Sports Photography: How to Become a Sports Photographer
If you are keen on sports and good at photography, chances are you’ve wondered how to become a sports photographer. You are not alone. Did you know that budding photographers rate sports photography as their number one preferred career choice?
No wonder its so attractive to many. Sports photographers land up-close and free proximity to major sporting events! And they get to take much viewed photographs in the process!
The following tips will get you started on your journey to becoming a sports photographer.
Sports Photography Camera and Equipment
It goes without saying that you will need an appropriate camera and an assortment of accessories and equipment.
Professional sports photographers transport top quality cameras and other equipment, including digital SLR cameras and top quality lenses. This alone costs thousands of dollars, and does not include the laptops and other computer equipment that they bring along. The computer equipment with Internet connectivity is critical. It lets them upload photos on the spot and transport them to the publisher or buyer.
The good news is that you do not need this equipment when you start out. As a novice, you should have a good quality, multi-function camera that allows interchangeable lenses. Many in the trade prefer the Canon brand of camera. Additionally, a collapsible tripod and a telephoto lens are necessities.
Education and Training
If you are a novice to photography, then you will need to acquire the skills. Many courses, books and study aids are available to help you learn what you need to know. You might want to check out this training package called Sports Photo Success: Start a Successful Photography Business.
This particular program is specific to sports photography. Even if a training program is not sports specific, it will still give you a good grounding in photography.
When photographing sporting events, you will be using primarily action shots. To get a good action shot without blurring, you will need a very fast shutter speed. This is likely to require a lens that allows the maximum amount of light into the camera in the minimum amount of time. Sports with incredibly fast action (such as horse racing, motor sports) require that you also have the ability to track your subjects.
You must be highly familiar with camera functions such as aperture settings and shutter speeds.
Taking the First Steps
Initially you will not be granted access to large sporting events. Also, you may lack the skills at this point to create the high quality images that newspapers and other media outlets demand.
To get your feet wet, its good advice to begin in your local community. Identify local sporting teams, contact them and volunteer to take photographs free of charge.
This benefits you in three ways: first, it lets you hone your sports photography skills. Second, it gives you an opportunity to create an all-important portfolio. Thirdly, it establishes contacts and a network that may prove invaluable.
Photo Agencies
When you are consistently turning out top quality work, it is time to begin contacting agencies.
As a rule, newspaper editors do not deal directly with photographers, although there can be some exceptions to this. Typically, however, newspapers rely on agencies to provide them with the pictures they need. Think of these agencies as middlemen or brokers who liaise between the independent contractors (i.e. photographers) and the print and digital media.
Among the better known are Associated Press and Reuters Pictures. You will find an extensive listing of Photo Agencies here: Photographic Libraries
This is just one money making suggestion. Check the article list for more ways to make money with digital photography.
Thank You!
June Campbell
P.S. New to digital photography? Find out how you can take spectacular photographs with your digital camera in thirty minutes or less. Visit StartMyDigitalPhotography.com. If you want to move your photograhyto the next level, try Digigal Photography: Beyond the Basics.
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