...those of us who still shoot freelance 'legitimately'.
That's another valid issue. There are too many folks who call themselves a "freelance photographer" but they're not really in the business. They do nothing but give real freelancers a bad name. There's no way for an event to distinguish between the true freelancers and those who just want to get in for free and shoot some pretty pictures.
Unfortunately, times have changed. When I was your age, not only did I walk to school in waist-deep snow, but I could get into almost any event just by saying "I'm a freelancer" and showing up with three cameras dangling from my shoulders.
Don't know what to suggest other than:
1) Somehow hook up with a suitable publication. The most receptive publications will be, not by coincidence, the lowest paying.
2) As mentioned in previous posts, stay away from anything that requires accreditation because that means dozens of other photographers are shooting the same thing, which means the resulting pictures are dime-a-dozen. (I go to these events only when I'm on a paid assignment, otherwise I stay far, far away.)
Examples:
• Toronto Fashion week starts in a couple of days and many dozens of photographers will be squished together shooting the same thing over and over again. Some pictures will be quite pretty but they're all relatively meaningless and forgettable.
(Too late now but) Why not start coverage a month(s) ahead of time and follow a local designer(s) preparing for the festival. No accreditation required and no hordes of photographers. Pictures will have news value as an "advancer" before fashion week. Pictures will have value after the event if packaged into a general picture essay.
• Toronto Film Festival - notice that no publication ever bothers to cover local filmmakers, producers or actors. Perhaps there's an opportunity there. No accreditation required. (Keep in mind that film festival accreditation is required only for film festival events. Many events are
outside the film festival).
Also, the B-list, C-list and D-list celebrities beg (and bribe) for publicity. Sure, everyone wants pictures of Brad Pitt and George Clooney, but unless you get a one-on-one with the A-listers, your pictures will be dime-a-dozen meaningless.
At red carpets, notice how many newspaper and wire service photographers stand in public areas. No accreditation required.
• Toronto car show - no publication ever covers Canada's car designers. There are many unique cars being designed and built in Canada. No accreditation required and you don't have to suffer through the hordes of press on media day at the car show.
• Royal tours - best photo spots are often in the crowd. Royalty always stays away from photographers but will approach well-wishers in the crowd. That's why newspapers often send their photographers to stand in the crowd and let the wire services work "inside the ropes". No accreditation required.
• Don't need accreditation (but you do need access) to photograph researchers, doctors, veterinarians, social workers, dancers, artists, etc.
• Canada's aerospace industry - there are two(?) groups designing spacecraft to carry tourists into space. No accreditation required.
• Too late now but since the 100th anniversary of Titanic is a few weeks away, did anyone track down and photograph (Canadian) relatives of the survivors? No accreditation required.
• Pictures of Canadian athletes training for the upcoming 2012 Olympics. No accreditation required.