Shooting any sport well is tough…shooting high school football under lights that seem to be powered by a bunch of D-cells taped together is tougher.
Many photographers start-out doing free-lance work for local papers, and that often involves local sports. So here are a few hints for when you find yourself on the sidelines some Friday night… some pitch-black, cold, rainy, Friday night.
First and most obvious…raise that ISO…3200 works for me…go higher if you need to.
Use a mono-pod if you like, you have to shoot at least 1/250 second but the less shake the better. Hopefully you have a fast lens.
Fill the frame. On a perfect October afternoon under a clean blue sky you can shoot something that fills a quarter of the frame, and if it’s sharp chances are you’ll be able to crop it tight and be OK. Won’t happen at night. Save yourself some shutter-wear and wait until the action is close.
Focus on something with a lot of contrast. A facemask, or a white number on a dark jersey. Autofocus relies on contrast, so try not to focus on a dark blue area of a jersey, your camera will be searching for something to lock onto.
Avoid the dead spots. There will be some parts of the field that are just dark. Generally, the closer the action is to the sideline, the better lit it will be. The difference between the light midfield and the light at the edges is striking.
Photograph players on the sideline. They’re not moving, the light is better, and you’re close. It’s a gimme and you need to come back with something usable. This is your insurance shot. You can tell the story of a game with a good sideline reaction shot as well as you can with an action shot. A player alone on the bench with their helmet in their hands as time runs-out shows they lost a close one. Get the scoreboard in the background and you’re a genius. A happy-face is self-explanatory.
When shooting action, stick to the ground game. Remember first and second downs are more likely to be a run so plan for it. Be ready when a play comes towards you because that’s your best chance. A pass is more exciting, but a dark ball in a black sky disappears.
Be patient. The plays, the emotion, and the photos will be there. Capturing them is the tough part.
