Are you a budding photographer, looking for a new interesting subject for capturing in your images? Well, here is one suggestion: why don’t you try sports photography? It is probably one of the most creative endeavours that you can undertake, given the spontaneity of sports in general! However, it is also fun, and exciting, and the best part about it is, the unpredictability of sports can make for unprecedented experiences! Well, here are some tips if you are interested.
A very important thing that you should do is get some experience in the sport, that you wish to photograph. Even if you don’t train professionally, do try and acquire some experience in the sport, play it with your friends and get a sense of the basics. That way you would know the intricacies of the sports, what are the positions and special strategies of the game, that world champions effectively do, that make people gasp in awe! Knowing this would allow you to know when exactly to photograph them, and what moments to capture!
Indoor photography and outdoor photography have different strategies and approaches. Therefore, determine the nature of the sport that you hope to photograph: is it indoor or outdoor? Accordingly, plan your shots and set your camera, with the necessary settings. Doing this will give you a good notion of what kind of shots can be taken.
Another thing that you must do, is practice taking shots. Remember, practice makes perfect! Go to a sports club, take permission from players and try out various shots, in different settings, of different positions, and just get a sense of how to do it. This way, you will be able to determine how exactly it needs to be done! The point is to learn on the job. You will be surprised at how many strategies you can devise, regarding this!
Remember, that while you want to photograph the subjects, you don’t want to get in the way, interrupt their game or photograph them without taking their consent first. Perhaps, it is even best to get a consent form for this, so that it remains official. Remember, if you want to upload it in a public domain, do take their permissions for that too. Make it a point to be mindful, respectful and unobtrusive, when photographing! If someone doesn’t want to be photographed, don’t ask again, and don’t push it! A good way to avoid any etiquette breach is probably to ask your friends if you can photograph them while they are playing some sports. That way, in an informal setting, these things can be simpler to do.
Sad is a picture, that only focuses on the action. The point is to also focus on the player, their emotions, their reactions and their mentality on the playing field. Try and make this a criterion in your photos. Remember, that your photo should tell a story. Therefore, try and show how they focus, their determination, and their grit, sometimes even their frustrations and then the happy faces of victory! These things can make your photography more meaningful!
One more useful tip that you should consider before beginning is to go on the internet and do a wide search for interesting shots of sports photography. This will help you to gain ideas about what kind of shot you want, and the creative angles you can take it from!
