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Michael Grace-Martin

~ Photography, Art & Life

Michael Grace-Martin

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My Weekend at a Magic: The Gathering Grand Prix Tournament in Pittsburgh (Nov 2015)

05 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by mgm in MGM's Photos, Uncategorized

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candid, card, event, mtg, photography, tournament

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tournament room entrance

My son is an avid Magic: The Gathering (MTG) card player. MTG is a trading card game that was begun in 1993 and is now played by millions of players worldwide.

He usually satisfies his appetite for playing MTG each week at the local game store that hosts Friday Night Magic (FNM), a weekly MTG tournament with an entrance fee and store credit to the top finishers. FNM is apparently a weekly event in many cities across the US and internationally.

My son has been playing most weeks over the past couple of years. Players at these local tournaments typically range from about 12 or 13 years old to adults in their early 30s. My son is a freshman in high school and there are many players from his high school and the surrounding two colleges at the local event.

A couple of months ago, my son told me a MTG “Grand Prix” tournament was coming to Pittsburgh (a 5.5 hour drive from our home) and he was wondering if he could go. My typical parental response was: “Maybe”. As it got closer, we discovered our friend’s sons wanted to go too and didn’t have a ride. When my friend said she’d cover the hotel if I drove, I agreed to go.

players at one of the match assignment boards

players at one of the match assignment boards (note: you can click on any image to see a large slide show of all the photos)

While the tournaments at the local game store have something like 15-25 participants, this Grand Prix tournament in Pittsburgh advertised a limit of 2,500 players…which it reached (sold out) a couple of days before it began. I don’t know what the capacity of the convention center (where it took place) was, but it had to be at least twice that to host the total number of people in attendance–i.e., the players, the tournament officials and judges, the vendors, and the friends and parents of the players.

We weren’t able to attend the first day (which mostly consisted of “side events”), but got to the convention center before 8am the next morning so my son and his friends could fill out all the paperwork they needed to complete before the “player’s meeting” at 9am, which was followed shortly by the official beginning of the weekend tournament.

My son was very excited and nervous because it was his first big tournament outside of the local FNM tournaments he was accustomed to. This was also my first time attending a Grand Prix tournament. And even though I wasn’t expecting to do much photography at the tournament, I had to do something with the time I was forced to spend there..!

Observations

Big Production
This tournament is a huge production, especially the first day when there are 2,5000 players playing 9 matches over almost 12 hours!

So, not only is there an extensive staff coordinating all these matches and keeping track of the results of each match (and then coming up with the new matches based on the results of each round), but there are also several MTG-related and food vendors selling their wares and holding side events all around the perimeter of the room and outside the conference room doors, not to mention the live broadcasting and video being produced to both report on and augment the tournament activities. It’s quite a “happening”.

tournament coordination central

tournament coordination central

production involving game commentators & pros

production involving game commentators & pros

more production going on..

more production going on..

MTG vendor

MTG vendor

portion of extensive event staff

portion of extensive event staff

VIP lounge

VIP lounge

Gender & Age Breakdown
Based on my experience with the local game store tournaments, I was expecting a lot of teenage boys. Well, the observation of it being primarily male was certainly correct (had to be close to 95% male), but the median age seemed to be closer to something like 25 years old.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Mostly male players

mostly male players

mostly male players

Effects of a Sedentary Game
Like most card games, there’s a lot of sitting involved. With my son–who is thin as a rail, has a lot of nervous energy, and is still young–the results of all this sitting isn’t visible and hasn’t caught up to him weight-wise. One of the stereotypes of a MTG player is being pudgy or quite overweight with their quite sizable butt crack in view at the back of their less than full back chair. Other common stereotypes of a typical player are: wearing a cap (often a baseball cap), wearing a t-shirt and/or sweatshirt, having facial hair, and wearing eyeglasses.

The food provided at the event was what you might expect: hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, french fries, onion rings, etc…the type of mostly fried food you’d find at food truck or stand. Not a particularly good fit for sedentary game playing.

eating at the Grand Prix

eating at the Grand Prix

Grand Prix food court condiment station

Grand Prix food court condiment station

sedentary playing

sedentary playing

:p

:p

Back Packs Everywhere
Because the players have to keep their cards & playing mats with them and be ready to race to their next match, nearly every player is carrying a back pack…

row of back pack wearing players

row of back pack wearing players

more back packs

more back packs

any back pack will do

any back pack will do

Female Presence
Though the players are primarily male, there are a few female players (some sporting a sexy nerdy or goth look)…and they also make an appearance as glamorous and heroic characters in the game itself.

female game character

female game character

match assignment board

match assignment board

rare woman MTG player

rare woman MTG player

The Vendors Reflect the Players
The vendors seems to be a bunch that reflect or resemble their customers…:p

MTG vendor

MTG vendor

MTG vendor

MTG vendor

MTG vendor

MTG vendor

Concluding Remarks
I must admit that the number of people crowded into the conference center on that first day was pretty overwhelming…especially when everyone was up between matches trying to quickly find the one of 1,250 table locations for their next match! I had to get out of there, but my son was a trooper…and even though I know he doesn’t like crowds, he stayed and played all 9 of his matches that first day (with a winning record..:D) over the full 12 hours.

I’m not sure I ever need to attend another one of these tournaments; but at least I’ll know what to expect if my son comes to me again about another nearby Grand Prix MTG tournament that’s only 8 hours away by car..(!!!)

