Tom DeVette

[Kelly]

Rumor in the pits was that Tom DeVette was asked to leave the track tonight by Scott Lane and told they would let him know if and when he could come back after they decide what they want to do. 30+ years POOF. If it is true Randy Ellen predicted he would make it happen and he did. We will NEVER have Randy take any pictures of our team and if we have any say about it we will try and get him stopped from using our picture on his site and Berlin from using our teams Photos at the banquet without a release. I have seen people in the pits upset about Berlins dumb decisions, but this is the maddest I have seen a lot of people. Tom hang in there. Your pictures were always way better than his, but he just badmouthed you because we could compare and his always lost. I am sure a lot of people will complain but they NEVER listen to their racers.

[Guest]

Wow I've heard it all now. Looks like what needs to happen is all the teams and fans need to stick together and stop buying from Randy and hurt him where it hurts the most! POCKETBOOK I love that teams are going to try to stop Randy from using their photo's. More power to ya!!!

[Berlin Driver]

I buy between 25 and 30 pictures of my car a year. I want to be able to look back 20 years from now and show my kids what I did. I haven't bought a single picture yet this year! First of all who wants to look through 10,000 pictures from a single night to find the 5 or 6 decent ones of your car. Also if you are in the pits how do you even get the pictures. With Tom you walked over to his little booth flipped through the pages and picked out your picture. I know that change is inevitable but why try and fix what ain't broken? I will not buy a single picture from Randy Ellen this year. I call for all drivers to do the same. We all complain when Berlin screws up and this time we can do something about it. If I win a race this year I will not pose for any of Randy's cameras unless Tom is there also. When Tom was the photographer Randy still took pictures and sold them, was he ever asked to leave? The Whitecaps have made a lot of stupid decisions over the years but this one has to rank right up near the top! What's next, if my wife brings a camera and takes a picture of me will she be asked to leave also? I know it sounds crazy, but if Randy can get Tom kicked out who's next?

[kbmotorsports17g]

I think an all out boycott would do it............I'm not just saying a picture boycott either. I'm saying an all out, no one shows up to race boycott. How would Whitecaps explain that loss?? Obviously, not a single team would do it, after all they just wanna race without politics. But, as soon as you pass through that pitgate every Saturday you play the politics game at Berlin. God, please bring us a new owner! LOL

[JACQULINE]

HERE'S AN IDEA-WHY DON'T THE DRIVER'S BRING THEIR OWN CAMERA'S, TAKE THEIR OWN PIC'S AND EITHER SELL THEM OR
BETTER YET GIVE THEM AWAY IF IT IS FINANCIALLY FEASABLE.
IF THE TRACK WANTS TO GET PISSY AND TRY TO BAN PICTURE TAKING ALTOGETHER, THEN WE MIGHT JUST SEE BERLIN IN THE NEXT PUBLICATION OF DEFUNCT AND CLOSED RACE TRACKS.
AND TO THE "CHET" HATERS, LET THIS BE A LESSON TO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR BECAUSE YOU GOT IT AND THEM SOME.

[mjseiler]

Judging from all these posts, Tom Devette is/was a very skilled and popular track photographer. Why did managment choose to replace him at Berlin with an obviously less popular Randy Ellen in the first place? I must agree with everyone in that the overall numbers of pictures taken doesn't neccesarily mean you're the better shutterbug. BULLITEN Randy: There's such a thing as "quality over quantity". I think it would be d**ned funny if all the drivers started running Devette stickers on their flanks. That way every picture Randy posted would become an automatic free advertisment for Tom!

[Berlin Fan]

To ALL Berlin Drivers....You want Tom Devette vinyl for your cars...I just got off the phone with Horvath Designs and he said he will make them for you with 3 colors to choose from to match your cars at a phenominal discount!!! All you have to do Is contact Horvath at www.horvathdesign.com. If you all are serious about this..."Protest" this would be a good and legal way to handle it!!!!

[5239075902r]

WHO GIVES A CRAP ABOUT PICTURES?


GET A LIFE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lori]

Jun 3, 2008 18:30:23 GMT -4 @5239075902r said:

WHO GIVES A CRAP ABOUT PICTURES?


