Some basic rules of Sports Photography

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

06/10/2006 12:27:19 AM · #1

I have been contacted today by two members asking about sports photography.

I am trying to redefine my career with sports photography, specializing in baseball, football, surfing, and soccer in mind.

Just wanted to share the things that I have learned from the last couple of years working to this goal.

My blog on my profile site is out of date, but, I will update soon.

1) Rule of 6= Don't include the whole team in any one picture frame. It looks too cluttered. Use no more than 6 players from the team to get you point across that there actually is a team.

2) Action shots should include facial expressions and the ball. Opposing teams are good to get in the shot, but make sure to get the main player comped before the secondary player.

3)Focus all your shots to be tack sharp. Anything less is not a good picture.

4)Comp your frame to have all of the players limbs in the frame. Try not to cut limbs off.

5) A player running twords you is a better picture than a player running away from you.

6) Keep your bg soft, and don't include ANY advertisment. Banners of the teams are ok, but Nike, or Burger King is distracting unless you are going after a ad shot. Also, recon your venue. Find the bg you like best and use it. A blank wall is better than a parking lot.

7)Crop tightly.

8) Anticapate your shots. Especially on a long lens. Know your sport, put the lens where on a part of the playing area where you think the most plays will be, and let the action come to you.

9) Wide lens shots are great for full team shots, full stadium shots, fan shots, fields shots.

10) There is more to sports than the competition. Look for stuff before, during, and after any game. The lone ball, the hash mark, the tossed baseball cap, the deranged fan, the drunk owner.

11) I mentioned this, but I can not stress enough but KNOW YOUR SPORT. Anyone can shoot a sporting event, but if you don't know when to anticapate the action, then why are you there. If it is a new sport to you, start watching ESPN and go to that sportin event. Ask questions to people that does know the sport. Baseball is differant photographically than football. Baseball you are limited to where you can stand, football you can roam up and down the field.

12) Find out who the stars are, or the impact players are before the game. These people will be more in demand from editors, and/or they will be the players that make the great plays.

13)Know your peramaters with the sport. Youth sports usually has no problems of where you can be to take pictures. But, when you get into college, and pro sports, there are guidelines to be aware of to not interfere with the coaching staff and the players.

14)Bring a flash with you, but ask first if you can use the flash. Sometimes coachs don't like flashs to be used, e.g. the fast lens.

15)Bring extra everything with you, you will need it.

16) Avoid fence lines going throuh your players image if possible.

Message edited by author 2006-06-10 01:12:57.

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

06/10/2006 01:05:26 AM · #2

Some of that is very good advice. Some of it is impossible depending on the venue where you are shooting.

Keep your blog going. I have been running mine for a while but I haven't been posting to it as regularly as I would like to. I need to start posting something there from every shoot I do. I resolve to start that again tomorrow :)

I'm in a bit of a pinch right now with my sports shooting. I have grown to love it, and I'm actually ready to make some better money doing it. I have been shooting sports for my local newspaper for two years @ $40 per assignment. I haven't really been in it for the money, but I'm ready to make some money at it now. That money, unfortunately, isn't going to come from the newspaper. They aren't going to give me any extra.

I'm in the process of setting myself up to go completely freelance. I get enough requests from parents and athletes for images that I think I can do better for my self in that capacity. I have set up a new website where I plan to make sports photos available to parents and athletes on a per print basis. Hopefully if things go well, I will be parting company with the local newspaper in late August.

Some pieces of your rules also don't apply to certain audiences. Moms love their babies regardless of the background ;)

06/10/2006 01:16:50 AM · #3

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Some pieces of your rules also don't apply to certain audiences. Moms love their babies regardless of the background ;)

Everything I have mentioned is per batum in books that I have read, and in //www.Sportshooter.com.

Anyone can break rules,moms and dads probly don't care, but to get that WOW factor, that is another story.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

06/10/2006 01:26:05 AM · #4

I was shooting a soccer game for practice the other night. It was fine until the sun started setting and the lights came on. I was shooting at ISO 1600, a flash, and my lens wide open at 2.8 and still couldn't get a fast enough shutter speed to get the shots tack sharp. ISO 1600 didnt help either. I think I ended up at 1/200th, f/2.8 and ISO 1600 with flash just to get a decent exposure.

