Shooting Sports
A Beginner's Guide to Sports Photography
All photography in this document is ? John M. Setzler, Jr. and may not be used or reproduced without written consent.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200 f/2.8L / ISO 1600 / f/2.8 / 1/400" / No Flash
In all the different styles of photography I have tried, sports is definitely the most difficult. There are a lot of variables involved in sports that create unending challenges for a photographer. Since I rarely get to shoot in professional venue, life gets difficult for me. The greatest problems I'm faced with in sports photography are poor backgrounds, very poor lighting, and having to shoot through nets and fences. Learning to make the best of those situations will help me tremendously on those rare occasions where I do get the opportunity to shoot in professional venues. That being said, let's take a look at the defining elements of good sports photography.
There are three specific elements that should be included in all great sports photographs:
- Action
- Faces
- The Ball (when applicable)
Of course, there are sports where faces and the ball will never be visible. In those cases, the action must be intense since it's the only defining element of the sports photograph. When these three elements are in play, they should always be included.
Shooting sports effectively also requires some better-than-average camera equipment when shooting indoors or outside at night. Daytime outdoor sports will often allow you to get nice photos with about any kind of camera as long as you have enough zoom to get close to the action. Let's take a look at some suggested equipment for sports photography...
THE CAMERA
The best cameras for sports photography are the digital SLRs that shoot 8+ frames per second. The high burst rates of these cameras give the photographer a much better chance of capturing the perfect photo by ripping of 8-16 images in a 1-2 second time period. With this type of flexibility, the photographer doesn't have to rely as much on his own timing to get great results. Currently, the Canon EOS-1D Mark III (10 megapixels / 10 frames per second / $4500) and the Nikon D2H (8 frames per second / 4 megapixels / $3000) are the two best options in the camera market for sports photography. Less expensive cameras are available, but nothing less than these two models can shoot the fast frame rates. The digital SLR cameras that shoot 3-5 frames per second are OK for sports photography, but the timing of the photographs becomes a little more of an issue for the photographer. I can tell you from experience that a LOT of movement can occur in 1/3-second.
A camera with automatic focus tracking is also very beneficial to a sports photographer. With this feature, the camera's focus can follow a moving subject, which allows the photographer to fire the camera exactly when he is ready without having to re-focus.
Most sports photographers will also quickly say that weather resistance is a great feature to have in the sports arena. Bad weather doesn't always stop outdoor action, especially in the professional ranks.
THE LENSES
Fast telephoto lenses are the primary weapons that a sports photographer carries into battle. Aperture sizes of f/2.8 or better are usually a requirement for several reasons. The primary reason is so the photographer can get fast shutter speeds for stop-action photos. The secondary reason is so the photographer can blur out the background as much as possible to reduce background distractions in an image. These fast lenses are preferred, especially when shooting indoors or in poorly lit conditions. Here are some of the popular lens configurations for top-notch sports photography:
- 70-200mm f/2.8 Zoom ($1500)
- 300mm f/2.8 ($3700)
- 400mm f/2.8 ($6500)
A lot of sports photographers will use two cameras at any given event. They will a longer lens on one camera body and a shorter lens on the other body so they can work long range and closer action without having to switch lenses. In some sports, shorter and faster lenses work well too. A 50mm f/1.8 or an 85mm f/1.8 lens can be quite effective if you are close enough to the action. The autofocus capabilities on these lenses aren't stellar performers, but they can get the job done.
THE MONOPOD
You won't need a tripod for sports photography in most cases. You are going to be moving around too much to deal with something that cumbersome. If you want or need additional camera support, a monopod will be your best bet. All monopods are not created equal either. This one is, by far, the best I have ever used:
- Manfrotto NeoTec 685B ($145)
This monopod will extend with a simple pull of the top grip. It has a squeeze trigger mechanism that allows you to lower it to a desired height. There are no twist or flip locks to mess with when in action.
THE FLASH
Whether or not you will be able to use a flash in sports photography varies from place to place. If you are shooting a professional sporting event, you won't likely be allowed to use a flash. There will be lots of other photographers, and if all of them were using flash, the athletes would go blind and your flash would end up in everyone else's photos and vice versa. Professional sporting events are usually lit well enough that you can function without a flash. If you are shooting at an NCAA Division 1 college event, the same rules usually apply for the same reasons. NCAA Division 2 and junior colleges may differ. If you are ever in question about the usability of flash at an event, just ask someone, preferably a game official. When you get down to the high school level, a flash is almost required at many locations. The indoor and outdoor lighting is usually poor. Some places are better than others, but plan to use a flash. There is only one high school in my local conference that has enough light on their football field and in their gym to keep me from needing a flash for decent sports photography. Your situation may vary.
