Composition + Sports & Candids

COMPOSITION + SPORTS & CANDIDS

REV. FEB 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING

T H E

P R E M I E R

S C H O O L

P H O T O G R A P H Y

C O M P A N Y

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T R A I N I N G

WHAT WE’LL COVER CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER T WO

COMPOSITION 04

SPORTS & CANDIDS

DIRECTION Landscape vs. Portrait

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PRINCIPLES Location 22 Timing 23

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PERSPECTIVE & ANGLES

Photographing in the Gym

Worm’s Eye 08

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FALL SPORTS

Bird’s Eye 08

Football 26

Get on Offense

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Cross Country 27

Learn the Weak Side

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Tennis 28 Volleyball 29

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KEY TECHNIQUES

Cheer 30

Framing and Repetition

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Rule of Thirds

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Emotion 13

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Golf 31

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WINTER SPORTS

Faces 14

Basketball 33

The Five Photos Your Book Needs

Wrestling 34

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ACHIEVING DEPTH

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SPRING SPORTS

Out of Focus Backgrounds

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Baseball & Softball

Foreground and Background

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Soccer 37

REVIEW

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Lacrosse 38

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Swim & Dive

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Track & Field

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PRE-GAME PHOTO PLANNING

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CANDIDS Lifestyle Tips & Tricks

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COMPOSITION

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01 / DIRECTION

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01 . DIRECTION

LANDSCAPE VS. PORTRAIT THE LANDSCAPE VERSUS PORTRAIT DECISIONS need to be made based on your desired goal when capturing the scene.

Most photo opportunities in basketball and baseball come from individual players, where a portrait image works best.

If you want to show conflict in an image–a football line of scrimmage or a soccer player being pursued by defense–you’ll want to photograph landscape so you can capture the other players.

Make sure you capture a variety of both instances.

Landscape/Horizontal

Portrait/Vertical

PRO TIP If you are unsure of when to shoot landcape vs. portrait, remember that it is easier to crop a landscape photo to a portrait, but difficult to crop the other way.

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02 / PE RSPECTIVE & ANGLES

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02. PERSPECTIVE & ANGLES

WE ALL SEE THE WORLD AT EYE LEVEL NO MATTER HOW TALL YOU ARE, most of us view the world from the same perspective. Add more impact to your photos by positioning yourself at different angles. Your vantage point changes everything: it makes drone footage more powerful, end zone images more striking, and snare drum close-ups more exciting. Remember to always keep safety first.

WORM’S EYE Get low. Sit, squat, or even lay down on the ground to photograph skyward. This viewpoint is most effective when photographing still images like silhouetters against the sky, or when capturing candid photos of a performance happening high up on a stage.

BIRD’S EYE Find an aerial vantage point. A bird’s eye view is the perfect angle to capture comprehensive images of large groups of people and scenes from above. If getting up high is not an option, using a drone is another creative way to get photos from overhead.

GET ON OFFENSE When photographing games and similar events, determine which direction the action is coming from and find a spot on the opposite end of the field or court. From this position, the subjects will be facing the camera, allowing for an opportunity to photograph the subjects’ faces and capture their emotions.

Avoid photographing the backs of people’s head; photos that lack some type of emotion are rarely interesting to look at.

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02. PERSPECTIVE & ANGLES

LEARN THE WEAK SIDE

PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOUR SUBJECTS MOVE and position yourself on their weak sides. Everyone has a dominant hand, and if you position yourself on a subject’s dominant side, you are likely to have hands or arms obstructing your view.

Right-handed people open their left side, and the opposite is true for left-handed people.

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ASSIST IN TELLING THE STORY Editorial photos, as opposed to posed or “mugging for the camera” images, bring viewers into the story by the composition tactics the photographer used. When choosing photos for your spread, train yourself to look for photos that advance the story and place the viewer at the scene forever.

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03 . KE Y TECHNIQUES

FRAMING & REPETITION MAKE USE OF SURROUNDINGS to bring implied architecture to your images. These are the “invisible wow factors” of photography.

Use these guides in a very planned manner to achieve photos that look unplanned and captivating. Beginners may need to arrive early for assignments to find the architectural elements they can use to compose their photos. Experiment in class to train your eye so you’ll be confident during the actual event.

FRAMING Using existing structures to bring the focus to your subjects.

REPETITION Repeating patterns or breaking patterns to emphasize your subjects.

LEADING LINES Using leading lines in an image is to bring the eye from the visual entry point to the end of the photo/your subject. Using objects like brick walls can be a great way to visually lead the eye to your subject, but with photojournalism, also look for repetition of people to do this. Teams lined up for the National Anthem is a great way to practice.