Any advice?

amandak

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

06/10/2006 01:27:49 AM · #5

Thanks for posting this information!

kyebosh

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

Canon EF 80-200 f/2.8L

06/10/2006 01:37:03 AM · #6

Originally posted by JRalston:

ISO 3200? Faster lens? Stronger flash? Not much else you can do.

robs

Canon EOS R6 Mk II

06/10/2006 01:52:45 AM · #7

Originally posted by JRalston:

Turn on the option to allow ISO 3200 (HI). Otherwise, you need a faster lens.

Edit: Too late - I guess I should refresh before a reply huh :-)

Message edited by author 2006-06-10 01:55:30.

06/10/2006 01:57:49 AM · #8

Yeah, I concure with kyebosh and robs.

Normally, a good shutter speed for sports is around 1/1000 and faster.

1/200 is slow unless you like some motion. So, when you get into the night scene, even with a 2.8f lens, you are really pushing the boundaries of a good sports shot.

I personally like a little motion with baseball, but it's all about taste when discussing shutter speed.

Night time is definetly a challenge if there are no arena lights to help supplement.

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

06/10/2006 02:03:57 AM · #9

Thanks all...
The lights were on, but not enough for my camera I guess! I will try ISO 3200 after I figure out how to turn it on ;o) I have never even used ISO 1600 before the other night.

A question about using primes for sports...Do you just count on cropping every shot? I am so used to having to do minimal cropping but I guess its a different ballgame when using a prime?

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

06/10/2006 02:18:27 AM · #10

Originally posted by American_Horse:

Anyone can break rules,moms and dads probly don't care, but to get that WOW factor, that is another story.

I don't consider it breaking the rules. It's simply making do with the given conditions. 1/1000" shutter speed is an impossibility in most venues where I shoot. Clean backgrounds are almost non-existant. Maybe another rule could be:

Make the best of the poor conditions you have to work in :)

Jason

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon PowerShot Pro 90 IS

06/10/2006 03:38:35 AM · #11

Rule #3 should be moved to rule #1. :)

There is some good information here but also some generalizations that should not a be a rule but should be more of a guideline.

Off the top of my head my top three rules would be:
- Make sure your images are in focus.
- Know the sport you are shooting.
- Know the audience that you are shooting for.

coolhar

06/10/2006 04:17:56 AM · #12

Originally posted by JRalston:

Soccer is a little more difficult to do with a prime than baseball or basketball, but still possible. A generous amount of cropping is par for the course in sports shooting. Don't be afraid to use high ISO settings on your 20D. It's one of the best cameras around for that. I rarely use flash because it compromises burst shooting. Most sports photojournalists shoot in jpeg, not RAW, because they shoot lots of frames expecting to throw away most of them and don't want to be bothered with the larger files. If you are shooting to sell images to a player's parents instead of trying to cover all the action, RAW will help get better shots in poor lighting conditions, but that comes at the expense of more time spent doing editing. 1/250 is usually fast enough to freeze action with maybe a little motion in the limbs. Underexposed shots with stopped action can be post processed to decency better than correct exposures that have too much blurred motion. And there's always Neat Image if the noise is that bad. Check the 4 shot HS hoops sequence in my portfolio, done at 3200 and NI'ed.

06/10/2006 08:03:02 AM · #13

Originally posted by coolhar:

Ill keep practicing. After I can sit at my desktop computer (damn knee!) Ill have to post a couple shots from the other night for feedback. The newspaper mentioned covering some sporting events, which I would LOVE to do. I just want to make sure my shots are up to par before I accept any assignments. I think I could handle daylight games...but I am not comfortable enough yet to accept daylight games.

Do you think the 100-400mm L is worth it? The 70-200 2.8L IS with the 2x extender seemed to do me fine and I am thinking there is no need for the 100-400mm. Of course, I wouldnt even think of buying it until I had a true need for it and could make enough money with it for it to be worth it!

I FINALLY ordered the lightsphere. Do you guys think that will work well for sports? I hate the harshness of flashes. I have on omnibounce, but frankly I dont think it makes that much of a difference.

06/10/2006 08:05:48 AM · #14

Originally posted by coolhar:

Check the 4 shot HS hoops sequence in my portfolio, done at 3200 and NI'ed.