Never, at any level, use a flash for baseball photography. The fans who are in the stands with their point and shoot cameras with a flash don't bother the game play. The flash units on those cameras are basically ineffective beyond 15-20 feet, so they won't be noticed on the playing field. You, on the other hand, should be using a hot-shoe mounted speed light that is capable of lighting up a baseball that may be traveling towards a player at nearly 100 miles per hour. You don't want to be responsible for breaking someone's concentration who is watching that ball. Someone could get hurt.
Two popular flash units for Nikon and Canon:
- Nikon SB-800 ($310)
- Canon 580EX ($390)
Both manufacturers make less expensive models that aren't quite as powerful. For what you are using flash for in sports, those models would probably be just as effective. In sports photography, unless you are working in very dark conditions, the flash should be for fill rather than as a primary light source. That being the case, a really high-powered flash unit is not entirely necessary.
THE CAMERA BAG
If you must carry a camera bag as a sports photographer, a backpack is probably your best bet. You definitely don't want to have a shoulder bag to deal with while you are moving around. Your best bet is to leave it in the car and only take what you need in with you. You shouldn't need more than two cameras and two lenses. If you need more gear than that, hire a Sherpa :)
One of the best simple investments I have made is a photographer's vest. It has enough pockets so I can carry extra batteries, filters, pens, notepads, and about anything else I could ever need. It definitely keeps me from having to lug my shoulder bag in most cases where I wouldn't want to deal with it.
THE LENS HOOD
Your lenses should be equipped with lens hoods when shooting sports. Balls and people fly off the playing area more often than you would imagine. Lens hoods will help protect your expensive glass from unnecessary damage.
CREDENTIALS
If you are not carrying the credentials of a photojournalist or authorized freelance photographer, you should keep yourself in the same area as people in regular attendance at the event. Credentialed photographers have a job to do, and you don't want to get in their way. If you are carrying proper credentials, you should make every possible effort to stay clear of the other official photographers who are covering the event.
RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES
- Pens
- Notepads
- Digital voice recorder
- Extra batteries
- Knee pads
THE PHOTOS
Learning where your best shooting locations are and how to get the best possible shots from a sporting event comes from experience, but researching what other people are doing is also a good way to get started. As previously stated, you should be looking for action, faces, and the ball (when appropriate).
BASKETBALL
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200 f/2.8L / ISO 800 / f/2.8 / 1/400" / No Flash
There are several types of action shots you can expect to see during the course of a basketball game. This photo example simply shows a player driving across mid-court with other players in pursuit. I prefer shooting from the baseline wall for basketball photos. I also sit on the floor with my back to the wall to get the lowest possible camera angle.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 50mm f/1.4 / ISO 800 / f/2.0 / 1/400" / No Flash
When working from the baseline, the baseline drive is another opportunity you should look for. The player on the wing will drive towards the basket along the baseline and either go up for a shot or dish off to someone else in the lane.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 50mm f/1.4 / ISO 1600 / f/2.0 / 1/320" / No Flash
The drive to the basket and the shot can also produce some good images. Lots of fouls occur in these scenarios, and the facial expressions can be excellent. These photos can also be difficult to get. When the player goes up for a shot, arms and the ball get in the way of the face rather frequently from the low baseline shooting angle.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L / ISO 1600 / f/2.8 / 1/320" / With Flash
In some venues, you can change your shooting angle to get shots that eliminate distracting backgrounds. Consider yourself lucky if you find this opportunity and work it as much as you can.
Canon EOS-10D / Canon 50mm f/1.4 / ISO 400 / f/2.0 / 1/500" / No Flash
Sometimes you can add some additional dynamics to an action shot by tilting the camera. It's a great idea to experiment with this technique when you get the opportunity.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L / ISO 800 / f/2.8 / 1/125" / No Flash
It's critical to know who the key people are in any given sporting event. You should shoot some feature type non-action shots of those people while you are covering the event. This particular image was taken to highlight a 400th career victory for a local coach. You should also treat key players the same way. Get individual player photos to accompany your action photography. This idea holds true for all sports, not just basketball.
