Blog Post: Photo Tips For Youth Sports

As a grandparent of a Vienna Little League participant, and in another life a professional photographer, I find that I am really enjoying photographing my grandson, Leighton, 6 years old, as he plays for the Nationals this year.  

My wife just introduced me to the Vienna Patch and I thought it might be fun, and interesting, to start a blog about photographing your children as they play sports. Being somewhat older, I seem to remember somewhere mentioning earlier about being a grandparent, and knowing what a wonderful thing it is to have photographs to look back on, if I may, let me offer some advice . . .

You can tell a real photographer as they always have a camera at hand and ready to use, and they all seem to posses a look as if they are just waiting for something interesting to occur. Whether you consider yourself a real photographer or not, there are a few tips that you might find helpful.

• Anticipate action and be ready for it when it occurs.  I have a habit of keeping one eye looking through the lens and the other open to know what I am about to see in my lens. These days, in the digital era, photographing sports is so much easier due to your camera's auto focus and a camera setting that allows for multiple images to be taken as you hold down the shutter button --- in my day that was known as a motor drive and it was a real film burner. Take lots of pictures and don't be afraid to use the delete key.
• Don't be shy!  Get in close to the action --- be aware, as much as possible, that an errant ball may be headed your way.  A zoom lens is quite helpful in getting close to the action without placing yourself in harm's way.
• Good cameras are not expensive these days: If you do not have one, look into it --- consider a used camera.  A good photographer is usually pretty careful with their equipment and as new and better cameras are always coming on the market you can always find good used cameras and lenses.
• Photo editing software is quite helpful.  I use photoshop, which is expensive and not easy to learn, but there are lots of programs available that allow you to crop and enhance your work -- most computers have software preloaded that is easy to use.

You may consider a good camera too much of a luxury, but I would tell you it is an investment -- And as you look back years from now I believe you will consider that investment to be priceless.