If you have a passion for sports and photography there could be no better existence than to be on the field in the heat of the action, capturing the moments the world waits to see up close. Sports photography is an important part of enhancing each and every sports story, giving presence and gravity to the moments of action, passion, heartbreak, and triumph.
If you want to be successful in sports photography, follow these tips and guidelines – you can be well on your way toward mastery of your craft.
Learn the Intricacies of the Sport
Sports photography is mostly about capturing the right moment, where the action is at its peak. It allows observers to see what a tense moment in the game looked like, something that a broadcast camera stationed further away can’t really capture.
In order to do this, you will have to anticipate the right moment when to take a photo, or knowing when things will heat up. This is why you need to be invested in sports and know how the flow of the game usually works.
Your Shots should tell a Story
In addition to documenting the best action shots, you need to have photos that capture a great moment, or that tell a story. An image of a concerned coach or the eyes of a player filled with uncertainty. You can also document how some of the players are adored by the crowd up close, it doesn’t have to be a shot in the game in order to be the most important moment to capture.
Facial expressions tell a great deal of the story, focus on capturing those moments and emotions. This will be possible, but you need complete focus, and, as they say colloquially, stop chimping.
Use High ISO
In order to take quality action photos, you should shoot at higher shutter speeds, because you can increase the chances of taking a perfect shot. Professional sports photographers use a shutter speed that is approximately 1/1000 of a second to stop motion.
In other words, you will need suitable equipment, primarily a camera that can allow you to take photos at such a high shutter speed.
Use Long Glasses
In addition to high shutter speeds, you should also consider acquiring a long lens. These are some of the pre-requisites on how to select a good lens for this purpose.
• If you can afford it, you should get a long lens that is 300mm or 400mm. If you can’t, get a 70-200mm and it will still allow you to achieve your goals.
• See to it that the lens has f/stop of f/2.8 or f/4.0, but avoid using f/5.6.
• Getting a lens with a tripod built into it is also beneficial, and for these purposes, the bigger and heavier the lens, the better.
• As far as brands are concerned, Nikon and Canon have proven themselves to be highly reliable over the years
Avoid Using Flash
It is only a friendly reminder not to use your flash because you can distract the players and create a problem. Making the athletes dislike you is not a good career move for a sports photographer.
Have Shots of Both Crowd and the Action
When you are taking shots of the game, it is important that you also document the crowd because some of the most epic moments can happen there as well.
Devoted supporters will often have all kinds of costumes or choreography prepared for big events, which deserves documenting. Also, cheerleaders and mascots are part of the show, and therefore they should also be photographed. Use the same tips as for players when you are taking photos of the crowd and cheerleaders.
Edit your Shots