BASEBALL
With the exception of professional levels, baseball is one of the more difficult sports for a photographer as far as shooting locations are concerned. High school level baseball rarely has any accommodations for a photographer inside the fence. I find myself shooting through fences and nets quite frequently. As stated earlier, make sure your flash is disabled when photographing any baseball game.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 3200 / f/4 / 1/400" / No Flash
When photographing baseball, it's extremely important to get photos of the starting pitcher for both teams. If one of your pitchers throws a no-hitter or a perfect game, it's going to be newsworthy, regardless of who the team is. Right-handed pitchers should be photographed from the third base side and relatively close to home plate. Left-handed pitchers are just the opposite.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 800 / f/4 / 1/640" / No Flash
Photographing a pitcher from just off center behind home plate is another good perspective. In this situation, you will usually find yourself shooting through a fence or net. You must place your long lens right up against the fence in order to make it disappear completely in the photograph. You may also be required to use manual focus in this situation. The camera's auto focus system may have trouble locking on your subject when shooting through a fence or net.
;Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 800 / f/4 / 1/500" / No Flash
Another good perspective on a pitcher is from his open side as he is delivering to the plate. There are several compositions form this angle that can lend themselves to a horizontal image if the pitcher has a nice wide-open windup. If they are pitching from the stretch with runners on base, that opportunity may be harder to achieve.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 400 / f/4 / 1/1000" / No Flash
You may be able to eliminate distracting background elements such as fence lines or billboard advertising by moving a little higher into the seating area of some stadiums to compose your pitcher photos. You have to find a balance between height and camera angle though. You don't want to move high enough where you will lose the pitcher's face in the shot.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 200 / f/4 / 1/1000" / No Flash
Another good place to look for action in a baseball game is the runner coming from second to third base. It's quite easy to capture action and intensity in this image. This is also one of the few instances when having a ball in the photo isn't as critical. This situation also benefits greatly from having focus tracking and a fast burst rate camera. When I shoot this situation, I will generally shoot a burst of 10-15 photos in a burst while my camera follows the subject focus on its own.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 800 / f/4 / 1/2000" / No Flash
Sometimes at the end of that run from second to third base, you can capture a nice slide into the base. This is also another spot where a burst sequence can be very helpful to create a sequence of images of that slide.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 400 / f/4 / 1/500" / No Flash
Sometimes that slide at third base comes in head-first, which can create some great action. Images similar to this one can be made at first base when the runner dives back to the base on a pick-off attempt from the pitcher. One other quick note... If you notice in these last three photos, the camera angle is very low. Each of these images was made from the dugout, which allows me to stand below ground level and have my camera right at ground level if I choose. In this head-first slide photo, the face (or at least the eyes) will almost always be hidden if the camera is not very low to the ground.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 800 / f/4 / 1/1250" / No Flash
The play at the plate is a difficult photo to come up with. I find it so difficult that I don't often shoot it. I'm using this particular photo as an example of why I don't shoot this shot very often. I have the action and the ball, but the faces are hidden. Shooting this photo, like the head-first dive into third base, requires a very low camera angle to pull it off nicely. If the runner slides into home plate feet-first, there are some better opportunities to capture faces. Being ready for this shot is also quite difficult. Being in the right position for it when it happens is critical. Unfortunately, being behind the plate is not the best location for shooting some of the other action aspects of baseball.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 200 / f/4 / 1/1600" / No Flash
The steal attempt at second base is another great source of action on the baseball field. This photo can be made from several locations on the field as well. The only thing to be aware of on this photo is the umpire who might be wandering around between you and second base in the infield. He'll inevitably find his way into some of your photos at the most inopportune times. Another good location to shoot this photo is from directly behind first base, especially if there is a chance of a double-play being turned. You can catch the sliding runner and the infielder throwing to first base at the same time.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L w/1.4xTC / ISO 200 / f/4 / 1/1250" / No Flash
The swing of the bat and the break towards first base can also create some good action photos. These photos can be shot from near third and first bases. Shooting from the first base side, you can shoot a burst and catch the runner digging towards first base as well.
One additional area to look for action is when an outfielder dives to catch a fly ball. I don't have any examples of this in my own portfolio because I never shoot it. I don't have a long enough lens to shoot that particular photo effectively, so I generally don't even try. In the greater scheme of things, it should be a part of a sports photographer's portfolio though.