Remember, the purpose of a leading line is to emphasize the subject of your photo.

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03 . KE Y TECHNIQUES

RULE OF THIRDS FOR SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY, following the rule of thirds in principle is a good idea. You want to lead your subject into the frame; if you are photographing a football player running left to right, leave more room on the right side than the left to imply that he is going somewhere. Photographing the subject leaving the frame is poor composition.

Please use the Rule of Thirds to draw a grid on the below photos.

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03 . KE Y TECHNIQUES

EMOTION CATCH THE EMOTION. Photos without emotion lack energy and storytelling ability. If there’s no emotion, then there is little desire to view it. Most action images of athletes will be emotional. Athletes, when exerting themselves, exhibit emotion.

Follow the play and catch the post-play reaction and you’re guaranteed some amazing imagery.

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03 . KE Y TECHNIQUES

FACES THE EYES TELL A HUGE STORY. When photographing people, find the eyes and follow them. A good rule of thumb in deciding where to position yourself to people is to try and capture “two eyes and one ear.” Do your best to be as invisible as possible and catch candid moments of happiness, frustration, and other emotions. Always be ready to go because emotion can change in the blink of an eye.

You may only get one shot of the homecoming queen’s raw reaction!

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03 . KE Y TECHNIQUES

THE FIVE PHOTOS YOUR BOOK NEEDS 01

THE BIG PICTURE. Look for interesting ways to capture the size and scope of your assignment. Take photos of entire stadiums from the press box, from overhead with a drone or from the stage shooting out into the audience. Strive for an almost countless number of students.

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LARGE GROUPS. Think of the entire cast of a play in one scene, the student section erupting in emotion, several players on the sidelines reacting to a play or the starting line of a cross country meet. Strive for 10 or more students in these images.

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SMALLER GROUPS. Begin to focus on drivers of the story, such as the offensive line celebrating a touchdown, the color guard at sunset practice, or the principal players in a musical number. Look for groupings of fewer than 10 with clear, storytelling actions.

04 INDIVIDUALS. Look for those emotional shots that will give you great captions.

Imagine taking a photograph of a wrestler who just won a match, then later showing them the photo and asking, “Describe what you were feeling in this moment.”

The subject will have an immediate recall of the moment and will give you the words to match the emotion you’ve captured. The possibilities of single subjects are limitless.

05 DETAIL SHOTS. Designers need “timestamp” photos to round out the story.

The scoreboard showing no time left, a helmet on the sideline, a bandaged hand – some way to show the temperature. Usually, these photos will not be used as dominant photos, but used in sidebar modules. They can add a wow factor to your book on delivery day and every time it is opened thereafter.

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0 4 /A C H I E V I N G D E P T H

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0 4 . AC H I E V I N G D E P T H

OUT OF FOCUS BACKGROUNDS ARE IMPORTANT THEY SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE STORY but not steal the show. The focus should point to the important parts of the image.

Capturing the essence of a three-dimensional scene in a two-dimensional photo takes an understanding of camera settings.

DEPTH OF FIELD: Cameras can only focus at one point. Depth of field is the distance between the closest and farthest objects.

It is a product of three settings: your aperture or f-stop, the distance from the subject to the camera, and the focal length of your lens.

Use a wider aperture or a smaller f-stop to get a more shallow depth of field and a smaller area of focus. Doing this will blur what is closer to the camera than the subject and farther from the camera than the subject. This blur creates the illusion of depth.

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0 4 . AC H I E V I N G D E P T H

FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND YOUR IMAGE IS TWO-DIMENSIONAL and there’s no way around that. Trick viewers into seeing a three-dimensional image by making sure your photo has a foreground and a background that complement your subject. That requires composition to pay attention to more than the subject.

ZOOM WITH YOUR FEET Sometimes you just have to get closer to your image. Zooming in from your camera stretches the pixels, or information contained, in the image.

While the image may seem perfectly acceptable from the viewfinder, zooming results in gradually worse image quality.

SOME TIPS FROM OUR PROS: 1. CHANGE YOUR DISTANCE OR ELEVATION Move closer or farther away and try photographing from above or below the subject.

2. CHANGE YOUR ANGLE Try photographing from the side.

3. LEAVE SOME ROOM If your subject is moving or looking in a certain direction, leave space in the image so viewers can participate.

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If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.

