Last year, we were gearing up for a super summer of sport, with the delayed Euro 2020 football championships, Wimbledon tennis and the Tokyo Olympics all crammed into the space of a glorious couple of months. With large sporting events having been delayed by the global pandemic, spectators were back in the stadiums and sport was once again on everyone’s minds.
After a fallow year of photographing events almost completely devoid of supporters, I couldn’t wait to capture the great sporting moments and the thrilling atmosphere of the crowds that follow them once again.
This year promises to be just as spectacular, with events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby League World Cup and the Tour de France on the horizon. There is always plenty to look forward to for any pro sports photographer.
The path to becoming a sports photographer isn’t easy. On a professional level, it demands fast telephoto lenses and top-end cameras, neither of which come cheap. And getting accreditation to shoot at professional games is a chicken-and-egg situation where you need a proven track record to get access to shoot and, realistically, you need to be working for a sports photo agency or a newspaper to get the gig in the first place.
But it’s not impossible and starting offsmall, perhaps by covering your local amateur team or smaller sporting events, can lead to bigger and better things. Hopefully, this advice will stand you in good stead, no matter what level or discipline of sport you want to shoot.
This story is from the Issue 251 edition of Digital Photographer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 251 edition of Digital Photographer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 Art
This is anot-so-standard zoom lens, as Matthew Richards discovers on a test drive
AstrHori 120mm f/2.8 Macro 2x
Matthew Richards finds out if double the magnification means couble the value
DxO PhotoLab 8 Elite
DXO's flagship editor gets an upgrade but, asks Rod Lawton, are the results worth it?
Panasonic Lumix GH7
Gareth Bevan thinks a new sensor and AF make this the hybrid camera to beat
STORM CHASE
Paige Vincent on the adrenaline rush, the risks and her passion for shooting in the face of storms
PROTECT YOUR IMAGES FROM AI
Pandora's box is open and, for better or worse, Alis here to stay. Here’s how you can protect your images from being used to train Al models without your permission
CREATE AI COMPOSITES
Serge Ramelli explains how to make AI work for you, by creating otherwise impossible portrait backgrounds
Paul Wilkinson's top 25... PORTRAIT TIPS & TRICKS
Even with so much information out there, taking perfect portraits can be hard work. Pro photographer Paul Wilkinson guides us through this huge genre with his pearls of wisdom
MASTER MINIMALISM
Less is more in the world of minimalism. Rebecca Greig explores what makes minimalist captures work
LITTLE WONDERS
Kim Bunermann meets Louise B to discuss the joys and challenges of working with newborns and freshly baked parents