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As a stock photographer, I’m always looking for opportunities to break out of the stock photography routine. Editorial images and sports photography aren’t the usual subjects for stock photography, but I like their brutal honesty. You can’t stage a moment, and there’s no post-processing trick to replace that perfect shot. It’s all about capturing reality as it is.
Capturing fleeting moments in sports is both an art and a science that takes some practice and experience, but if you’re interested in sports photography and have the right approach, you can turn your passion into profit. can.
Based on the experience of the Dreamstime stock photography community, here are what I recommend as key ingredients for successful sports photography.
Access events
The first step in sports photography is accessing the event you want to photograph. This can be difficult for major competitions, as access is usually restricted to accredited press photographers or established freelancers. Wearing a coveted photo vest that grants field-level access at a major league event isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible to accomplish. It takes time, exposure, and awareness, so starting small may be a good idea.
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t attend a top-class event right away. Many of the secondary leagues and less popular sporting events are more accessible and often welcome photographers with open arms. The aim is to capture the competitiveness and intensity of sports games. The biggest benefit is that you can practice improving your skills while building and diversifying your portfolio without the limitations of a major sporting event. Covering these smaller events can often lead to great stories and unexpected opportunities.
Stock photo platforms aren’t primarily focused on editorial content. Still, there is a fair amount of content in the library, and this type of content is often in high demand. This means that stock photo sites will take photos of your sports, whether it’s regular, little league, or big league. Some platforms, such as Dreamstime, may help you gain access to press by providing a letter of accreditation, so it’s worth asking if such an option is available.
Another way to participate in sporting events is to work one-on-one with athletes. Networking is very important and athletes are interested in building their brand and online presence, so partnering with athletes is a win-win for growth and visibility.
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Invest in the right equipment
Sports photography is demanding and competitive, so having the right equipment is essential to capturing the perfect moment. Make sure you have lots of action and moving shots. But the good news is that these are very popular in stock photo venues. Also, if you’re shooting at a small sporting event where you can get a signed model release to sell your content commercially, you’re hitting the jackpot.
You need a fast and preferably robust camera with good focusing capabilities and low noise in low light. It should be paired with the perfect lens with a wide aperture of any focal length. You don’t necessarily need the latest model. If you don’t have the right equipment but still want to shoot sports, you can scour the second-hand market to find the right tools. Professional photographers often update their equipment to stay competitive, so many older models sell for high prices on eBay. If you don’t have a $5,000 Canon R3 or 1Dx Mark III, don’t worry. The 1Dx and 1D Mark IV are also available at favorable prices under $1000. Even if you don’t have Canon’s $10,000 100-300mm f2.8, you can buy a perfectly good 300mm f2.8 for about $1500.
However, depending on what kind of sports you’re shooting, you’ll need a good, solid, and fast camera body, and an equally good lens. A 300mm or 400mm lens is best for field sports photography. Many photographers prefer to use a 400mm lens, but the lens is much more expensive and an additional 100mm lens is not always necessary. However, the focal length and maximum aperture of the lens are important to separate the subject from the background, so you should choose a long lens with a wide aperture. f2.8 is optimal. For a second camera, a 2.8 70-200mm is enough to freeze the action as the camera approaches. 70-200mm f2.8 is a must for indoor sports. For a second camera, an 85mm f1.4 is best (50mm f1.4 if you’re on a budget). The lighting in sports arenas is less bright to the camera than it is to the naked eye.
Try shooting sports with two cameras, each with a different lens. The action happens so fast that players don’t have time to change lenses if they get too close. It is much easier and faster to put one camera on the ground with a long lens and pick up another camera with a short lens. that. The “keep it on the ground” part is why I advocate solid equipment. In some cases, you may need to do this relatively quickly.
Also essential are a foldable camping stool for sitting and photographing players from a lower level (sitting directly on the ground for two hours while shooting is tough) and a monopod for long lenses. Quite heavy. The weight of the 400mm f2.8 is 3kg, and the weight of the 300mm f2.8 is approximately 2.5kg. It may seem doable when you think about it, but holding it in your hands for two hours straight is no easy task.
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Master photography skills and equipment
Success in sports photography largely depends on mastering camera settings and being versatile when working in manual mode. Capturing fast-moving action requires quick reflexes and a deep understanding of your gear.
You need to adapt to changing lighting conditions and use the correct settings for each situation. Typically, a shutter speed of 1/1000 or higher is required to freeze motion. However, you may want to have a nice separation from the background, so if you use f2.8, you may need to use a shutter speed of 1/2000 depending on the available light. This is fine for field sports, but indoors you may need to set the aperture to f2.0 or lower and ISO to 2000 or higher to keep the shutter speed as fast as possible.
Learn how to use AI Servo Focusing mode to take sharp photos when your subject is constantly in motion. Also, get in the habit of checking the settings as much as possible. You need to follow the action and be ready to shoot at any time, so if not always, but whenever the action is low, take a look at those settings to see if everything is OK.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, try out creative techniques like zooming and panning. Zoom uses a slow shutter speed (1/15 to 1/40) while zooming in or out during the exposure, creating a dynamic burst effect. Conversely, panning shots require you to follow your subject at a slow shutter speed (1/80 to 1/100), resulting in a sharp subject against a motion-blurred background. Both techniques require practice, but can create stunningly unique images of great, emotional sports moments.
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Find the right sales venue
Given their editorial nature, stock photo agencies may not be your first choice of place to sell your work. Big-name media usually pays high prices for record-breaking shots. However, keep in mind that if you don’t only partner with media outlets, selling stock photos can be a stable source of income indefinitely. You can sell the same shot over and over again. Stock photo platforms allow you to non-exclusively upload images and sell them indefinitely and without restrictions to a variety of clients, from media to corporations, under various licensing agreements. Images can provide a constant source of income over a lifetime, sometimes generating thousands of dollars from sales on stock sites.
News organizations, blogs, and magazines use editorial photography to illustrate their articles, reports, and stories, often sourcing images from stock photo platforms. Stock photo agencies increase your exposure and visibility by marketing and selling your work to a diverse range of customers around the world, with no additional effort beyond uploading your files. Additionally, stock photo agencies typically protect your images and intellectual property rights. Despite the challenges, you’ll find this game worth playing.