Robert Capa, legendary photographer

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REVIEW NAME THE TECHNIQUE USED IN EACH PHOTO (WRITE IN THE SPACE UNDERNEATH THE IMAGE)

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TWO

SPORTS & CANDIDS

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01. PRINCIPLES

LOCATION WHERE YOU ARE makes all the difference. It is impossible to get the best shot if you are in the end zone farthest away from the action. The secret to shooting sports and candids is to be involved with the action.

Great sports photographers understand the assignment. They have a basic understanding of the sport or event and can anticipate the action.

Spend time learning the rules of the game. Get to know the players and coaches and ask questions.

Understanding the flow and rules of the game will help you feel confident with capturing the action.

Biggest tip? Watch everything through the lens.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S PRESENCE Photographers should be prepared for all circumstances.

Your gear should include: • Extra SD cards • Extra battery • Athletic shoes • A jacket • Rain gear/sunblock/hat • Water bottle

KNOW HOW TO HOLD THE CAMERA Avoid the chicken wing. When holding the camera, your left hand should cradle the bottom of the lens.

This will tuck your elbow into your side creating a more solid foundation for your camera.

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01. PRINCIPLES

TIMING ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY IS ALL ABOUT TIMING. It’s about being in the right place at the right time and executing.

Understanding the timing of throws, catches, layups, jump shots, hits, swim strokes, and kicks allows you to capture the peak moment when the action is the most dramatic.

PRO TIPS USE BACK-BUTTON FOCUSING

KNOW YOUR SERVO-SPOT-FOCUS

NOT ALL MEMORY CARDS ARE CREATED EQUAL

In your camera, you can change your focus button from the shutter release button to a custom button on the back.

Most cameras have an AF-on button which is typically used when separating the auto-focus from the shutter release button. There are endless resources on YouTube for step-by-step instructions on how to set this up. You’ll never use the shutter release button to focus again!

Canon users, this is for you. Nikon cameras only feature single servo and continuous focus, but Canon has Spot, AI Servo and AI Focus.

AI Focus will track your subject and lock in the focus while AI Servo will continue to track a moving subject. Here’s an easy way to remember what to use: • One-Shot is for when neither you, nor the subject, are moving.

• AI Servo is for when either you, or the subject, is moving.

AI Focus is for when neither you, nor the subject care if your focus is accurate.

Ever feel like your images are taking forever to record to your card?

It might be time to upgrade.

Remember, the cheapest SD card is not always the best.

Large capacity cards mean that more is lost if a card is corrupt.

Invest in smaller capacity, quality cards and always carry multiple cards!

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01. PRINCIPLES

PHOTOGRAPHING IN THE GYM THE TRICKIEST LIGHTING OF ALL.

Gyms are deceptive. They seem light enough, but images are always dark or yellow. You can keep your camera in “sports mode”, but it slows the camera. This may result in images with inconsistent exposure.

INCREASE THE ISO

OPEN THE APERTURE

STOP THE ACTION

Low light situations need a higher ISO. Unless you are using a full-frame camera, try to keep the ISO to 1600 max.

Let as much light into the sensor as possible. Invest in what is called “fast glass.” This is any lens that has an aperture of 2.8 or wider.

Get that shutter speed up! 1/500 is a good place to start. And remember, the speed of the game is faster than warmups so account for that when fixing your settings.

WHITE BALANCE Lighting in gyms tends to be very warm which means white balancing is super important to avoid yellow/orange saturated photos. Arrive early to try out different settings!

Photos still too warm? It’s an easy editing fix!

Try both of these tricks! A photo which is overall too yellow is called a “color cast.”

Here are a couple of tricks to fix this in Photoshop: Easy 1.

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Go to Image -> Adjustments -> Match Color.

In the window that appears, check the box for Neutralize.

Click OK.

More advanced 1.

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Adjust Levels (Ctrl+L).

Edit RGB individual levels to balance out the red, green, and blue of the photo.

Adjust Hue and Saturation (Ctrl+U).

Change the channel to Yellows and move the sliders for Hue and Saturation to negative numbers and Lightness to positive numbers. Adjust as needed!

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02 / FALL SPORTS

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0 2 . FA L L S P O R T S

FOOTBALL

THERE IS RARELY A DULL MOMENT in football, and things can change in a second. Action is constant, and as the photographer, you will need to move quickly!

A football field is huge and the action could be all over.

Make sure you follow the action.

Capture cheerleaders, coaches, and fan participation!

You will capture the most emotion during the key moments of triumph and defeat.

Football games are not just about the game, so there are opportunities for a quality shot from wherever you are standing.

Knowing the rules of the game will help you anticipate what will happen. A fourth down will likely mean a punt, so the ball will be about to change possession.

