As the summer of sport kicks off – I’ve put together some top tricks & tips to take your sports photography to the next level. If you’re heading to one of these events – how can you take your sports photography to the next level? Read on to discover how.
Make sure you’ve got the vital supplies you need
It’s exciting to see the crowds returning to events and in particular as we’re seeing the British grass court season getting underway.
If you’re out for the whole day, keep plenty of supplies – SD cards and batteries. If it’s a scorcher then be sure to keep yourself comfortable in the warm weather.
Keep COVID-19 in mind. Lots of the events which are being permitted are asking for essentially a COVID-19 passport. I’ve not had to use one yet but can imagine that’s almost on the same level as turning up somewhere and remembering that you actually don’t have a battery in your camera!
Britain’s Johanna Konta, Aegon International – Eastbourne, 2018
Get your camera in the right settings before the action kicks off
Once you’ve got everything together, be sure that your camera is in the right settings to start with. These are 3 areas to focus on to get you started.
- Keep your ISO at at least 200
- Use a quick shutter speed to freeze the action
- A low F number (aperture) – to help blur the background
Understand the sport as best as you can.
This is crucial to begin understanding and anticipating their next move. Tennis is one of my favourite sports so easy to break this down but the same principles apply whatever sport you’re taking photos of. In the case of tennis, you could split this up into a few different categories:
Each of these categories are likely to occur at multiple points throughout the game. Each time they happen, see if you can approach your photography a bit differently. Look at different angles or emotions you could capture. It’s also worth keeping an eye open for interaction between the players or other notable events. Understanding each of the stages of the game will help you be poised for the shots at the right time.
Split up the sport you’re watching into categories:
- The preparation / changeover
- The serve
- Mid rally
- The celebration (or disappointment!)
Each of these categories are likely to occur at multiple points throughout the game. Each time they happen, see if you can approach your photography a bit differently. Look at different angles or emotions you could capture. It’s also worth keeping an eye open for interaction between the players or other notable events. Understanding each of the stages of the game will help you be poised for the shots at the right time.
Check out some examples of my own sports’ photography below, or head over to my photography page to discover more.
