Photographing Fall Sports 🏈

Back to school season is here which means the return of fall sports! Whether you’re capturing Friday night football or a youth soccer match, we have all the gear you need to capture every moment!

Back to school shopping doesn’t end with new notebooks and new pens, especially if you’re planning on photographing sports all school year long!  Whether your child is gearing up for a new season or your planning on capturing the big games for the school newspaper or yearbook, you’ll want to ensure you have the gear you need to get the shots you want! 
When shopping for photography gear, it’s important to keep in mind what you are going to be photographing, which is why we’ve compiled a list of gear you’ll love for photographing indoor and outdoor sports this fall season. 

Must-Have Gear!

In general, mirrorless cameras are a great place to start! Look for a camera with excellent low light capabilities and great autofocus. These factors will help your camera focus fast even after the sun goes down or in the difficult lighting conditions you may come across in gyms and indoor venues. 

Check out our mirrorless recommendations! 

• Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera Body
• Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II Mirrorless Camera Body
• Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)
• Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera
• Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera
• Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless Camera
• Sony Alpha a7S III Mirrorless Digital Camera
• Sony Alpha a7 IV Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)

When photographing sports you’ll want to invest in high quality zoom and telephoto lenses. These lenses will help you zoom in on the action while making sure your photos are crisp, sharp, and high quality. Another thing to consider is the aperture of the lens. Lower apertures like f/2.8 and f/2 are great in lower lighting for night time games or dark gyms. 

• Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens
• Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM Lens
• Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens
• Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD Lens (Nikon Z)
• Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S Mirrorless Lens
• Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Lens
• Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens
• Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens
• Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports Lens for Sony E

• Benro MSDPL46C SupaDupa Carbon Fiber Monopod with Leveling Pan Head
• Promaster Professional Mpv428+ Convertible Monopod

• Peak Design Travel Tripod Carbon Fiber
• Promaster Chronicle Tripod Kit - Carbon Fiber
• Manfrotto MT190XPRO3 Aluminum Tripod
• Benro CyanBird Aluminum Tripod with FS20PRO 2-in-1 Pan Head

10 Tips for Sports Photography

1. Burst Mode: Shooting in burst mode allows your camera to capture multiple frames in quick succession, ensuring that you don’t miss the perfect shot in high energy moments.
2. Panning: Following the motion of your subject with your camera will create a sense of motion in your images and produce an artistically blurred background that conveys movement. 
3. Manual Mode: Shooting in manual mode will give you full control over your camera. In manual mode it’s up to you to select the settings you need to capture the moments you don’t want to miss. 
4. Shutter Priority Mode: When photographing fast-moving subjects or highly dynamic scenes, we recommend shooting in shutter priority mode. This mode allows you to control and prioritize shutter speed, which can help freeze motion. 
5. Aperture Priority Mode: If you’re focused more on isolating subjects, use aperture priority. This mode will give you better control over depth of field for a more atmospheric image. 
6. ISO: Keeping an eye on ISO will ensure that your images stay crisp. Higher ISOs can result in images with alot of visual noise. Adjust the ISO sensitivity to balance shutter speed and aperture in different lighting conditions.
7. Rule of Thirds: Composition is key with any photo and the rule of thirds is a great place to start! Visually divide your image into nine equal parts and place the subject along these lines or at their intersections for a more visually interesting composition.
8. Leading Lines: Utilizing leading lines in your compositions such as lines of the field, bleachers, goal posts, and more to guide the eye to your subject will make your images pop!
9. Sports Knowledge: Understanding the rules and strategies of the sport you are photographing can help you anticipate when the most photo-worthy moments may occur! Brush up on the rules of the game before you head out to do some shooting, it can make a huge difference
10. Practice: Practice isn’t just for athletes! Before heading out to capture the big game, spend some time learning how to navigate your camera’s settings, watch tutorials, or read up on the best practices for photographing sports. With a little practice you’ll be well on your way to incredible sports images.