Those look pretty darn good for ISO 3200!!

Anyone know how many DPI newspapers generally print at?

06/10/2006 08:21:00 AM · #15

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Hey man, rule were menat to be broken. Just know why your breaking them. I didn't come up with these guidelines, I am just sharing.

You have a great eye. Your vision is sound with challenges. But challenges are more static then a dynamic sporting event. You have a week to create within a challenge, where as a sporting event may take from 90 minutes to 3 or 4 hours.

You are the one there to make the determination where you need to be to get the best shots.

You need to ask yourself if the shots are good enough for the moms and dads, or are they good enough for you.

If you are comfortable with a fence line piercing through a player then go for it. If not, then find a high point. If there is no high point, then use some forethought....take a ladder. Or get on your belly and find a high point with the subject.

Again, your eye is good, it's not up to anyone but yourself if you feel that some of these quidelines work for you or not. But, if you have competition, and want to make money...quality always out does quantity.

Message edited by author 2006-06-10 11:20:15.

06/10/2006 08:37:07 AM · #16

Ok, here is the last shot of the night that I took.

I included editing steps and EXIF info on the big pic (not the 100% crop). I did shoot this game JPEG for the burst speed and because I started off not using a flash before it got dark.

Feedback?

I wish it were sharper. Is a monopod recommended for sports photography? I feel so tethered by one. Maybe I just need to practice more with it.

Thanks for all your help. This thread is very helpful for me right now!

and here is the 100% crop...

06/10/2006 08:48:26 AM · #17

Originally posted by JRalston:

If I was to pick one it would be the top pix.

Except for the blur, you captured a great moment. emotional values from facial expressions, action, the ball, opposing team, clean bg, nice comp, excellent movement.

the bottom pix is too tight, limbs cutting off, too blurry, you know the rest.

I think this lens does not need a monopod, but does it have IS? this feature would of helped tremendously with the settings you had going in your camera.

06/10/2006 08:51:19 AM · #18

The bottom pic is the same pic....it's just a 100% crop to show the noise and focus :) The first one is the way I chose to crop it.

Thanks for the feedback :)

Yes, it is the IS version of the lens. I splurged for it because of the fact I dont like using monopods and tripods..LOL Of course, most of my photography involves chasing little kids around. :)

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/10/2006 09:12:52 AM · #19

If your camera has the AI Servo feature, use it. Put your focal points to the inner circle 9, or 11 point. ( I forget which one it is) Turn on your IS, swithch it to the #2 spot. (2 is for horizontal pan, 1 is for both verticle pan and horizontal pan.)

Next time try this recipe when shooting at night. See what your out come is.

Just remember two things. Bring backup batteries because the IS is a hungry beast. Switch off the camera, or the IS during lulls in the competittion to save on the batteries.

robs

Canon EOS R6 Mk II

06/10/2006 09:18:00 AM · #20

Originally posted by JRalston:

I will try ISO 3200 after I figure out how to turn it on ;o)

Custom function #8 to On. I don't understand why the default is off (ok, I know it's an expansion of 1600 but if you don't want it, don't use it).

06/10/2006 09:30:40 AM · #21

Originally posted by American_Horse:

I will have to give that a try! I always thought mode 2 was only for using with the tripod? Focus seems to be the biggest problem with the shots I took so I will try your way next time.

My batteries seemed to do fine. It was a standard 90 minute match and I still think I have all 3 'bars' on my battery meter. (I use the battery grip, also)

06/10/2006 09:32:21 AM · #22

Originally posted by robs:

Originally posted by JRalston:
I will try ISO 3200 after I figure out how to turn it on ;o)

Custom function #8 to On. I don't understand why the default is off (ok, I know it's an expansion of 1600 but if you don't want it, don't use it).

Thank you. I agree...doesn't make much sense to have it off.

Jason

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

06/10/2006 10:40:33 AM · #23

in regards to the soccer pics... you would not be able to submit that image to the paper because you used a noise reduction technique. Think of editorial work as a basic challenge here on DPC. You can crop, adjust white balance, brightness and contrast... that's about it.

deapee

Kodak V803

06/10/2006 10:50:55 AM · #24

Originally posted by Jason:

Why can't you use noise reduction when shooting for a paper? I know of it being done quite often.