Nail those action shots

The crucial aspect of sports photography is timing and being able to keep your head in a high-voltage environment.

Photographing live sporting events is nothing but a marathon adrenaline rush. From the start to the end, you have to be on your toes. Whether it is the sheer joy of the game, the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, for photographers, timing is the name of the game.

Personally, I love covering cricket matches, especially IPL. Amid the roaring sound of a packed stadium, a few metres away from the best players, my seat on the ground is an intriguing spot to work from. I’m mostly equipped with a 300mm big lens mounted on a monopod, with a couple of secondary lenses handy, a laptop connected to the internet and photo-editing software ready to embed detailed captions. My workflow is not simple here. I have to concentrate on the ball, actions such as celebration, dive catches, flying bails and wickets, that crazy fan jumping and running on the ground towards his favourite player while the security staff chase him! All this while I transfer pictures to the laptop, do a bit of basic editing, caption the pics and upload to the server without any delays. Do I get a break in-between? No! Not until the end of the match when the stadium lights are turned off one by one like in a thriller film.

So here are some tips to photograph sports.

Prep work: Make sure all the batteries are charged and lenses are cleaned. Empty memory cards including a couple of spare ones and keep an external hard disk handy. If you are using a laptop, double check there is enough space and the editing software is working fine. Apart from that, stay hydrated and carry energy bars. Your clothing should be appropriate to the weather.

Camera gear: Equipment is very important which helps one focus on fast-moving subjects. A minimum 200 mm lens with a fast frame rate, and a camera body with the ability to take multiple images, usually referred to as “frames per second” are important. For eg.,10 frames per second. Depending on the sport, if you choose a long lens like a 300mm or 400mm, make sure to carry a monopod.

Settings: Whether you are shooting in manual or other modes, avoid auto mode. The settings should be such that the frame per second is fastest as athletes move very fast and there is no room for retakes. I prefer aperture, shutter priority or manual mode in high continuous shutter speed. This gives me good control while taking multiple shots. Watch your ISO according to the available light.

Position: The place you pick to shoot is important. In most international games, the photographer’s position is usually fixed. If so, go to the venue early. Professional photographers arrive hours before the game starts and pick the best possible position with a clear view. If there is room for moving around the venue, then make the best use of it.

What you should look for: Typically, the player’s face and their actions is what you are looking for to capture with minimum obstruction. Players often express high emotions during the competitions. Whether it is jumping and celebrating or breaking down on the field, be ready to click at just the right moment to get the perfect shot. Always have your finger on the shutter button ready to fire away. Have a narrow depth-of-field isolating the players from the busy background.

Selection: After shooting multiple pictures at the end of the game, you are often left with hundreds of images. Go through each of the pictures and select carefully. You might have a lot of pictures obstructing the player in focus and it’s okay. Professional photographers usually shoot close to 1,000 pictures during international games and hardly select 20. Pro tip: Note down the filenames of the pictures you like in a notepad. This helps a lot during the selection process.

Rookie mistakes: Not charging batteries, not having enough storage in memory cards, not knowing how to use the correct settings, not preparing for the weather, like taking along a raincoat or a cap, are a few. Review and select pictures after the game, but shoot as many pictures as possible. Arrive early to the venue to get easy access and keep some time aside for a quick recce. Remember to never come in the way of the players or support staff.

Shooting live sporting events is challenging and terribly exciting. The challenge lies in being able to capture a sportsperson’s emotions in such a fast-paced high-voltage environment. With these tips, you can certainly make a beginning.

Lenscraft is a monthly column on all things photography — tips, tricks and everything in between. The writer is a photojournalist who tells stories with his pictures. Find his pictures on Twitter and Instagram @pushkarv