Photographing
basketball games from courtside under the basket captures great close-up action
coming directly at you.
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| Colby College basketball’s Keagan Dunbar (21) is fouled while driving to the hoop by Thomas College’s Shala Davis (24) and Anna Piirainen (13). |
The
Photo
Basketball
is one of the best sports to photograph because you clearly see the players’
faces while sitting courtside, adjacent
to the action. One ideal shooting position is sitting on the floor directly under
the basket, slightly to the right, which ensures nearly all the action comes toward
you, since players tend to drive more from
the left, likely because many are right-handed.
From here you can capture powerful photos of layups, rebounds, dunks, collisions,
fouls, and player reactions to made baskets, missed shots, and referee calls.
However, you need to stay alert to avoid airborne players or balls colliding
with you.
In this women’s
basketball game between Colby College and cross-town rival Thomas College, Colby
jumped out early to a big lead, so Thomas players were determined to block the
lane and prevent additional easy Colby layups. On this play, Colby guard Keagan
Dunbar (in white) saw a clear path to the basket and quickly drove into the
lane, but two Thomas defenders stuck out their arms to block the way, preferring
to be called for the foul than allowing an easy bucket. My telephoto lens blurred out the background, which
more clearly highlighted the bodies colliding, the ball knocked loose, and the fouled
player’s facial expression.
3
Tips
1. Sitting courtside under the basket is
a terrific vantage point to capture all types of close-up basketball action
coming directly at you.
2. Watch for players driving the lane,
rebounding, colliding with one another, or reacting to shots or calls.
3. Stay alert to avoid any players or
loose balls that might collide with you.
