Expert Guide to Football Photography

Where you can go and cannot go as well as working with other photographers who are there to photograph the game as well. The most important camera setting for capturing the action at a football game is your shutter speed. You’ll need your camera to act fast if you want to freeze-frame a group of football players flying past you. Use a setting of at least 1/1,250 of a second, or even up to 1/2,500 if you can.

Rain and Snow Gear for Your Camera

You saw what happened to Gwyneth Paltrow’s character in “Shallow Hal.” The chair couldn’t handle a lot of weight and snapped. If you’re doing video work then a tripod is fine. They take up way too much space and on the sidelines and endzone space is a luxury we do not have. They are very professional, they listened to our needs, gave us great advice.

Discussion: What is Your New Year’s Resolution for Photography?

But it never happens – they often miss the true moment of the game. Yet while football photography can be challenging, it’s also incredibly rewarding. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of freezing a moment of sheer athleticism, emotion, or triumph. Believe me, when you get that perfect shot, all the effort will seem worth it. So don’t be discouraged by initial setbacks or learning curves; they’re all part of the process.

Tips for Stunning Football Photography

Mark Leech has been a football photographer for more than 40 years. His work has appeared in newspapers and magazines Photo Guide around the world, and he has covered seven World Cups. He was named Barclays Photographer of the 20 Seasons in 2012.

Tackles and headers won’t result in the prettiest of reactions – but that’s football! Don’t crop in too tight when players are running towards the camera too, leave a little space for them to move left or right so they don’t look cropped off in the photo. Some local teams don’t have any shooting match photos (expect on the odd iPhone) so it could be a benefit to them to have some shots of the game so they can post on their social media. Keep an eye out for the team manager/coaches and offer to send them shots afterwards if you’re happy with them.

By his own admission, Bolshaw Snr “doesn’t understand most of it” because cricket and rugby were his thing rather than football. His son, in contrast, gives the impression that he could present on the topic as part of the UEFA Pro Licence coaching course. The England and Arsenal midfielder was speaking to The Athletic in April, when we analysed every aspect of his game with him.

At high school games, for instance, there could be college scouts in the stands, and if you blind the receiver with your flash, they might not get a scholarship or even get recruited at all. But if you want truly excellent photos, you need to position yourself carefully – and if possible, you should move with the action (see the next tip!). After all, every game has an ebb and flow of its own. If you know how the game goes, then you’ll be ready when the game hits its highs (and you’ll know when you can relax and take your finger off the shutter).