FOOTBALL
For me, football is the most difficult sport to photograph. It's not because of the sport itself, but the conditions in which I have to work to shoot it. Light is the primary friend of the photographer. Light is hard to come by in my local high school football conference. There is enough light to play the game, but not enough to photograph it without the help of a good flash unit. The other big hassle that comes along with football is finding a reasonable position shoot. Football sidelines are crowded, especially in professional football. I have only worked two professional football games, and I learned one thing. There are many more photographers on the sidelines than there are football players on the field. In fact, there are several hundred photographers and videographers surrounding the field at any professional football game. In high school and college football, photographers are generally allowed to work the sidelines between the goal line and the 20-yard line on either end or side of the field.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L / ISO 1600 / f/2.8 / 1/400" / With Flash
In football, I can't really make too many recommendations on specific shots to shoot at a game. Photographing football is more of a patience game for a photographer. Your job is to follow the ball with the camera. Once again, the automatic focus tracking and burst modes are quite important choices to make. If you are working with a flash, you will want to consider purchasing an external battery pack for the flash. Your flash won't be able to keep up with the camera shooting fast bursts of photos.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L / ISO 1600 / f/2.8 / 1/640" / With Flash
Some of the more common plays in football to look for are the quarterback or running back breaking around the end of the offensive line. Defensive players in pursuit or making a tackle can become part of this action.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L / ISO 800 / f/2.8 / 1/320" / With Flash
When using a flash in football, it can help make faces inside helmets more visible so that any facial intensity that may highlight the action will become more obvious in the photo.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L / ISO 1600 / f/2.8 / 1/320" / With Flash
As shown in this photo, the flash can be your worst enemy as well. There isn't much you can do to eliminate red-eye without losing so much flash power that the light provided becomes inadequate or useless. Your benefit from getting red-eye in a lot of photos is that you will learn quickly how to correct it effectively in PhotoShop!
SOCCER
Soccer is a bit easier to photograph than football. The action on a soccer field is rather constant. There are no time-outs, no huddles, and the only break in play is on a foul or a score. The players aren't bunched up as much as in football either. However, like football, shooting soccer is a patience game for the photographer. The field is large and chasing the action up and down the field just isn't a good idea. In a soccer match, your best bet will be to find a location you like with minimal background distractions and just park there for a while. The action will come to you.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L / ISO 800 / f/2.8 / 1/500" / With Flash
The lack of helmets and full body armor lends itself well to better face visibility in soccer. Photographing from the sidelines is OK in a soccer match, but shooting from the end of the field near the goal frequently gives you the ability to see more faces than you will from the sideline.
WRESTLING
Wrestling can be more challenging that one would imagine. In general, it's not that difficult. Some of my local high schools try to turn their wrestling matches into discos or rock concerts by shutting down all the lighting and only having a single light on above the mat during a final match. I guess this is great for the non-combatants who are making out in the bleachers of the gym, but it's not so great for the guy who is making photos.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L / ISO 800 / f/2.8 / 1/200" / With Flash
There are a couple of good things about photographing wrestling. In all my other sports shooting, I prefer lower angle photography, but in wrestling, I generally stand up and shoot down towards the athletes. It makes it slightly more difficult to get faces visible, but it always completely eliminates ugly backgrounds from these events. I use the flash to minimize detail loss in shadows. As mentioned before, when I'm working in one of those single-light wrestling matches, my flash becomes the primary light source for the photo. Unfortunately, I have no other choice.
In a wrestling match, I usually pick a spot along the edge of the mat where I won't be in the way of spectators (or minimize the number of people who I block). The wrestlers twist and turn, and will eventually provide facial views for you.
RACING
Racing is a fun subject to photograph. Sometimes, finding a great position to shoot from can be difficult though. As with any other type of sports photograph, you want to have a minimally distracting background.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L / ISO 1600 / f/2.8 / 1/125" / With Flash
Sometimes, an elevated position will allow you to minimize your backgrounds. In this photo, I also rotated the camera slightly to add some additional dynamics.
Canon EOS-20D / Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L / ISO 200 / f/7.1 / 1/100" / No Flash
Racing is also a good subject for a technique called panning. Panning a moving subject allows you to create a good sense of speed and motion by having the subject sharp while the surrounding environment is in motion. Panning doesn't work as well on people because a person in motion is only static in certain places. Some quite interesting shots can be made of people if you experiment with the idea though.
IN SUMMARY
Sports photography is a lot of fun if you enjoy sports. If you don't enjoy sports, you will be better off sticking with flowers and waterfalls :) Some of the major points to keep in mind when photographing sports:
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Carry only what you must.
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Shoot from low angles whenever possible
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Pay attention to cluttered backgrounds
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Stay within your designated area
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Photos should include action, faces, and the ball!
Have a good time shooting sports :)
John M. Setzler, Jr.