So you want to shoot sports?

ian408 · May 14, 2005

Over in another forum, I found a pointer to a great article on sports
photography. The web site belongs to Jerry Lodriguss.

If you're considering a career or just want to know what it takes, I'd
recommend a read through...

And his astrophotography isn't bad either

Ian

winger · May 14, 2005

Thats funny I remeber reading that last summer.

I have come sooooo far in the last year of shooting (had a SLR for a year and half...before that it was just snap shots with a point and shoot). It has grown into an expnsive "Hobby" but what I make covers my costs right now, so not bad for a beginnm,er.

Here is the advice I would share in what I have learned over the last year, of shooting mostly sports.

1) faces, faces face....no one wants to see an ass, they want to see expression, the pain, the happiness the sorry.
2) think tight, I am still a little afriad to crop, but its amazing what a crop can do for a photo.....
3) get to know the sport, it will help you shoot it better, anticpation can help you get great shots.
4) NEVER EVER put the camera down, never stop shooting, basketball player coming at you, keep firing, kid just struck out, he may throw the bat down, player makes a game winning goal, there will be a celebration.

And the biggest thing is to think if you have ever played sports, that is what you are trying to capture, you are trying to put the viewer into the drivers seat of that game. Let them feel the pitch coming at them, let them celebrate in that game winning goal, let them feel that hit, and let them hold their breath as that player goes down.

I wont say I am the authority on anything......but this is what I have picked up over the last year and a half.

ian408 · May 14, 2005

Winger, that's mighty fine advise.

Oh, and for those of you wondering about asses, you will see a lot of
referee right when you'd thought you got that one shot...Murphy's Law
don't you know

Ian

winger · May 15, 2005

ian408 wrote:

Winger, that's mighty fine advise.

Oh, and for those of you wondering about asses, you will see a lot of
referee right when you'd thought you got that one shot...Murphy's Law
don't you know

Ian

I think I get strobed more than I get "assed", I got strobed about once every 3 games for basketball (which is impressive, there were 3 people with strobes at the hoops and 2 for hockey) and i got "assed" maybe all of 5 times this last year...

wxwax · May 15, 2005

By strobed, you mean their strobe overexposed your shot?

Great advice winger. You shot gobs more sports than I do, but I do notice that if I crop mercilessly, I can take the eye to the action.

wxwax · May 15, 2005

ian408 wrote:

Over in another forum, I found a pointer to a great article on sports
photography. The web site belongs to Jerry Lodriguss.

If you're considering a career or just want to know what it takes, I'd
recommend a read through...

And his astrophotography isn't bad either

Ian

Great link, Ian, this guy does a really good job of desribing his craft. And his piccies are pretty darned impressive.

Steve Cavigliano · May 15, 2005

Great info Ian and Karen ^5
That article was a super read Ian

I've even bookmarked it

Karen, your input was really helpful too

I'll have to go check my pics to see how many times I've been "assed" :lol I can only aspire to being strobed

That would mean I'd be shooting at a large enough venue that there'd be strobes up. Be still my beating heart....lol

Very good thread

Steve

So you want to shoot sports?

Comments