

 

 (6) The generous contribution to the association by longtime member Dan Luginbuhl will be used to update the EMPA logo, design a new membership card and develop the program needed to put member photos on the cards.  Please thank Dan in person should you meet up with him this summer, as he is a great supporter of the organization.  Many probably do not know that the longtime Penske Racing stalwart travels from Colorado each year for our convention.

 

(7) An EMPA member’s media credentials were recently revoked by an area speedway after they determined he was spending some of his time at the speedway promoting a rival facility.  Members are reminded that it is not wise to put yourself in such a situation---what may seem like a good idea to you often does not appear the same to someone observing the situation from a different perspective.

 

(8) Treasurer Jeff Gromis reports that our treasury is slightly lower than at this time in 2012, with the difference attributed to increased convention costs.

 

(9) Convention committee chairman Lenny Sammons reminds everyone to be sure to tell the Crowne Plaza you are booking your room for the EMPA convention when you make arrangements for January.  The hotel needs to know so we will receive credit towards our meeting room use, which requires a certain number of guest rooms to be free to us.

 

(10) Members are asked to recruit new members during your speedway excursions this season to maintain our steady growth.  As new people enter the racing media world in your area, please explain to them what EMPA does and encourage them to join. New members will again receive the rest of the year they join and the following year for the price of a single year’s dues.

           

While we value all new members, we are especially interested in recruiting more videographers to strengthen our annual video/broadcasting contest.  And it goes without saying that as some members “age out” and the media world continues to change, we need new members just to stay even.

 

(11) Dave Moulthrop has done a great job rejuvenating our award plaques where needed and adding missing names to bring them up to date.  He has generously donated his time and the cost of the renovations and for that we all offer our thanks.  We are currently investigating a venue to display the plaques for the racing public to enjoy.

 

WELCOME NEW MEMBER: Photographer Tracy Berger-Carmen of Bath, Pennsylvania!

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are a member of the racing media or a promoter, You are invited to join the EMPA.

The mission of the Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) is to foster a better understanding of the sport gaining recognition for the motorsports press, improving working condition for the working racing media and honoring deserving individuals who make or have made contributions to the sport.

About EMPA

Since its founding in 1969, EMPA has grown from a handful of members to become one of the largest motorsports media organizations in the nation with more than 250 members.

EMPA holds the only annual working convention featuring seminars, press conferences with outstanding competitors, sponsors, organizers and promoters. Technical specialist present workshops. Photography, journalism and broadcasting competitions are sponsored to recognize excellence within each respective field. These competitions are judged by professionals, experts in the field that are not involved in the competition or member of the organization.

EMPA recognizes the responsibility and its unique position to bring divergent motorsports positions together whenever possible. Supplemental events are planned throughout the year to coincide with major racing programs in the East. At these events, members are given an opportunity to receive information first hand from noted racing personalities, thereby gaining a greater perspective of new developments in the motor racing world. A regular newsletter also keeps members informed of the happenings within the organization.