Photography is a never ending journey.
There are no one way roads and many exits to explore on your travels. There have been many changes since the first known photo and there will be many more. Be that change.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS SUPPOSED TO EVOKE EMOTION, GOOD OR BAD
PENNHURST by flashlight.
I have read or heard about evoking emotion with photography. I have seen parents get teary eyed when they saw a large print of their kid captured on the sports battle field. Recently I have been moving to the darker side of photography. Another exit taken. Mostly for the low light challenge and trying to make art out of it. After I shoot I like to create a slide show and add music to highlight the core of the place. I was showing the Pennhurst one to family. My little niece said it was creepy and no one should see this. She said I had to delete it right a way. I should expect that especially from a first grader. I did some prints of the places I have been and hung them on my brothers wall. What a mixed reaction from take them down to they were great. Did I mention he is a Psycologist? I plan on doing a lot more on the abandoned subject later. Stay tuned or take a look by clicking on the photo.
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY ON THE SIDELINES
I guess you may have thought this may be about standing on the sideline shooting the action. Sure you have to be somewhere on the sideline. This photo is about the lady taking pictures of her son running the ball down the sidelines. I was on the opposite side of the field watching the play take form. I had just talked with his mom, camera stuff. I really get excited about adding an element like the parent looking on. Getting the camera shot takes it to the next level. Of course you have to know who the parent is. I previously mentioned about looking for things other than the action shots. Below is a shot of a rainy cold night. The QB is looking to the sideline waiting for the play call. Without the rain and chilled air the whole photo would not have the impact. Some people would have stayed home. Just about every Friday it rained that year and I didn't miss a one of them. They make fitted lens rain coats that work. The biggest problem if the wind is blowing towards the lens you have to keep wiping off the glass or not. Between plays I will often use a custom lens cover for the big lens or stuff a microfiber cloth inside the lens hood to keep the mist to a shoot level.
Look across the field between plays, take advantage of foul weather and change sidelines for a different view of the action.
KEEP SHOOTING BEFORE AND AFTER THE PLAY
Moments right after what you think action over can be the best photos all night. Showing the Ref you caught the ball or just showing off to the crowd , PRICELESS. What I like about this photo goes past the player with the ball. The defensive player was closely watching too as well as all the players on the sideline. When I get around to talking about dept of field and background blur this is a good example of drawing the eye to the main subject but having enough focus to see all the players interest on the sideline.
Same kid before the game coming into the stadium. It was easy picking him out since I know the family. It shows the deep thought before the battle with the focus clearly on him as everything fades out. You won't always get the player holding up the ball at the end of the play but you can get the before shots if you do a little planning to be at the right spot at the right time. There is a lot of emotion going on even if you don't see it and be ready when you do. Below is an in between. The action isn't quite over but the player with his hand up knows the fumble recovery puts the game on ice for his team and starts to celebrate early. Dad wanted the photo for the recovery and the hand sign. So include the before and after images into your portfolio and you might start to see a new path on your road to better photography.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD SPORTS PHOTOGRAPH
THE WIND UP
All photographs are subjective. I joke with people about my 3 photographs theory. When you pick a favorite photo of a player there will be what I think is a great photo, mom will always pick something else and the player another. Photography is very personal and what you see as a great moment of peak action, sharp as a tack, tells the story of the moment and should be on the cover of a sports magazine. The mom sees it totally different. A touching moment of their child along the sideline maybe in deep thought will get the nod most of the time. Unless the mom is a jock herself. The player can not be predicted. They see the moment as what was happening or what they may have been thinking at that precise time or maybe the opinion of their peers. I have since changed the way I shoot at games. I look at the sidelines more often, keep shooting after the play is over looking for the moment of victory or agony of loss. The one thing I will never figure out is when you see some of these shots and no one wants to print one. Then there is the parent who wants everything no matter what printed for a scrap book or cover the walls in their house. Look at the newspaper for examples. They do not always print action but what they print will tell a story about the game or the person.
I want to go on record. I didn't start out to do this with the thought that someone would even care about the photos. I did it for my family to have something of my nephew. I accomplished my first objective. I like to do photography and it was a challenge to get that next great shot. I have a few printed for myself, random kids I don't even know that I consider WOW shots. Photography is personal in doing it or viewing it. Have some fun and don't dwell on what others think.
BROTHERS AFTER A SCORE
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY CAN BE DISTRACTING
ALL EYES ON THE PRIZE
I have been babbling along about better photography and how I got started. It's been a long road and the learning curve steep. There are always something going wrong that can make you miss the shot of the day. One of the things that comes up a lot for me is the distraction of the game. They are many. If I had a dime for every time another person carrying a camera comes over and starts a conversation about my camera, what tips for better pictures or some other thought they have to let me know about. Usually they are trying to shoot the game so they come over during breaks of the game. I try to help them. Most move away when the game continues, however sometimes I have to let them know I am trying to shoot the game and I can't talk and shoot at the same time. When someone I know, a parent stops by and tries to hold a conversation I may get sidetracked. I have missed some great opportunities talking with a dad missing his kid's play. I get the I guessed you missed that one. The biggest distraction is watching the game and watching the game. Keeping the camera on a lineman waiting for that perfect block and hearing the crowd roar takes discinpline to stay the course. Paying attention to the game as a spectator is not what you want to do. If you know a player it is much easier especially when you are looking for a particular photo or any photo of that player. If you are shooting for a soccer goalie you can spend more time watching the game waiting for action to get to their goal. Tennis you have to stay on the player to get the ball against the racket shot.