You know the candid photos taken at the top of a roller coaster? The pictures are almost always hilarious combinations of screams and smiles. Fanpics aims to the do the same for your moments of sports fandom triumph (or defeat). It’s a free app that instantly captures your reactions to breaking plays right in the stadium.
Usually sporting event cameras are focused on the field or the court. There are some embarrassing exceptions, like the jumbotron and the kiss-cam. Fanpics turns that notion on its head, by using a series of cameras throughout the venue. Once you download the iOS or Android app, pick your stadium and your seat numbers and pictures of the big moments will pop up. Crop and edit them in the app and share them right to Facebook.
You might think, why bother with this when I could just take pics with my phone? Because Fanpics takes care of that for you, getting everyone (including the person usually stuck as photographer) in a high resolution photo without the need for a selfie stick and without interrupting the fun. You can even go back and see past games. The photos are always there to download.
Fanpics gets shots of everyone during big plays, but doesn’t post any of them. Some might think this is a little creepy, but legally, the simple act of being in a public space amounts to consent to being photographed. That’s why broadcasters can air people in the crowd during games on TV. Read the small print on your tickets carefully.
That said, Fanpic’s terms and conditions state you have to create an account with Facebook or email, and can only view your own photos. If people break the rules, the company reserves the right to boot the user and delete the photos.
Fanpics is available in Los Angeles at the Staples Center for Kings games; the StubHub Center for Galaxy MLS games, and at the Viejas Arena in San Diego for Aztecs NCAA games. The company plans to work with seven more teams for this year and 50 by the end of next year. If you’re headed to any of those games, Fanpics is an awesome way to get great shots you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. It will be great when Fanpics hits more stadiums.