Don’t ignore the team box, but make sure you know the rules. Coaches don’t like disruptions so be careful not to be in the way.

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PRO TIP ATTEND WORKOUTS AND PRACTICES. Football tends to be a no-cut sport, so that means a lot of players don’t see much game time. Workouts and practices are typically during the daytime hours and you will get more shots of more players.

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0 2 . FA L L S P O R T S

CROSS COUNTRY CROSS COUNTRY TAKES PLACE OUTDOORS, where the lighting can change from one minute to the next. You should check your images often to ensure they’re correctly exposed.

The other difficulty with Cross Country is the area in which the event takes place–the course is typically over three miles long. By arriving early, you can scout the course and determine the best locations to take images.

SAFETY

SHOTS Groups of runners leaving the starting area - typically a landscape image to capture the width of many runners.

Images of individual runners approaching and crossing the finish line.

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0 2 . FA L L S P O R T S

TENNIS TENNIS IS RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD to photograph but it does present two issues: 1.

Being outdoors, the lighting can change drastically from one moment to the next.

Keep an eye on your settings, especially if the weather changes.

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The fence can get in the way of focusing and make for ugly images. The solution is to get as close to the fence as possible and have the front of the lens be a few inches from the fence. The camera isn’t able to focus that closely and it should be well outside of the depth of field to interfere.

SAFETY

SHOTS The serve is something that every player does multiple times throughout the meet. Options for this photo include getting the ball high above them and as the racket meets the ball. Every player will also wait anxiously for the serve, usually in a “ready” position.

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0 2 . FA L L S P O R T S

VOLLEYBALL “BUMP, SET, HIT” RITUAL. Pay attention to the diggers, setters, and hitters–this can help you track the ball and get better photos when the action happens.

Volleyball can be one of the most difficult sports to photograph. Sit close to the court. Near the ref’s stand or bench can be a safe space to sit. Getting low will allow you to shoot under the net as well. Also, this will help to get the ball in the shot by removing the floor and focusing on more headspace.

Note: It’s easy to focus on the wrong thing, like the net or wrong player. Your focus is key with this sport.

PRO TIP DON’T STOP shooting when the ball stops moving. Teams celebrate big in this sport and it’s a great opportunity to get great shots.

SAFETY

SHOTS Players serving or setting because they are typically easier to capture.

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0 2 . FA L L S P O R T S

CHEER CHEER COMPETITIONS are typically held indoors, where the lighting can be difficult to master.

Remember to use your camera’s ISO to compensate for dark images, while keeping your shutter speed high.

A key with cheerleading photos is to make sure there is movement in the photos.

Stunting, such as human pyramids, can be predicted by the Cheerleaders gathering around one another in preparation for the initial lift.

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0 2 . FA L L S P O R T S

GOLF GOLF SUFFERS FROM THE SAME ISSUES AS CROSS COUNTRY–constantly changing light conditions and a large playing area. Try to obtain a map or layout of the course and use it to determine the best path. Are there two holes which are close by? Is there a shortcut from the 1st to the 10th hole? Also try to speak with the coaches, find out which hole or holes the players will be starting on.

SAFETY

SHOTS Players teeing off, with a big swing can make for an impressive image.

Players assessing the green and deciding on the next stroke makes for good contrast against the swing of teeing off.

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03. WINTER SPORTS

BASKETBALL BASKETBALL is one of the easiest sports to photograph.

All the action is contained in a 100’ x 50’ area and the nets are where the action ALWAYS ends.

Shoot from the opposite side of the court as the bench.

This will help make sure the background of your photos is interesting.

Sitting behind the net against the wall with a wide-angle lens is a great place to capture cool images, but be careful as players often end up in that zone. Limit free throw shots as these are the least interesting. As with most sports, sit or kneel. This will create more interesting photos.

Key photos include: Layups, they almost always pause at the top of their jump.

SAFETY

SHOTS Jump shots, layups, free throws, blocks, dribbling, defense, free throws, and passing are great plays to capture during a game.

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03. WINTER SPORTS

WRESTLING THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH WRESTLING is the potential for multiple bouts happening at the same time.

The solution is to create a list of names, and check them off as you photograph them in different bouts/heats.

The key to capturing great wrestling images is to get as close to the floor as is possible.

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04. SPRING SPORTS

BASEBALL & SOFTBALL BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL ACTION is often unpredictable, which can make it difficult to capture good photos. Using the longest telephoto lens possible is key to capturing the outfield.

Attend practices to get closer to the action! Use a monopod to help stabilize the camera during night games.

Key photos include: Steal, dive or slide.

