Here’s How to Shoot Powerful Sports Portraits
2. Re-create the action in a controlled environment
Some of the best sports portraits are staged shots. If you’re tasked with photographing athletes for a calendar or magazine, then take the opportunity to stage a shot that brings their personality to life. Swimmers, skiers, cyclists, and other solo athletes can really shine in studio settings, but it’s also a great option for team photos, too. Use the right props and poses to create a sense of action that’s as compelling as any photos you might take on the field or race track.
If you’re shooting in a studio, be sure to rent a space with a green screen or white cyclorama so you can create an infinite background effect. Many of the locations available on Peerspace have lighting gear and backdrops available on-site, or you can reach out to the venue’s local host for additional equipment rentals.
Experiment with action shots, such as leaps or throws, to catch your athlete in motion. Consider staging the shoot in a swimming pool, gym, or outdoor setting to give your subject the most opportunity for movement.
Here are a few indoor and outdoor rentable locations to get you started:
- This bright indoor sports court in Bellevue, WA, a basketball court with spectator seating, basketballs, and volleyball nets
- This 10,000-square-foot backyard in Thousand Oaks, CA with a swimming pool and a sports court for basketball, tennis, and volleyball
- This huge freestanding basketball facility in Brooklyn, NY with two basketball nets, high ceilings, and classic court lighting and flooring
- This industrial gym and basketball court in Decatur, GA with 10,000 square feet of space, including a turf field, a basketball court, and a weight training room
3. Choose the most mobile equipment
If you’re used to shooting portraits in a studio, then adjusting to outdoor sports photography can be a challenge. You can’t simply pick up your lighting gear and camera mounts and bring them to the stadium with you.
Instead, choose portable alternatives, such as monopods, which aren’t as stable as tripods but are far lighter and easier to carry. Or, try the Platypus Ultra, a flat “tripod” for mirrorless cameras that you can position on uneven surfaces for low-to-the-ground shots.
If you think you might need some exterior lighting options, bring along a few Speedlights to light up your subject on cloudy or overcast days. It’s also a good idea to have portable reflectors and diffusers on hand. Consider bringing a collapsible backdrop with a colored background or green screen; this way, you can easily set up a mobile portrait studio for individual or team shots.
4. Prepare to shoot in low-lighting conditions
No matter how many portable lights you bring along, there’s simply no way to control the lighting in many sporting environments.
Some sports typically take place at night, such as football and baseball. So when you’re shooting these, prepare to shoot in lower lighting conditions and with different color temperatures than you usually do. Stadium lights typically have a color temperature of around 4000-5000K, but many stadiums are switching to LED lights with more variable color temperatures.
To get the best action shots in low-lighting conditions, plan to shoot with:
- A lens of 200mm or more
- A shutter speed of 1/500th of a second or more
- An ISO of 1000 or more
A 200mm lens will allow you to get close in on the action, while a fast shutter speed will help you capture freeze frames of your subject in motion. Using the right camera settings is key to getting sports portraits that feel immersive, even when you’re standing on the sidelines.
