Introduction Quality sports shots are somewhat difficult to come by. Most people have limited access to events to photograph them. The further away you are from the event, the harder it becomes to capture the event in a pleasing manner. Sports are an event where crowd control is important, not only for the crowds safety, but for the players also. There is nothing more frightening than to be on the sidelines of a football game, focused on a play in the field, when out of the blue a 250 pound line backer comes crashing across your feet or a foul ball comes crashing at your $8,000 lens! At the professional level of sports, players images and team logos are protected. If you are not a major player, or the official photographer for the league, you probably cannot get sideline access under any circumstance and may be relegated to “Fan” shots. |
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400mm F5.6
Fuji 800 @1600. Shot from the top row, |
| Location, Location, Location! You can only photograph things you can see. The closer you are to someone, the better you can see them. Sports are no different. You have to get as close to what you are shooting as you can. Typically, for a photographer with a press pass, you can get to the sidelines or other similar locations. You generally will not be permitted on the playing field. Depending on the sport, you most likely will be limited to designated locations. For instance, at most Division I football games, the media cannot shoot between the two 35 yard markers. For most people, the situation is even worse. You probably don’t have press access and are stuck in the stands for your shots. Get as close a possible. |
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At lower level events, such as high schools, you can get very close to the action. This shot was taken about 10 feet past the end of the long jump pit. 200mm F4, Konica 400 film. |
| You also have to be familiar with the sport to be able to capture the moment. This means knowing where to position yourself for the best action. This is critical because of angular momentum that will be discussed in the section on freezing action. Not only does it matter with the subject, but the background. Look at what is going to be behind your subject. While we will try to minimize the impact that a background has, it will still be unavoidable. So you need to position your self where the background is the most pleasing. |
| The Decisive Moment Sports and Action photography is all about timing. Its about reacting. Its about being in the right place at the right time and its about executing. These are all qualities of the athlete and those of the photographer as well. Each sport has predictable and unpredictable moments. Under “Knowing your Sport”, you will learn about these moments for individual sports. For instance, in basketball, you will have opportunities to photograph layups, jump shots, free throws, etc. Understanding the timing of these predictable actions allows you to capture the peak moment, when the action is most dramatic. By knowing these moments you can anticipate the action. This helps in two ways, one it helps you with focus which will be discussed in a later segment, and secondly it helps you snap the shutter at the right time. The saying goes “If you see the action you missed it.” This basically means if you wait for the soccer player to head the ball then press the shutter release, the ball most likely will be sailing out of the frame. You have to push the button before the action so that the mirror has time to flip out of the way and the shutter open and close. There is a delay between the image hitting your optical nerve and the shutter closing. You have to, through experience, learn what that time is and adjust for it. |
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