What's the secret to great sports photography? You don't necessarily need to be shooting a Major League event, although a big show to chase will always help.
The following is our best advice for excellent sports photography, no matter who you're shooting or where they happen to be playing. Game on.
1. Use a Long Lens
Agility is everything in the world of sports photography. You'll want to stay light on your feet, always ready for the shot of a lifetime. Stuck at the back of the house? Not a problem for a well-equipped photographer. You can shoot your way around literally any set of unfortunate circumstances.
A 200mm lens minimum is the standard for many, but if you're shooting in a bona fide stadium or any other venue of titanic, commercial proportion, you'll want to invest in at least a 400mm lens.
2. Shoot at a High Shutter Speed
You'll want to be shooting at a whisper-thin shutter speed for essentially the same reason—a fast shutter speed swipes the subject, steals a moment in time, and makes it perfectly sharp. Not all sports photography necessarily involves athletes busting it at top speed—still, this is one sports photography tip to remember, even if you're shooting golfers.
Like any type of live event photography, candids are some of the sweetest shots before and after the game. And sometimes, these moments are even interspersed throughout the game, on the sidelines, and in the stands.
3. Use Burst Mode
Technically, the faster your shutter speed, the more photos you're able to take at once. This applies especially to photographers who love burst mode or use any kind of automated, continuous shooting mode.
Burst mode isn't always the way to go, but it can provide an additional level of assurance. Capturing the entire arc of a choice moment is not only more likely to yield an acceptable photo; you might even end up with a couple of decent choices in post.
4. Lean Into Your ISO, but Don't Overdo It
ISO is the fallback water-boy of live event photographers everywhere. It's one great way to get by when light is scant and you need the shot, but it might not always be easy to gauge just how much of a toll it's taking on the quality of each image.
Knowing your gear well will be one way to avoid shooting yourself into a tight corner in the post. Conducting your own round of low-light camera tests beforehand with the gear you intend to use is the only way to know whether or not your plan of attack is up to snuff and realistic.
5. Avoid Using a Flash
This is one of the cardinal rules of not only sports photography but also any other type of live event or stage photography. You never want to let your role or gear disrupt the show or the concentration of the performers or guests you've been hired to document.
Your job, to put it bluntly, is to make every player look like a superstar. If you have a giant speed light flashing in their faces every four seconds, they might not be able to perform at their peak. You'll steal the shot not only from them but from yourself, as well. It's just common courtesy.
6. Utilize the Lights Around You
The best sports photography immerses the viewer in both the game and the game's atmosphere. A sports event is usually a party, and the stadium's atmosphere and setting should all be part of the story you tell. Even small-town venues serve up a unique, particular type of vibe. Exploiting the lay of the land, including the native lighting around you, is a great way to start.
Stadium lights, stage lights, and even environmental elements like bright LED screens, flashing scoreboards, and Jumbotrons may all stand in as an impromptu key light or kicker. Mold yourself around these natural sources of illumination, and you'll always be guaranteed a punchy, contrasted composition.
7. Place Yourself Strategically, and Always Be Moving
In that vein, we cannot emphasize the importance of both situational awareness and the need to always be moving, even if you're just getting out of the way of somebody more important. Chances are, you've got a lot of ground to cover. Even if the venue is small, you'll still want to see it from every angle.
Location scouts are extremely important to learn the best spots for taking photos. Even a twenty-minute walkthrough before the event has begun will give you an incredible edge over the photographer simply diving in with no knowledge of what's to come.
Observe where the event crew is setting up big lights, identify high-traffic areas to avoid, and find a place to charge your gear to set yourself up for a successful evening at the races.
8. Play Around With Angle, Composition, and Subject Matter
Full-body shots, mid-action shots, and portraits are all standard fare after the game. However, between these more commercially-viable moments, you should always be listening closely to your intuition.
An unusual perspective or subject tells a different story than just doing your due diligence. Both shooting styles can come together and paint a much more dimensional portrait of the event, one that intrigues and scintillates.
It takes very little time to capitalize on a unique shot that catches your eye, as long as these creative moments aren't cutting into your time with the most important things happening throughout the afternoon or evening.
9. Know What You're Looking For
If you know the sport you're shooting well, this will require no brainpower. Sports photographers who are already fans of the game know what the public wants to see. If you're not already a specialist, we recommend throwing yourself into the fandom for at least a little preliminary research.
This tip may vary depending on the context of your sports photography. If you're shooting your kid's softball game or a friend's intramural game, the camaraderie and the fun of the romp should all be paramount. If you're shooting professional sports photography and have names and faces to document, however, you might be adhering to a totally different set of needs.
10. Don't Be Afraid to Flub a Shot
They say you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take. This platitude is never more accurate than in the world of professional sports photography. Every on-field event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Always go for the gold.
Many amateur photographers are extremely conservative when shooting away from their studios to save memory card space. Sports photography is not the time or the place for this type of thinking, especially if it's a long game.
Our advice is to come packing heat. Invest in more memory than you usually end up needing. An extra card or two on top of your usual load means you'll never regret an iconic photo that you didn't go for in the moment.
11. Follow Professional Examples
Becoming a passionate fan of the type of sports photography you aspire to is one of the most effective ways to develop a personal shooting style that becomes successful commercially. Read magazines, watch videos, and take note of not only what's popular but what excites you personally.
Inspiration and sports photography ideas are already all around you. Once you master the standard, you'll be able to elevate your style and put your own spin on things.
12. Don't Review Photos Until the Game Is Over
Finally, what may very well be the most important and valuable piece of advice on this list: flipping through your photos while there's still a game going on around you is a complete waste of your time. Even if it's halftime or you're locked in a time-out, there is likely still a ton of stuff going on around you.
Not every sports photography assignment will be a great opportunity for a human interest piece. Still, you can always try to do what you can to capture the emotions running wild all around you. The fans, the coaches, the hosts, and, of course, the players will always be doing something interesting, and you'll end up with a lot of memorable material aside from the meat of the main show.
Take Sports Photos That Knock It Out of the Park
As a photographer, don't forget that you're creating memories as you're taking these shots. The sports photography tips we discussed here apply to pretty much any ring-side scenario. Try your luck with all the above the next time you're on a mission.