It's unusual to have a clear shot of a volleyball player diving to make a great play, but you always want to stay ready.
%20dives%20to%20make%20a%20return%20vs.%20Colby.JPG "Bowdoin volleyballer Anna Yeh dive to tip the ball to a teammate, and the next point clinched a NESCAC playoff win over #2 Colby by the #10 ranked Polar Bears")
Bowdoin College volleyballer Anna Yeh dives to tip the ball to a teammate, helping her #10 ranked team upset #2 seed and cross state rival Colby College in the NESCAC playoffs.
The Photo
Volleyball is a wonderful sport to photograph, with impressive athleticism and fast action, but the most common photo opportunities are the terrific emotional reactions and expressions from players celebrating practically every good play. Great volleyball action photos are tougher to get because the playing area is small, you often have to guess who will hit the ball because there's not enough time to react, and players frequently block the clearest view of great plays.
Volleyball is a wonderful sport to photograph, with impressive athleticism and fast action, but the most common photo opportunities are the terrific emotional reactions and expressions from players celebrating practically every good play. Great volleyball action photos are tougher to get because the playing area is small, you often have to guess who will hit the ball because there's not enough time to react, and players frequently block the clearest view of great plays.
In this NESCAC Conference quarterfinal playoff match, the #10 ranked Bowdoin Polar Bears were the underdog playing at the #2 Colby Mules. After Colby won the first game, it looked like the home team favorite would win the match easily, but Bowdoin quickly rallied to win 2 games and take a big lead in the next game, putting them on the verge of a tremendous upset match victory. When Polar Bear defensive specialist Anna Yeh dove to tip the ball to a teammate, the other players miraculously moved out of the way to give me a clear view and a great photo, and Bowdoin went on to score the match-winning point and advance to the conference semifinals.
3 Tips
1. Great volleyball action photos are challenging to get because the playing area is small and players often block out a photographer's view of the best action.
2. Expect powerful emotional reaction photos, since volleyball players react intensely to practically every positive play.
3. Always stay ready to react quickly and capture great volleyball action shots, because they can be spectacular.
2. Expect powerful emotional reaction photos, since volleyball players react intensely to practically every positive play.
3. Always stay ready to react quickly and capture great volleyball action shots, because they can be spectacular.
