Sports Photography How To

Whether you process images in Lightroom, Photoshop, or another full-featured editor, it's difficult not to get carried away by all the capabilities available. But sometimes you'll achieve much better results by restraining yourself and taking a subtle approach so that you don't ruin photos by giving them an "over-cooked" look.

Sports photography shares much in common with capturing images of wildlife: You’ve got an active scene captured at a distance requiring specialized equipment and knowledge of the subject’s activities while anticipating what they are going to do next…or not. Sure, you’ll need fast, long focal length lenses but you will also need camera supports and other gear that along with specialized knowledge separates the virtuosos, like Regis Lefebure (regislefebure.com), from the wannabes. Here’s a look at some of our favorite tools of the sports trade.

Megan Rapinoe captured the World Cup this year with the United States Women’s National Soccer Team and photographer Simon Bruty captured her in this heroic black-and-white image. The photo is actually from 2011 and was shot for Sports Illustrated as a preview of the women’s team for that year’s World Cup in Germany.

Photographer Jaanus Ree visualized this image in his head before he shot it but the idea to use a cat was a last-minute decision borne out of necessity. “After seeing a portrait in a bookstore where I was able to see the photographer’s silhouette against the reflection of an eye, I got the idea to make something similar,” Ree notes.

If you’re looking for a way to turn a ho-hum image into something really compelling, we’ve got you covered with today’s Photoshop tutorial. Thanks to one of our favorite image-editing instructors, you’ll learn how to put an object in motion by adding the appearance of speed and blur.

If you like adventure and sports photography, the Red Bull Illume Image Quest is the contest to see some mind-blowing action shots. With only eight weeks to go before the winners of the Red Bull Illume Image Quest are announced, contest organizers just released a selection of some of the semi-finalist images and we’ve included 10 of our favorites in this story.

Summer is a great time for capturing dramatic action photos, and this guide to sports photography covers just about everything you need to know to shoot like a pro.