Simple steps to better sports photography
Posted on September 23, 2008
Filed Under Photography Tips And Tricks
Sports photography is one of the more challenging fields within photography. The aim of the sports photographer is to capture the fun and excitement of the game. But this also provides an opportunity to capture human emotions in a natural format, quite naturally without any posing.
The challenges in sports photography include capturing motion and emotion, and knowing the game well enough to be ready at crucial points in the game.
Read on to know about the tips and techniques to help you become a better sports photographer.
Know the game: Start reading a lot of good sports reports. Be an expert in the sport by learning the rules of the game and developing good knowledge about the players involved. By knowing how the game is played and the who’s who of the sport, you have a good chance of spotting the best time to take a great snap.
Be proactive: In a high-voltage clash, you know that anything can happen anytime and you should be able to foresee key actions in advance. Imagine you are covering a soccer match. When a player races towards the goalpost with the ball – let your instincts guide you, so you can predict how the play will end. You can then adjust your position and camera for a great shot.
Develop the right attitude: Just like a sportsman, a sports photographer also has to have a positive attitude towards the game. By developing a passion for the game, you can enjoy the time on the sidelines, while you take photos. This also helps you to keep your focus – its easy to get distracted or bored if you don’ really appreciate the game.
Timing and intuition: Timing is a critical factor in sports photography. This is more of intuition than well thought out framing and focusing. When you see the action your intuition and reflexes make you click at the right time. Sometimes you can shoot off a few snaps quickly to coincide with some exciting sports action – and find some really interesting photographs.
Use both the eyes: Its not mandatory that one eye should be closed while you look through the viewfinder. If you train yourself to click photos with both the eyes open, your brain will be able to process images from both the eyes and it helps you see what is happening around you. Your award-winning photograph could be the one that you identified with the eye that was supposed to be remain closed. 
Hang around the movers and shakers: Every sport has its top players, both on and off the field - people who can influence the growth of the game. People are naturally more interested in the ‘stars’ so they make interesting subjects. And since there is so much going on around them – fans, entourage, journalists, security etc, there is a lot of interaction, and that’s a great chance to get a rare (and valuable) snapshot of a celebrity.
Spot points of high emotion: At the beginning of the game, and at the ending there is a great chance to capture emotions, like happiness, dejection, frustration, tiredness, etc. Also sports fans have very strong opinions on the game, and you can always watch them talking animatedly showing gestures to support their arguments – these are good opportunities to take photos
Colours and textures of the game: You must have heard of Manchester United’s “Red devils”. Every sport has its natural textures and colours – like the leather of a cricket ball, the shiny metal golf clubs, the hills in a golf range, or the rich green of a cricket field. These are all interesting themes to capture for a great photograph
Behaviour of sportsmen: Each game has natural physical actions, like a golfer practising the swing, or a tennis player about to serve. Or a boxer getting up from his corner of the ring after a round. The time at which sportsmen switch from a relaxed mode and focus just before the action starts. Sportsmen are also very superstitious and many of them have quirky habits that are really fun to capture.
The history of the sport: Almost all sports have historical locations, and areas that are held in great esteem. Even when those locations are empty they represent a powerful topic; Like an empty stadium.
Also there are rare occasions when great sportsmen from years ago meet with young and upcoming stars – good time to capture some snaps.
Dressing and style: People dress up fashionably for great sporting occasions, like for Wimbledon. Similarly fans try to outdo each other in the most eye-catching gear for supporting their team. A snapshot from a long position of a group of fans can really provide a colourful subject. There are also sporting gears worn fashionably like eyeshades worn backwards or headbands, etc worn by sports stars that create a trend – you could be the one that captures the trend!
Practise and Theory:Sports are one of the fields in which there is a huge amount of photography stock. Study the great photographs taken in different sports, and they give an easy way to know the best combination of occasion, timing and subject. Try recreating those photographs by covering local games or the sports at a club or gymnasium near you. And watch your camera work its magic when you cover a really important game.
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