Want to shoot for the
Daily 49er? This is a rough, work in progress draft slide show of the kinds of shots you will need to get for us to increase the likelihood of getting published. This covers all the sports: Men's water polo, women's soccer, women's volleyball, and men's basketball, and is drawn from the archives of Michael Chan Yee.
The basic rule of any sports photo is this: you need the
athlete's face and the
ball in the photo. In each sport there are specific kinds of shots that are the most run and the most wanted.
The second rule of sports photography is to
identify the player. Usually, the player's uniform should show the number. If it does, you're good. Then we can go to
http://longbeachstate.com and check the rosters for numbers. If the best shot does not show the number, shoot in bursts. Hopefully one photo in the whole sequence clearly shows the player's number. If you're emailing the photos to us, say "shot #1 - LBSU # is in this photo"
The third rule of sports photography is to
have a notepad on hand to write down significant plays. For instance, if it's soccer and someone scores a goal,
take a picture of the scoreboard so you know the period, the score, and the time left. Otherwise, if the play you just shot did something - won the set, tied the game, or clinched the victory -
make a note of it. Write down the photo number and the event that happened.
The fourth rule of sports photography:
action is not the only thing. Former sports editor Tracy McDannald says that 30% of shots should be reaction shots, usually of the coach or the players. Sometimes, a pissed-off coach will tell the story better than an action photo.
The content of this tutorial is subject to change at any notice. Comments, questions, and concerns should be directed to m.chan.yee [at] gmail [dot] com.
