Shooting Field Sports

With the new school year approaching quickly, thousands of families in the area will have a child engaging in school or Little League sports. In the past few years I covered many school sporting events in every season. Fall sports are my favorite since they are mostly fast-paced field sports, and those are the most challenging to shoot and get good results.

When I am shooting such events I often see parents or students who are shooting the same event. I have had the opportunity to talk to some and always as presented with a host of how-to questions. That is what leads me to the topic of the blog entry.

Field sports like football, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and rugby are challenging because the action is fast, the direction of the action is rarely predictable, and the view of the peak action is often fully or partially blocked by players and referees. Those things can’t be controlled so you have to live with them and accept the fact that some shots will be ruined by someone getting in the way. To become better at sports photography you have to focus on what you can control. That is what I am going to write about.  

Camera choice is a factor. Cell phone and point-and-shoot cameras are not a suitable. An interchangeable lens camera is the best choice because they have brief autofocus and lag time, that is, the time that elapses from the activation of the shutter release to the actual instant when the image is recorded in camera. The best choice, in order, is a single lens reflex and then a live view (mirror-less) camera. Both accept interchangeable lenses but the single lens reflex usually is faster.

Lens choice has variable. Most people have one camera and can only choose to use one lens (at a time). Pros often use two cameras: one for close in action and the other for action farther away.  If you have to go with one lens for a field sport the best lens is a medium to telephoto zoom lens like 70mm to 200 or 300mm. It will not allow you to take action that takes place near you, but the percentages are in you favor as most action does not occur near the sidelines.

ISO choice is dependent upon the light levels. I recommend an auto ISO setting because the camera will adjust the ISO depending on the exposure factors (light level, shutter speed and aperture) being used. However, there are times you might want to override the auto setting. More about that below. 

Shutter speed and aperture settings should not be left to chance. Many amateurs rely on Program mode when shooting sports. That mode has the camera balance the exposure factors based upon preprogrammed information. Some cameras have special program modes for sports. I would not use them. The programmer was not at the game you are photographing, which has a set of specific circumstances and will not always conform to the averages programmed into the camera.

I suggest using Shutter priority mode. The shutter speed determines whether action will be stopped. In Shutter Priority mode the camera will adjust the aperture and ISO according to the light level and shutter speed selected.  I shoot field sports with a minimum shutter speed of 1/1000th second unless light levels fall so low that I am forced to use a slower speed. Night games are one of those times.

Getting the good shots is dependent upon skill and skill is learned and earned. You learn it by looking at your results and deciding what could have made the shot better. You earn it not only through reviewing results but also by practice. Shoot more, analyze more and you will get better at it. There is no film cost. Extra shooting costs nothing!

I shot my first sports photo while in the photography club in high school. I wish I it to show you. It proves that one can better at shooting sports. How do I do today? The gallery answers that question.