Here are more photos from the tournament..
(note: you can click on any image to see a large slide show of all the photos)

between matches
one of the game result keepers
rare player with a family in attendance

ongoing MTG production
vendor MTG table
crowded match table

rare woman MTG player
MTG vendor
side event staff

side event staff
crowded match table
managing game results

2nd day match
between matches
on their way to a 2nd day side event

studio production area
tournament staff
female MTG character

headwear
2nd day match with onlookers
male MTG character

ongoing match
non-tournament play



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

Free For the Picking

15 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by mgm in Commentary, Uncategorized

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photography, ubiquitous

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When I lived in California, you sometimes saw orange, olive, and/or avocado trees with fruit falling off of them and no one (apparently) harvesting the bounty. So you’d take a few home and have a free snack. This ubiquitous supply made it somewhat difficult to rationalize spending money on these things at the grocery store or the farmer’s market. Sometimes the free fruit wasn’t perfect, but the price ($0.00) lowered your standards a bit and you still had a wholly satisfactory experience.

I get the sense that people think of photography in a similar way. Nowadays, almost everyone has a digital camera or a an electronic device that happens to include a digital camera (e.g., a cell phone camera). Scenes or objects that photographers photograph in public places (indoors or outdoors) are also available to others with cameras. The thinking goes something like: “Why would I buy a print from a professional photographer of a scene I could just take for myself with my own camera for free?”. “Sure, maybe it’s not the same quality as the professional’s, but hey, it’s FREE!”.

I think this happens all the time at events like weddings too, where wedding guests take their own photos and then don’t feel the need to buy prints from the hired wedding photographer…even if they can see that the professional’s images are quite a bit nicer. They’ll live with their lower quality representation (at least they’ve got something!) to save the money.

I know there are photographers and photography organizations out there that think professional photographers and photography groups should be doing more marketing and PR work to disabuse the public from thinking that the work of professional photographers isn’t so much better that it’s worth buying prints from them even if one has a camera and can take one’s own photos.

My inclination is to accept the public’s behavior as it is–because I have no interest in spending time or money trying to change their behavior or values–and figure out what works (in terms of selling photography prints and/or services) taking the current state of the public’s attitudes as a given.

Some of the options available to photographers:

  1. Photographing things/scenes that the public can’t easily photograph themselves (aerial photography is one example of this; constructed scenes is another example–especially when they’re quite elaborate or done with famous subjects who aren’t easily accessible)
  2. Making and exhibiting large, high-quality prints that wouldn’t be possible with the images from smaller, cheaper cameras
  3. Photos that most people don’t have the nerve to take (e.g., Bruce Gilden quickly goes up to complete strangers in the street and takes flash photos; most people I know wince at the very thought of it)
  4. In terms of photography as a service: offering reliable and consistently high-quality photographic work (this works particularly well for repeat/ongoing clients; getting the client in the first place means having a long record of consistently high-quality work–done for other clients–to show)

I think that one of the biggest dangers facing art photographers trying to sell prints is if the general public no longer distinguishes between photos they can and cannot make for themselves, or–similarly–if the devaluation of photos (e.g., one thinks one can take with one’s cell phone) “spills” over into devaluing *all* photos–regardless of whether special equipment, expertise or an elaborate construction is required to produce the photo.

In any case, if any of you photographers out there have any other ideas about what professional photographers can do to have a chance at making a living doing photography in a “sea” of amateur photographers, please feel free to comment below!



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

Buying Toilet Paper (funding this website)

05 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by mgm in Announcements, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Buying Toilet Paper (funding this website)

Tags

amazon affiliate, funding, toilet paper

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I enjoy running this website (yes, the one you’re at right now!). Others seem to enjoy what I’m doing as well, based on the kind and fabulous feedback you’ve given me over the years…:).

The only problem is it costs money for me to travel places to take photos and to hire models and rent locations for photo shoots, especially art nude shoots. And then there are the opportunity costs of working on this website when I should be mowing the lawn, paying bills, selling real estate, etc etc.

But how can this website generate any income in the age of an overwhelming supply of free Internet content??

I’ve tried selling prints, ebooks, cards and so on. I’ve had a little success, but nowhere near enough to rationalize the time I spend on this website.

People don’t need art prints, art books, or art cards in hard economic times.

Toilet paper. People need toilet paper (aka “bath tissue”) in both good and bad economic times.

Sarah Ellis 2009

Sarah Ellis in Bathroom 2009

So, here’s the proposition:

If you go to this link, you can buy toilet paper (which you were going to buy anyway, right?) while simultaneously helping to support this site!

You can also buy other household supplies if you’d like.

You’d be buying from my Amazon Associates’ store where they’ve got some of the best prices around regardless. A portion of your purchase goes to support this website.

It’s a win-win: you get that toilet paper you need anyway, while helping me bring you new and entertaining content each week!

It’s a much better deal than paying for a subscription to those old dusty Reader’s Digests stacked on the back of the toilet, don’t you think?…;)



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

MGM’s Twitter Feed

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@cbouzy I'm moving my Twitter account over to Spoutible. Already started an account at spoutible.com/mgracemar 😀

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I think I'm just going to move over to Spoutible because I like how they're doing things over there. Check it out and maybe follow me there at spoutible.com/mgracemar

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