I’ve had a lot of people recently from my past (mostly from undergraduate, old friends who got degrees in other fields like Nursing and others) who have found the joys of photography and videography, and are asking me about how to get into this world.
Now I am not going to talk too much about videography, because that is a different world onto itself that is hard to get into, in some instances harder than photography, and I am still getting my feet wet in there myself (Even though I have done some work in there, just not enough to say that I am as solid in it as what I am in photography, for sure). However, how to get into sports photography is similar to that of concert photography.
I was lucky when it came to sports photography. I started off covering sports when I went back to undergraduate school, at Baker University. I took a few newspaper classes, working for The Baker Orange, and was able to cover the university’s basketball and soccer teams. I always had a love for soccer, and I had a few friends on the Basketball teams, so it was almost natural for me to say yes to them. I had already been in the music business for a long while prior to going back to college, and already had some what of a rep as a good photographer, but I had never really tried my hand as a sports photographer.
So over the course of the year that I was with my university’s paper, I took every chance that I could get to explore every aspect within photography that I could do (including portraits for stories, some theater production shots, when some political figures came to campus, etc.) and sports was just one that I jumped on.
I learned as much as I could from that time by myself. There wasn’t anyone in the newspaper room who was a photography mentor, and everything that I was learning about sports photography I was teaching myself, by looking at other people’s work. Seriously, that is my school. I would create boards on Pinterest of “the best sports photography” and watch YouTube Videos (which both I still do to this day as refreshers if it has been a while since I had photographed something) and would try and to recreate at least the feel of those images within mine.
From there, my last month or so at Baker, I asked to cover a game of the local Major League Soccer team. The paper accepted the assignment and I got credentialed from the organization and was able to photograph the game. I don’t even remember who they were playing against, but it was an experience, sitting behind the goal out of bounce line with my camera, not knowing what in the world I was doing, especially with all of the professionals who had been doing this for YEARS before me. It made me ask what in the world was I doing there? And if I really belonged being there.
Fast forward a little bit, the photos came out okay, and I ended up graduating from Baker, got early accepted into the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and asked if I could continue shooting the local MLS team and subsequently their minor league team once they were formed. I was given like three games per year for the MLS team, but was accepted as a game day photographer for the minor league team (This is questioned about my actual status with the team, and I must put this in here because of that, and that there has been an out of court ruling, in my favor, a few years after the fact, but still…it was a time and a half), and photographed them for about two years as a credentialed member of their media team.
During this time, I was able to sit back and talk to other photographers there, become mentored by a person who I consider a dear friend of mine. I would ask this other photographer SO many questions about how they shot, why did they take up the positions that they did for their shots, what settings did they use, etc. Now I will say that this photographer that I “studied” under has gone on to photograph for every major sports team in the Kansas City area (and yes this means The Royals, The Monarchs, Sporting Kansas City, The Chiefs, KC Current) as well as major college sports (The University of Kansas Men’s Basketball Team, as well as KU Football and other things) for news wires and his images have been used all over.
I was lucky to be able to befriend him, a friendship that has been tried and tested, but also has endured to this day (it had been a few years since I saw him due to the Covid pandemic, but when we saw each other prior to the KC Monarchs vs. Savannah Bananas baseball game about three weeks ago, hugs were given and a great, quick catch up conversation was had. Quick because we both had to get to work photographing the game and all of the happenings). But I learned a lot from these people and from my own research, and I honestly tried never to burn a bridge (which, as well know sometimes does happen, because it honestly takes two parties to ensure that no bridges are burned. You as a single individual can only do so much).
But I just continued to work my ass off, not taking no for an answer, and when I felt that my back was against the wall and that I couldn’t do anything in the field anymore, I took a break, but continued to study on what to do and what to avoid.
Fast forward a little more than two years (yes, I took a two year break from sports photography) and the Covid 19 pandemic hit, just as I started working for The Pitch (I actually did my first photo essay for the pitch about two weeks into the Lock Down, showing how small town Kansas was being affected by the pandemic). So my start BACK into Sports took even longer than I wanted it too…but since I was with another organization now, a news outlet, and not just shooting for myself, I had more access to these events, just like it is for the music industry. I believe my first game back was shooting the return of the Kansas City Women’s Soccer team in the National Women’s Soccer League when they played at Children’s Mercy Park. From there, I am happy to say that I have covered several games of theirs, The Kansas City Monarchs (baseball), to making my first appearance at Kauffman Stadium this past weekend in photographing my first Major League Baseball (MLB) game. I am also scheduled to make my return in a week or two to photograph the US Men’s National Soccer Team, which will be the first time in about five years, as they make their way to the World Cup in Qatar. I am also working on my first NFL game for this fall as well.
However, what this long ass story boils down to really is to never give up. Start small, like your local high school or the college that you are attending. Join their newspaper and get footing down. It is just the same as working in the music industry. Start Small and grow bigger. You won’t be able to go photograph the big leagues before you first prove yourself, that you can do produce work in the smaller fields. And there is nothing wrong with starting out photographing your local high school teams either. Seriously (and this is not a jab at high schools or anything) but for the most part their fields are not as taken care of like what professional fields are. So that means that the pieces of dirt and such that you want to see flying up in with the athlete’s footwear or grass in the helmet or stains on the clothing…these are those places to get those shots. Also the action is slower paced than what the big leagues are. It will allow you as a photographer a chance to practice your craft in a not-so-rushed environment, and where you can start to understand what to look for, not as a fan of the sport but as a photographer of the sport.
Also, one important thing about sports photography that is a must in my book (maybe not in others, but it is a top rule in my book) is to know the sport that you are going to be photographing. Not necessary to be the biggest fan of the sport, but at least understand the sport, what is happening and so on. This is important because then you will know what you are shooting, you might be able to better predict what is going to happen in play and you won’t be loss on what is going on, and potentially miss a shot because you don’t know what is happening. That is one of the biggest differences between Sports and Music photography, is Sports is a bit more predictable than Music. You know that in Baseball, no matter if the batter is a lefty or righty, as soon as the ball is hit, they will run towards first base. The pitcher will always throw the ball to the catcher and try and strike the batter out. Sure, there is a difference between a grounder and a fly ball, but you can make an easy prediction as to where the ball will be thrown first if it is put into play. This will allow you to also get a bit more of the dugout shots as well as other action between pitches on the field. And by capturing these images for your photo gallery are so much more entertaining and tell so much more of the story than 40 images of just people batting and throwing the ball around.
I will show a few of my favorite images from the Royals vs. Twins game just to give an example.
Military Service member salutes the flags of the United States and Military Branches during the National Anthem
Royals Pitcher Keller looks back at Twins base runner Jeffers and Third Base Coach Watkins before the pitch.
Kyle Isbel (28) discusses strategy before heading up to the plate.
Royals’ Carlos Santana (41) has a quick chat with Twin’s second baseman Carlos Correa (4) after Santana’s double.
I think that you get the idea here…but it is these images that help make the story, fill in the gaps, of your photo gallery, so it is not just the same looking image, time and time again. Because while you might get an amazing image of someone at bat, there is just so many images of people at bat that one person can look at before they get tired and move on.
Royals’ Carlos Santana (41) at bat during the at home division match-up against the Twins.