Photographing moving subjects and capturing action is a great way to test your photography skills, and what better way to do this than by photographing some live sport. The key to great images and being a successful sports photographer is providing your viewer with a representation of the events that have unravelled and immersing them within the action, atmosphere and emotion that is associated with these types of events. I’ve always had an interest in Motorsport and this tends to be the main subject that I photograph, so I’m going use this blog to share a few things that I’ve picked up that can be transferred across sports in the hope it will help you to plan for your next shoot.
Preparation
As with any subject it is useful to have an understanding of your subject. Given that sport is so unpredictable, having a solid plan for your shoot and knowing how the sport works will help you get the most accurate coverage. So, if you don’t know the venue have a walk around so you have an idea of where you can take the best images from to allow you to get a good range of shots.
If you’re covering outdoor sports, you’ll want to prepare for what the weather decides to throw at you. Taking a chamois leathers or rain cover to shield your cameras will stop your gear getting too wet. Microfibre cloths are also great for wiping water drops or dust from the front element of your lens to make sure you have the clearest images in those conditions.
Making sure you have enough memory cards is also a consideration if you are going to be shooting all day. The last thing you want is to run out of space and miss out on images. Having a backup, or second body if your budget allows can be prevent you from missing shots when trying to switch lenses. If you can, have one body with a wide-angle lens on and a telephoto on the other. It’s also there for the worst case scenario that one of your bodies has a technical failure.
Do you need permission?
Some sports events will allow you to take your camera into the event but this can vary. It’s always worth checking before you plan to visit as some organisers will have limitations within their terms and conditions of entry on whether cameras are permitted and if so what purpose the images can be used for. If you intend to sell the pictures you take, you may be required to obtain accreditation from the venue itself or the event organisers in order to shoot for stock. We’d recommend looking on the individual event website to gather the necessary information on the requirements for obtaining accreditation.
Conveying the action
As I mentioned, scouting your location is key for getting the best images, combining your chosen location with a different angle can add an extra element of drama. Where your subject allows, low angles can convey a sense of confidence from your subject and you can really use this to your advantage if you are photographing extreme sports where your subject is likely to get some airtime.
A common technique you can use in Motorsports photography to cover the speed and motion of the subject is panning. By using a slower shutter speed, you will show a more accurate photographic representation of the speed that your subject is travelling at. There are a variety of features that modern DSLR’s have to help when shooting at slower speeds such as continuous release, focus tracking and vibration reduction. However, if you’ve not tried this technique before, it’s going to take some initial trial and error to match your movement with the speed of your subject as it travels past you – have put together a list of tips which can help with some of the considerations you need to make to master the technique. The main thing to take away is that it’s all about practice, you wont get the technique straight away. Drop the shutter speed gradually, to allow time to get used to tracking the movement of the subject and you will be able to get sharp images with increasingly slower shutter speeds.
Atmosphere and Emotion
Contrary to what I have been going over so far, it’s not always about the action. The fans and spectators are just as important in making the sport the experience and spectacle that it is. It’s therefore important to consider showing the crowds reactions and how this can contribute to the atmosphere of your images. Likewise, consider photographing the athlete’s focus and emotions when interacting with their team and fans so your viewers can help take in the whole experience of the event.
Editing your images
Concentrate on taking images at the event rather than trying to juggle this with staring at the back of your camera. This will only increase the chance that you’ll miss something. Unless you are filing your images to ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏLive News and have a strict deadline to adhere to, leave reviewing and editing your images until you are back home at your computer. This will give you a full set of images to go through and let you to create the best edit possible. If you are not sure on how to create an edit and how to make this usable for stock then check out our blog put together by our director of photography.
Is there anything I’ve missed out? Let us know your top tips in the comments below.