Looking for Light in All the Right Places
After working the high school football circuit for three seasons, I’ve come to acknowledge the fact that the light in your average high school stadium on Friday night will be of poor quality and quantity, with few exceptions.
When I get the odd opportunity to photograph a game during the late afternoon or early evening, I take full advantage.
North Forsyth High School’s Stadium’s west end zone sits in the shadow’s of the school’s Gymnasium and video scoreboard, allowing a small window of light to pass through and light one strip of field. The lit area is substantially brighter than the shadows and it creates a natural spotlight for the players to shine in.
A Full Slate of Youth Football
There’s nothing quite like football in the South.
I was introduced to Southern Football 13 years ago as a Freshman at Georgia Tech, when I watched Tech take down a favored Maryland team 31-3 on Thursday night. Several years ago I started photographing High School football in metro Atlanta and found the same fervor that happens on Saturday afternoon also happened on Friday night.
Game Faces
Sometimes, the photos with the most impact aren’t the ones with the big header or game winning kick.
Without further delay, I introduce game faces.
Kids’ Soccer – Basic Techique
My shooting philosophy can be summed up fairly easily: shoot low, shoot tight, and follow through the end of play.
All of this really comes in handy when shooting kids soccer. My featured model here is my son Aidan in his recent mini-Kickers game.
Getting low with kids, in sports or any other situation, changes the perspective. Most people take pictures (or videos) from a standing up position – which enables a great view of their children’s heads. Shooting from a kneeling or sitting position gives more of the facial emotion than standing up.
Shooting tight helps eliminate distractions in the picture and focus the viewer’s eye on the subject. Working on the very small field, I’ve used a 70-200mm zoom lens to work as tight as possible with my subject. I’ve also included the ball in the foreground to help illustrate what is happening.
Finally, shooting through the play brings you naturally to the celebration shot following a goal!
