Tips for Sports Photography
I have been very lucky in the last 12 months to work with some amazing people, who have given me
some fantastic advice when it comes to sports photography, and on this page I will go through some
of the best tips and tricks that I have received and have used to get to where I am now.
This page will be updated every Tuesday with one new tip for you to develop
your skills when it comes to photographing sporting events.
#1 - USE A HIGH SHUTTER SPEED TO FREEZE THE ACTION!
You want to ensure that your shutter speed on your camera is fast enough to capture the quick moving bodies of the athletes and sports stars that you're shooting. A shutter speed of at least 1/500th of a second is required to freeze movement. Most football and rugby photographers will look to shoot at around 1/1250th or 1/1600th of a second to make sure the ball and the player in the frame is frozen.
#2 - ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND YOU!
When photographing any sporting event, or even away from the sporting world, it's best to keep your head on a swivel as you never know what will happen. As a sports photographer, you should always be looking around, checking on the match, checking on the crowd and also the dugout areas to see if you can capture something that nobody else as seen. Also, it's always good to pay attention as if the ball comes your way, at least you then have a chance to react and get out of the way, and to also move your expensive camera gear out of the way haha. Keep looking around as you might miss the shot!
#3 - KEEP PRACTISING & NEVER GIVE UP!
The best way to improve on your photography skills is to keep shooting and keep practising. Learn your camera as well as you can as this will enable you to get the right settings for the shoot you are working on. Keep challenging yourself to be better every time you pick up the camera, and don't give it! That's so important. We all have off days so don't let that ruin what skills you have - you're amazing!
#4 -THERE'S MORE THAN JUST THE ACTION!
There's always more to shoot at sporting events than just the action on the field. You can get some wonderful shots by looking around you (can refer back to #2) and checking the stands, the warm up areas and even before a match when the supporters are arriving. This will enhance your creativity and also help create story of the event that you're shooting. You can get the pre-match vibes, capture players going through their pre-game rituals and much more. Don't just focus on the action, make sure you tell a story by shooting everything around your area as you'll be amazed what you can get!
#5 - SHOOT AT A LOW ANGLE TO ENHANCE YOUR PHOTOS!
You want to shoot at a low angle when photographing sports to really make your subject look powerful and more prominent in your frame. Shots taken from a different angle add attractive details to the setting. Low angle shots make your subject appear larger, wider, taller, and closer. Try this tip next time you're shooting sports and let me know what you think about shooting at this angle / level.
#6 - TRY AND KEEP THE SUN FACING YOUR BACK WHEN SHOOTING SPORTING EVENTS!
It's best to shoot sporting events with the sun behind you so your camera and lenses aren't getting caught shooting into a bright light. Having the sun behind you will help your subject be in the best light possible - and as we know, light is your best friend in photography. This technique will also help exposure your subject / area better as. If the sun / light is behind there subject you can still get fantastic shots, but you will struggle to get the right exposure.
