Being a spectator at a sporting event can be very fun, especially if it’s a sport you share some interest or experience in. What can make even 10 times better is capturing the action and intensity in your shot painting a great picture for your viewers as to what is happening? The best thing about sports photography is the fact that it’s a series of constant movement, therefore, you’re always capturing a frame and 8 times out of 10 you’re lucky enough to capture that money shot.
With Sports Photography you don’t necessarily need the newest high tech telephoto lens to get quality images, it mostly requires knowledge of the game and having an idea of good timing. You don’t want to be snapping each second of the entire game and more than half of your shots weren’t anything of importance in the game. In this article, I will be giving you just a brief outline of what should be in your camera bag or on your person heading to your next sporting event and to a further extent just a few pointers to keep you on your toes.
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Always be prepared for any obstacle mother nature may throw at you. So to protect your gear from any form of rain, snow or dust damage depending on the location of the event, try to have a rain cover packed some neatly in your bag. If you, unfortunately, don’t have one, don’t be scared to grab a plastic bag or anything flexible and light enough to cut and make a rain cover for your camera. However, if you wish to purchase one they’re just a few dollars on Amazon and come in handy.
I remember when I did my first sports event (It was a basketball match) and I looked as if I had just packed a whole home studio to set up on the court. It was so embarrassing to see the other photographers looking at me weird but it was funny nonetheless. I learned a lesson that day it was to pack smart and not carrying around too much weight.
A low profile Tripod helps you to get up and move around to different positions easily along with helping you to get stable clean shots from a lower perspective. Shooting from a lower perspective often helps to make the player seem more like a superhero or make them heroic rather.
When doing a sporting event or an event of any nature, it can be more than a bit difficult to see the previews of the images you’ve just taken when the sun is so harsh. There have been many situations where I take a shot and look at the preview on my LCD screen and everything looks blown out, I over or underestimate the adjustments I have to make to my shutter or aperture levels then end up with a worse image. Long and short of it all is that shooting in the harsh sun when trying to preview your images can be a huge annoyance and will have a great impact on your shots.
In an effort to fix this I did some research and went ahead to get an LCD, Hood Sun Shield. This camera accessory will work wonders for you when on a shoot in harsh sun and no shade to look at your shots. Of course, depending on your camera and LCD screen size the price and availability may vary on Amazon. I do advise however that you research the size of your LCD screen and head over to Amazon to check the prices. They are certainly not too expensive as I paid just about $10 on Amazon for my Canon T5 so be sure to put that on your list of things to throw in your camera bag or backpack.
Be sure to walk with Battery Grip or extra batteries before heading out. Sporting events can sometimes be unpredictable and with things such as overtime or some other reason. So try not to convince yourself that one fully charged battery can last you for the whole event, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The Battery Grip just might add a little or a lot of weight to your camera depending on the model camera being used as some are heavier than others.
However, it’s completely optional to either travel with your battery grip which should hold up to two batteries at once and double if not triple your battery life. They cost roughly about $30 USD on Amazon (depending on the camera model) it might be less or more. If you, however, don’t wish to spend the $30 dollars you can of course just use extra batteries and change them throughout your event. My problem with that and why I wouldn’t recommend it is anything can happen while you’re changing out that battery. You can’t take your eye off the action for too long and miss what might just have been the best part of the game.
Save the best for last, because it’s the most important tool that should be in your bag amongst others. Having the right lens can make or break you entire shots for the event. Your casual 18-55mm lens won’t always get the job done. When shooting sports events always walk with a telephoto lens or telephoto lenses.
Not saying you have to run and buy a lens because if you have your standard 300mm lens then you should be able to get some reasonable shots, however, if you got it then flaunt it. You have lens depots that would more than willing to rent you a lens for a fraction of the cost it would take to buy one so I would encourage you to look into the 70-200 f/2.8 lens or a 100-400mm zoom lens. Both those lenses will most definitely produce some pretty amazing shots.
I really hope these tips have been helpful in packing your bag for a next sporting event. Until Next time, Thank you for stopping by!
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