There is nothing like seeing the action up front in sports events, no matter the setting, but it can be hard for people to get to games and see them live.

This has ensured the continued growth of opportunities, particularly freelancing, in sports photography.

Images captured at the right time can become iconic and used to remember key events in sports for generations. Who can forget the “Hand of God” photograph taken as Diego Maradona scored against England in the 1986 World Cup, nearly 40 years on it is still recognizable.

While we check out the NFL week 1 odds, sports photographers will be organizing their plans to ensure they can capture the best photographs of the action which will be used in media around the world.

The NFL is a globally followed game, and for sports photographers, their images can be used by a multitude of media outlets looking to use their photographs to help tell the story of the game.

Key Skills of a Sports Photographer

Storytelling

A Sports Photographer needs to find the right images which tell the tale of the game. A clear understanding of the sport is vital as well as the ability to get an image of the key moments in a game which will help those who weren’t there understand what happened.

Lighting and picture and quality

It is vital that the pictures come out perfect. The lighting must be right, and the image quality needs to be clear and striking for it to stand out and tell the story of the game. Quality equipment is required and a strong understanding of the best ways to use it in different settings and locations.

Composition and Creativity

When the pictures have all been taken and combed through to find the best ones, it is important to know how to compose them to tell the story of the game. It is important to be unique and creative in how you do this to ensure you stay ahead of the competition and build your reputation with clients.

Problem Solving and Attention to Detail

Not everything goes smoothly all the time. Like in all careers, there are times when we have to adapt to ensure we are able to do our job correctly. Making sure you are flexible but still providing the highest quality is imperative in sports photography.

What type of camera is needed?

The best camera for sports photography isn’t as simple as just finding out which one has the most megapixels. You need to learn more about the cameras to ensure they will be able to do what you need in the sports you photograph.

You need to find out more on their speed, focus, frame rates and ensure they have fast and accurate autofocus.

Nikon Z9

For professional sports photographers the Nikon Z9 is a great all-round performer, especially if you are looking to photograph different sporting events with different requirements.

It offers 47.5 megapixels, 20 frames per second Raw and 30 frames per second high-resolution JPEG. You can even get 120 frames per second is you require low-resolution JPEG files.

The photographs and video which can be captured use a high-quality autofocus which will ensure the quality of your work and has a long-lasting battery which will ensure you can keep on going throughout the event.

Cannon EOS R3

This camera offers elite performance for sports photographers being one of the most advanced on the market.

Its 24.1 megapixels and 30 frames per second shooting speed are an excellent draw while it also offers high quality autofocus and a fully articulated screen.

Its in-body image stabilization system ensures the high-quality images along with its industry leading autofocus technology.

While it has less megapixels than the Nikon Z9, the workflow speed is of the highest level which can often be seen as more vital to those in the industry.

Photography Techniques

Separate your subject from the background

Don’t let your subject merge into the background, make them pop to ensure people can see what it is you are trying to show them. The key is to shoot in aperture priority mode, and the wider the aperture, the more distinct you subject will be.

Use the continuous shooting mode

The continuous shooting of images helps you get a sequence of photos in one hit so you can select the best shots.

Try Panning

Use panning if you want to capture a subject’s movement. The streaked background blurring can emphasize speed and movement while eliminating the distraction of the background from the subject.

Start during the warm ups

Make sure you’re there early and getting shots from the start. This can help with your adapting to the setting as well as working on your color balance and exposure as well as finding the best place for taking your shots.