Are you into sports and photography? Do you love to stay close to the action and capture unique moments that showcase the gear, fortitude, and spirit of athletes absorbed in the game? If so, you might want to consider a career in sports photography.
With technology present in every aspect of our daily lives, we produce photo and video content all the time. We send flicks to friends and upload our images to a myriad of social media around the clock. Besides, modern-day shooting tools have become more accessible and affordable. That is how, for many of us, transcending from taking photos as a fun pastime to making photography our full-time career only takes a small step.
If you are deliberating on this idea, we invite you to read the article below. It is designed to help you get the basics of becoming a sports photographer. We are explaining the process in a few simple steps, together with straightforward, easy-to-follow guidelines. Also, we are going to give you a few examples of amazing sports photography, so make sure you read until the end!
Become Knowledgeable on the Subject
Of course, as a pastime or full-time photographer, the first thing you need to know is your subject. In your case, that would be sports. Now, you might want to consider whether you would like to specialize in a single sport, a couple of sports, or all sports in general. We recommend the latter two choices, in case your goal is to become a professional photographer.
However, being knowledgeable about sports is not enough. You must also acquaint yourself with the different types of sports photography. Shooting games and competitions is by far not the only thing a sports photographer does. Professionals also often work on editorials, sports commercials, portrait photography, and fashion photoshoots, among other things. After all, sports nowadays are a huge, multi-level industry.
Join community sports games
Wondering what the best way to start with sports photography is? We have one very simple and cheap suggestion for you: Join your local community sports games. There is hardly a community that does not host a variety of sports events. High school games, children’s competitions, regional tournaments, charity races, and the like are your ticket to mastering the art of sports photography.
By shooting images at these events, you will learn valuable lessons on how to position yourself, how to use lighting in different settings, how to react quickly and capture unique moments, and so on. Besides, community sports games are usually free to attend, so that is another plus.
Since community games often involve youth sports, here is a brief video tutorial on how to photograph such events properly:
Employ the Power of Technology
Today we are very fortunate to have great technology that helps us portray fascinating images in all areas of life. Aspiring photographers have at their disposal a wide variety of affordable cameras and other tools and gadgets to help them create incredible flicks at sports events in different settings.
Before we go into more detail about these, however, let us give a simple piece of advice for those of you who are just beginning. We have found it to be the most rewarding when you start without too much equipment. Your camera, an extra lens or two, and some additional lighting are all you need. Even this can be a little extra sometimes.
Your ultimate goal as a beginner is to move around and feel the action. Immerse yourself in the game and experiment with shooting from different angles. Develop quick reactions and an instinct to capture pivotal moments.
Too much and too sophisticated equipment will only distract you from this goal. Besides, it pays off to wait until you invest in equipment. By having sufficient time to experiment, you can make sure you are choosing to buy the proper tools you need.
Now, to get into more details, here is our advice on gear and equipment. Proper sports photography usually requires a DSLR camera. Besides having important parameters like continuous battery life and decent buffering intervals, it helps if your device possesses a few other essential traits.
A good optical viewfinder is elemental because it helps you track the action, which usually takes place within seconds. The latter fact is why you also need a minimal shutter lag. In general, you would want your camera to shoot at least 6 fps (frames per second).
Having a monopod is also important. It will help you keep your camera steady and make pan photos. Camera lenses are essential, too, in the case of live sports. If you are shooting from a distance, you are most definitely going to need a zoom lens.
Examples of Extraordinary Sports Photography
One of the best ways to learn is by following the examples set by the greats. In this section, we offer you a few examples of superb sports photography. These include but are not limited to:
- David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, Mr. Laing or Laine, 1843
- Robert Riger, The Golden Arm, Johnny Unitas, 1958
- Andy Warhol, Pelé, 1977
- Rineke Dijkstra, Forte da Casa, Portugal, May 20, 2000
- Bob Martin, Serena, 2004
- Rainer Martini, High jump Bavarian Track and Field Championships, 2011
