An excerpt from my book, Pictures — How to Make Them.
Sports photography is easy (deceptively so).
The photographer who is intimidated by the idea of making pictures of random strangers on the street, classic street photography, usually doesn’t experience that same anxiety when roaming the sidelines of a high school football game. There are a few reasons for this, the first being that as a photographer, one has a reason to be on that sideline.
With street photography, people are always wondering what you’re seeing that’s so interesting. That doesn’t happen when shooting sports. People want to be there. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. Making pictures is a natural and expected extension of the experience. Photographers are (normally) welcomed to sporting events. There’s no need to explain one’s interest, because everyone there thinks the event is worth watching (and documenting) too.
People pay money to watch sports. They are a spectacle.
Sports is a welcoming entry point for the beginning photographer. It’s a good place to test one’s skills, a good place to practice, to get your feet wet. Plus, there’s a ready audience for the work you create.
Sharing a picture of someone’s child sliding into second base, a moment the…