GET A LIFE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This has nothing to do with pictures! It has to do with people who have supported the track for 30 years that get s**t on by clueless, greedy, corporate bullies who feel the need to control everything, all for the sake of making an extra buck. I don't know about you, but I would give up a few extra $'s for a true friend any day! But alas, that was the "old" Berlin. The "new" Berlin has proven to disappoint on a weekly basis and has now hit a new low. Great job Whitecaps! There is no reason that the drivers and fans cannot choose who they would like to purchase their pictures from. They are our cars for crying out loud. With Tom's permission, we will be first in line to add his logo to our racecar. So to answer your question, nobody gives a crap about pictures. What we do give a crap about is PEOPLE!

[Ra]

I think all the drivers should help with the boycott and not have any photos taken win they win!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[magicman]

just drive into the pits dont stop in the winners spot

[WPR]

or if you do win, go ahead and pull into the winner's circle and just say that you dont want someone to take your picture and your under contract with another photographer, and he only has rights to take pictures of you and your car in the winner circle.

[dmxmotorsports]

Look People, Berlin Track Photographer only has the right to take a Winners Circle Picture. He is also awarded the permission to take action shots on his own. Berlin is only legally allowed to post up winners Circle pictures to help advertise their track. Not Action shots. the only way they can post and use photos of your car with with written consent of the car owner. This has been abused through out the years by Berlins Track Photographers and it kind of became the norm. Motorsports is a highly expensive sports and is driven by the Advertising dollar of Sponsors. Your Car and hauler are your only means right now to help promote your sponsor. It is your job to control the photos taken of your equipment to represent your sponsors.

First of all you should allow Berlin to take a winner circle picture with who ever they hire for the track. That is for them to advertise their venue. But Berlin should allow you to have your Photographer which you hired under contract to take your team pictures to also be in the winners circle to take your picture.

The Action shots that your photographer takes are yours to purchase just like a Senior picture.

Look at the area high schools who do year books. When your younger and dumb you use the school chosen photographer. once your old enough to understand that your allowed to hire who ever you want to take your senior pictures the school can not dictate who you use. Neither can BERLIN If you put Tom Devette under Contract to take your photos for your team then he can legally be at Berlin. PERIOD

Tom can not sell pictures at Berlin (Fair Enough) But he is allowed to sell pictures off from his Web site at any time without stepping on Berlins Photographer. Berlins Photographer can sell pictures on location. But unless he has your release form signed to sell pictures of you or your car he is breaking the law.

Berlin Must pay their Photographer as an employee or sub contractor for his time to gain photos for Berlin to use to promote their venue. THAT IS IT

By him selling pictures of you and your car without your consent in this closed environment is illegal. Now if you were on the street which is open to the public or your just a fan snap away. That is OK because they are not selling you to make a profit. The Berlin Photographer is not being paid by Berlin properly ( Go Figure) So he has to sell your pictures to make ends meat. NOT RIGHT VERY ILLEGAL

The only people who can right this wrong is you the race teams that keep going back there.

For your Sponsors though take the winner circle photo. The Sponsors are not involved in this battle and don't Deserve to be treated like this. They gave you money to advertise for them so do your Job.

George this winter we need to do a series on the Racing Show to teach people about Sponsorship. 6 weeks Series on how to get, Maintain and repeat with sponsors.

If we teach people the basics and help them the whole sport will win in the long run.

Let me know

Mark Mensch #222 #46T

[Diane Mysliwiec]

Mark-I am curious to where you got your info regarding the legality of photos, waivers etc. My father in law was a promoter at Berlin for many years and I don't ever recall such chaos about photographers. Chester was thankful to have one. Tom was the only person willing to do it for 20 years and he didn't have any contracts, waivers or problems in that area ever. Tom's parents had a booth behind the main grandstand to sell pictures and he was the only vendor that did not pay for rental space or a percentage. He always provided photo's for ads and the annual souvenir program at no charge. They had what used to be called a gentleman's agreement. I truly feel bad for Tom because I think his pictures were his main source of income. I hope this soon blows over with an acceptable outcome to all.

[Guest]

WOW Diane I don't recall Chet having any issues with anyone really. Chet always tried to make everyone happy and I believe that is the issue now. We were all so use to how Chet treated us and ran things and then to go to a Corp run track instead of the family owned and loved track. The entire Mysliwiec family showed just how much they loved the track and wanted it to be successful and made everyone who showed up feel like family!