Shutter to Think: Here’s how to get the most out of your sports shots

With the end of the official high school sports season and in conjunction with SVM’s sports photo contest, I thought I’d write a column of tips on sports photography. You’re probably thinking to yourself: “Now, Mr. Photographer, wouldn’t these tips have been more beneficial, say, during the year and when active sports were taking place?”

The answer to that is “yes.”

So anyway, there are still tons of opportunities for sports photography fun this summer. Whether T-ball or Little League – or backyard bags tournaments, I guess – these tips ring true across the board.

I’ll start with the tip that I think can make a good moment into a great moment: Continue to follow the action even after the play is over (or if you think the play is over). This is where you might get the unexpected drop of the ball, or collision of players, something that amps up the excitement. It also puts you in position to grab that genuine celebration shot or reaction that oozes emotion. It’s a bit funny that in the playoffs when the competition is at its best and the plays are exceptional, more times than not the pictures that run in print are the very last images of the day, the joy or defeat.

Tip number two: Put yourself in position to see faces. This can be tricky in many sports but say you want to take a picture of your little first baseman taking a throw from short, it’s better to shoot from third base to see their smiling mug. In baseball and softball, I typically stay on the third base side if I can. A lot of the action goes toward first base, plus there’s lots of activity at second base and you can get a good clear line to the catcher if there’s a play at the plate (which might be the most exciting thing in sports in my opinion.) Sports photos where both (or more) subjects’ faces are seen will always look better, especially in the heat of competition.

One more: Look for little details that might be largely ignored over the course of a game. A puff of dust from the catcher’s mitt, a shadow spread across the field that creates an interesting pattern with a player, mud and dirt on pants, hands and jerseys. These all make up the tapestry of competition.

With many/most pictures being taken by cell phone there’s really no need to get into camera settings and technicalities, so the last and best tip is to just have fun and cheer your head off for your favorite player.

• Alex T. Paschal is a photographer with Shaw Local News Network. Follow him @svmphotogs or email him at apaschal@shawmedia.com.