MASTERING SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY: TECHNIQUES FOR CAPTURING THE ACTION AND FREEZING THE MOMENT

Sport is such a broad and encapsulating term. People across the world love playing and watching a huge variety of sports – from tennis, through football and formula one; every sport will appeal to someone. 

- Jo Plumridge

Different sports require different approaches when it comes to photographing them, but in this masterclass, I’m going to look at some of the universal tips and tricks for sports photography to help you get the best images possible.

WHY IS SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY SUCH A BIG BUSINESS?

Sports photography is a huge industry. Images are used in newspapers, magazines, websites and dedicated publications. Most people can’t go to every live sporting match, so being able to see images from the sport they follow is important. And certain images have become iconic, becoming true historical events.

Part of the challenge of sports photography is that there’s nothing scripted and you have to be ready at all times throughout an event. Of course, there are more choreographed areas of sports photography, such as shoots for sports brands. However, these make up a smaller part of the genre.

CAMERAS

Professional sports photographers use cameras specifically designed for fast action work, but you’ll probably want to start off experimenting with the camera you already own. This is obviously fine, but you may run in to some limitations. This is because a camera that’s designed for sports work will have some particular features.