Sports Photography How To

Sports Photography: 5 Tips For Shooting With A Superzoom Point-And-Shoot Camera

Shutterbug Staff  |  Jun 11, 2019

Don’t even think about shooting a baseball game with a smartphone—unless maybe you’re Kris Bryant and you’re guarding the third base line. A superzoom camera enables you to get all of the action—if you use it in the right way. Here are our favorite tips for shooting Sporting Events with a superzoom camera.

 

5. Know the rules
Knowing how the game is played, no matter what the sport is, enables you to anticipate the action. If the batter bunts, the play is going to be at first unless there’s a runner on base, for example. Think ahead and anticipate.

 

4. Location is everything
Pick your seat wisely, as they say. If you are stuck behind protective netting, make sure your camera is focusing on the action and not on the net. Minor league baseball is great fun to shoot partly because the club will usually allow you to change seats freely and move around during the game if you pay for the highest priced ticket. In that case, shoot from several different vantage points.

 

3. Leverage advanced camera features
If your superzoom has a Burst Mode or can shoot five frames per second or faster, shoot sequences of action. Get the quarterback as he takes the snap and fades back, or the pitcher as he winds and throws. Shoot bursts of predictable action for best results.

 

2. Some action is not on the field
Sometimes the best action is in the stands, and often it’s on the sidelines. Sitting near the dugout creates the opportunity to tune into things others won’t see from their seats in the bleachers.

 

1. Tight shots tell the best story
Superzoom cameras excel at long telephoto shots. That’s perfect for sports, because a tight shot always conveys a true sense of being there.

 

Bonus Tip
If you photograph a minor league baseball game, offer the images to the home team. They may use them and you’ll be acknowledged and appreciated. Make sure the shots you share with the team does not include rows and rows of empty seats. That’s bad PR and who needs that?

All photos in this article were shot with a superzoom camera. All images ©Jon Sienkiewicz

—Shutterbug Staff

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