Chapter 1: Introduction

If photography is a drug, then sports photography is the crack cocaine of photography.   The goal of this book  is to get you addicted, to feed that addiction, help to maximize those highs, and minimize the withdrawals by sharing real world experiences.  

Chapter 2:  Light Management

Light Management is the manipulation of shutter speed, aperture and light sensitivity to produce a properly exposed image.  How those elements come together is put to the test given the constraints of sport photography: high speed action in environments with less-than-ideal lighting. 

Chapter 3:  Capabilities of the Camera

Today’s digital cameras are computers with lenses.  And like computers, there is a powerful operating system, called firmware, that controls all functions. The firmware has evolved to such a degree that incredible images can be taken without fully leveraging the camera’s true capabilities.  Just image the possibilities if you knew more about your camera. 

Chapter 4:  The Limits of Lenses

The sophistication of the auto focus system is probably the least understood aspect of digital photography. Fewer photographers understand that not all sensor focus points are created equal, and for a given camera that changes from lens to lens.  For the sports photographer this understanding is the difference between capturing a tack-sharp image of a player making the play, or a tack-sharp image of a player watching a play be made. That mystery is revealed here.  

Chapter 5:  Your Go-To Lenses

Conventional photography wisdom says invest in lenses.  But what lenses are best suited for sports photography?  The possibilities seen endless.  Canon, for example, the leading provider of digital camera equipment, offers greater than 80 lenses.  They all seem wonderful, but also very pricy.  

Thankfully, you’ll find that your life will be complete with two or three lenses, if you select wisely.   This chapter call-outs the lenses best suited for sports and ways to save money. 

Chapter 6:  Anticipating the Action

“That’s it! That’s it!” said Casey Holder, the Education Director at Precision Camera and Video.  Precision Camera boasts to be the largest camera store in the state of Texas, and everything is bigger in Texas. I was at Precision, pitching a class on sports photography to Casey. 

What resonated with Casey was the recommendations on shooting locations for different sports.  He shared his experience in the newsroom when photographers were asked to cover games, but no one knew where to stand.  That class, and this article, answers those questions and more.  

Chapter 7:  Lessons from the Field

As in all professions the lessons learned through experience are invaluable.  In this article we’ll share some of these experiences to help make your life as a sport photographer a little easier.  These lessons build upon tips presented throughout this series. 

Chapter 8:  After the Whistle

  A good sports photographer translates speed into an image.  And a good sports photographer must also produce that image with speed.  As hard as you’ve worked to take the picture, your job is complete only once that image is produced.  Here, we’ll offer some ideas on how to approach that in a smart way.  

Chapter 9:  Getting Started Venues

Sports photography is an addiction.  The more you shoot, the more you want to shoot, the more you need to shoot. But how do you feed this addiction? How do you keep raising the bar on types and levels of sports that you photograph?  This article offers suggestions that can probably be found in your own backyard. 

Chapter 10:  Building Credibility and Promoting Yourself

“Build it and he will come.” That approach worked for Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, in the film Field of Dreams.  But it won’t work for sport photographers. You must actively promote yourself to become a successful sport photographer.