Am I missing something (soccer angles)?

SportsNut

Hi everyone.

I'm new to this forum. I've been taking soccer pics for about 3 years as a hobby, but I'm starting to get a little more serious. I just opened up a SmugMug Pro account and have been populating the past few days.

Anyway, here's my question... I have always shot soccer (mostly my son's team--8 years old) from a very low angle. I'm either sitting on the ground or kneeling on my knees as shoot. I've always liked the lower angle as it mitigates some of the clutter associated with shots taken at a higher elevation. It also often reveals more of the players' faces as they still tend to look down at the ball a lot.

Although I've found lower angles to be very productive, I see a LOT (if not all) of the "pro" guys (you know, the guys with the 400mm lenses at the big tournaments) shooting from a fully extended monopod.

Since I've been working on my SmugMug site the last couple days, I did some looking around at what some other folks have on their pages. I've also noticed there that folks shoot from high elevations a lot.

Am I missing something? Is there a purpose for this? Or are the photogs just being lazy? I've yet to see the advantage of shooting at such a high angle, oftentimes way above the heads of the players.

Anyway, I wanted to introduce myself, say hello and throw out my first topic.

I'll probably be around this forum for years to come. I just retired from the Air Force and will have a lot more time on my hands for my favorite semi-pro hobby.

vt1122

I also shoot a lot of my soccer shots from a low angle. Sometimes mix it up a bit. I think the size of the player makes a big difference . Seems like when taking photos of youth games its more important to get that low angle. I did take pics at a game a few weeks ago that the field was crowned in the middle. Shots of players on the far side of the field had their feet cutoff when shooting from a sitting position. Others here can probably give you a more professional answer.

Welcome to Dgrin.

Mitchell

I'll throw my two cents in here. I shoot a lot of youth soccer. Yes, the low angle works well with the little kids, but it gets tiresome after a while to shoot from your knees or in the sitting position. I shoot with a large, heavy lens which requires a monopod. It can be quite challenging to move around if you are on the ground. I prefer to stand and position myself as needed.

Quite frankly, the thing that sells the photos the best is tight crops with good exposure on the face and eyes. You can catch some great action, but if the parents don't like the expression on their kid or if the face is in shadows, they won't buy.

Parents also like some intense action if they can see their child well. I spend all of this time trying to get uncluttered backgrounds with great separation with my f2.8 lens, and yet parents don't seem to care if the photos are cluttered.

Case in point my best selling shot from this season. Busy background with a mediocre photo. Mom ordered 10 large prints of this shot! Go figure!



Just shoot from many different angles and make sure you capture as many of the players as you can. keep track of what works for you.

SportsNut

Mitchell wrote:

I'll throw my two cents in here. I shoot a lot of youth soccer. Yes, the low angle works well with the little kids, but it gets tiresome after a while to shoot from your knees or in the sitting position. I shoot with a large, heavy lens which requires a monopod. It can be quite challenging to move around if you are on the ground. I prefer to stand and position myself as needed.

Quite frankly, the thing that sells the photos the best is tight crops with good exposure on the face and eyes. You can catch some great action, but if the parents don't like the expression on their kid or if the face is in shadows, they won't buy.

Parents also like some intense action if they can see their child well. I spend all of this time trying to get uncluttered backgrounds with great separation with my f2.8 lens, and yet parents don't seem to care if the photos are cluttered.

Case in point my best selling shot from this season. Busy background with a mediocre photo. Mom ordered 10 large prints of this shot! Go figure!

Just shoot from many different angles and make sure you capture as many of the players as you can. keep track of what works for you.

You know, I really appreciate that advice. I've been doing this a little while now and think I produce some really nice photos. The thing I haven't thought about too much (until now) is what sells. I'll have to chew on your advice and do some thinking/prep when I go out from now on. I used to try to find that perfect combo of uncluttered background (of course, the 2.8 helps) and natural light. It sounds like I might be able to focus more on action and less on the background, for selling purposes.

As far as the angle, I was just curious why I see so many people shooting standing up (even the 7 and 8 year olds). I thought maybe I was missing a key point. I've found my pictures from a low angle much more likely to portray the child as an athlete that way. But you're right, my knees kill me after 20 minutes.

Thanks again for the advice. I'll get a chance to try it out tomorrow night at my son's next game!

SportsNut

vt1122 wrote:

I also shoot a lot of my soccer shots from a low angle. Sometimes mix it up a bit. I think the size of the player makes a big difference . Seems like when taking photos of youth games its more important to get that low angle. I did take pics at a game a few weeks ago that the field was crowned in the middle. Shots of players on the far side of the field had their feet cutoff when shooting from a sitting position. Others here can probably give you a more professional answer.

Welcome to Dgrin.

I've always photographed youth soccer (ages 5-10)...that could be the reason I've always shot low. I just don't understand why so many of the "pros" shoot from 2 feet above their heads, down at them. Oh well, it doesn't sound like I'm missing any magical reason.

I haven't photographed any games with pitches that sloped yet, but will keep that in mind if it pops up.

Thanks for the reply.