Photography: Sports Photography

We’ve all seen those pictures on ESPN or in Sports Illustrated that blow our minds. How can one camera capture such great sports pictures? I will give you some tips I have learned and also show you some of my favorite sport pictures I have captured.

First, lets talk focus. I usually use autofocus on all sports. Some say for more fast paced sports such as hockey and soccer to use manual, but it’s less of a hassle if you leave your camera in autofocus the whole game. Another thing that could affect the focus on your camera is the orientation of your camera. Virtually all sports can be shot vertically, but is that always the way to go; not necessarily because your autofocus sensors will not be in line with what you are shooting.

Secondly, you can only photograph things you can see. For football, my preference is to stay in front of the ball so if there is an awesome catch or touchdown you will be closer to the action. During basketball games, I try and stay on the end sidelines so I can get the underneath shots. Hockey is pretty tough because there are seats all along the edges, but I try to stay on the side that the team is shooting at and off to one of the corners of that side. When taking pictures of players hitting during baseball or softball games I try to be on the side they aren’t batting from so you can see they’re bat go all the way through the hitting zone.

Thirdly, sport photography is mainly based off of being at the right place at the right time to get the best shot. Try to anticipate what will happen next with the plays. I often have my shutter speed set to about 1/125 to ensure that I will get enough time before, during, and after the play.

The most important part of shooting sports is knowing your sports and players. Each sport is a different speed and style. Understanding basics of the sport you are shooting, the coaching style of the coach, and the characteristics of the players. All of these things will help get better shots during games. Baseball, softball, hockey, and soccer, are all sports that are ultimately unpredictable. This implies that knowing your sport and playing techniques will help you get the shots you want.

I hope all of these tips will help you get the awesome sports shots you want! Sports photography is my favorite and is the reason I got the camera I have. Here are some of my favorite sports shots that I’ve gotten over the past years!

-- Katie J