Great football action can be challenging to capture, but it's well worth the hard work.
Lehigh receiver Derek Knott
(21) catches a pass despite being hit by Yale's Hayden Carlson (26) during
Lehigh’s 63-35 win at the Yale Bowl.
The Photo
Football is often one of
the most difficult sports to photograph, since the action can be a pass or run,
and takes place practically anywhere on the field. Thus, you have to either
correctly anticipate the play or quickly react as it unfolds. While sports photography
success doesn’t always require understanding the game, it is extremely valuable
in football, when knowing the next likely play enables you to optimally position
yourself and point your camera. Another essential element of successful
football photography is a very fast shutter speed, 1/500 at a minimum or 1/100
ideally, to freeze the frequent, rapid action, even if this necessitates less depth
of field from a larger aperture and reduced image quality from a higher ISO.
Pass plays usually provide
the best football action shots, as players extend their bodies to make athletic
catches. This game featured an offensive explosion, with 12 touchdowns scored
by the two teams, and a school record 524 yards passing for Lehigh. Earlier in
the game, one Lehigh receiver made several acrobatic moves and spectacular stretches,
but I was not in position to capture those photos. As the game unfolded, I monitored
him on likely Lehigh pass plays, and finally caught him in action as he leapt
high for a catch, despite Yale’s defensive player draped all over him. It
reminded me of the famous Super Bowl 42 helmet catch by New York Giants
receiver David Tyree that beat the New England Patriots in 2008.
3 Tips
1. Understanding
the game of football makes the game much easier to photograph.
2. Pass plays typically provide
the strongest action photos.
3. Use a very fast shutter
speed to freeze the motion, even if it requires a large f-stop and high ISO.