DUGOUT

SAFETY

SHOTS

The pitcher throwing the ball, the batters batting, catcher catching, or getting a sign from the dugout.

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03. SPRING SPORTS

SOCCER SOCCER IS AN EXTREMELY FAST SPORT with rapid changes of direction. You must be ready at all times. Be prepared to work the entire length of the field. Spend some time focusing on the goalie. It would be helpful to have a partner photographer with soccer.

Soccer games are often rainy and very cold. This can make it hard to white balance and be a tough climate for the camera.

Make sure to have rain gear!

Key photos include: Goalie saves, which can be a little harder to capture.

SAFETY

SHOTS Players dribbling the ball and throw-ins.

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04. SPRING SPORTS

LACROSSE LACROSSE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT HIGH SCHOOL SPORT TO CAPTURE–not only do the players move quickly, but with a flick of the wrist, the action can move from one side of the field to the other. Rather than make yourself tired trying to chase the action, we recommend setting up on the 20 yard line and waiting for the action to come to you. When on the home team’s 20 yard line, look for defenders coming together with the goalie to block out attackers. When on the opponent’s 20 yard line, look for your attackers getting ready to score or trying to find open space to receive a pass.

SAFETY

SHOTS

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The face off happens at the beginning of each half. Remember to get low to the ground and be ready, as it’s over quickly.

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04. SPRING SPORTS

SWIMMING & DIVING AT SWIM AND DIVE MEETS there are often multiple swimmers from a single school in the water at the same time. This can cause some difficulty when trying to make sure you capture all of your athletes. In addition to the swimmers, there may also be diving heats firing at the same time. The weather plays an important factor in outdoor meets. Make sure to keep an eye on your settings to ensure correctly exposed images, as sudden clouds can make a drastic change in exposure. When indoors, the lighting will be difficult to master, but once you have the settings figured out, it shouldn’t change throughout the meet.

In a lot of meets, a bulkhead will be placed across the pool to separate the competition area and the warm up area. This is a good place to stand/sit. Timing is the most crucial, as it’s the difference between capturing a swimmer’s face and the top of their cap.

SAFETY

SHOTS Great images to capture include swimmers leaving their starting wedge/ ledge, swimmers looking to the clock/scoreboard to see how well they did.

For diving, look for athletes spinning and twisting as they move through the air.

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04. SPRING SPORTS

TRACK & FIELD TRACK AND FIELD MEETS can be a lot of fun to capture! There is a variety of photo opportunities and so much emotion displayed at a track meet. Bring multiple lenses for a track meet as there are a lot of different events. Be prepared to change settings as lighting conditions change. The best thing about track and field is that all the movements are extremely predictable.

Track events all move in one direction and most of the action happens in one area.

SAFETY

SHOTS Long jumps, shot puts, discus throws, triple jumps, and pole vaults all have one “action point” so getting photos will be relatively easy.

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PREGAME PHOTO PLANNING TEAM OPPONENT

STARTING LINEUP

NEEDED IMAGES

SPECIAL NOTES

EQUIPMENT

TO-DO

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05. CANDIDS

LIFESTYLE TIPS & TRICKS HERE ARE A FEW GUIDELINES TO ASSIST IN CAPTURING TELLING IMAGES.

ANTICIPATION A good photographer anticipates what is going to happen next.

Keep your eye to the camera. Be mindful not to miss a moment because you are looking at photos on your camera.

TIMING Capture the seconds before and after the anticipated moment.

GET CLOSE Robert Capa said, “If your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough”. Get as close as you are allowed and don’t worry about blocking anyone. It’s your job!

ARRIVE EARLY AND STAY LATE This is all part of storytelling. So much happens before and after the actual event that you don’t want to miss.

MOODS

LIGHTING

Remember you are in control of the final image. What mood are you trying to display? What are you trying to capture?

Using the methods described earlier in your training, ensure that your location, composition, and communication are done in such a way to direct the final photo to tell “your story.”

Be aware of your lighting at all times. When capturing lifestyle, it’s best to let things happen naturally. If your subject is not in the best light, make adjustments by changing your position, camera angle or quickly grab a reflector.

DETAILS Don’t forget little details. Small close-ups of content that support your story or assignment, and photos, that by themselves aren’t special, but help support your story.

ENVIRONMENT Pay attention to the environment. Often we think of close-up images when we photograph people, but step back and look at the environment too.

ACTION Give your subject something to do. Lifestyle photography is the opposite of look-at-me-and-say-cheese type of portraiture.

If your subjects have something to do, then you are setting the stage for their personalities to show and they will have natural expressions.

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