Like one action photographerI'm always looking for opportunities to break away from the usual stock photo routine. Although editorial images and sports photography aren't your usual photographic subjects, I love their brutal honesty — you can't stage any moment, and there's no post-processing trick to replace that perfect shot. It's all about capturing the raw reality.

Capturing those split-second moments in sports is an art and science that takes some practice and experience, but if you're into sports photography and have the right approach, you can turn it around passion IN EARNINGS.

Drawing on the experience of the Dreamstime stock photography community, here are what I would recommend as critical elements to producing successful sports photography:

Gain access to events

The first step in sports photography is access to the events you want to shoot. This can be challenging for large competitions, as access is usually limited to accredited press photographers or well-trained freelancers. Wearing the coveted photo vest that gives you field-level access to big league events isn't easy, but it's not impossible to achieve. It takes time, exposure and familiarity, so starting small may be appropriate.

Don't be discouraged if you can't participate in high-level events right away. Many minor leagues or lesser known sporting events are more accessible and often welcome photographers with open arms. The goal is to capture the competition and intensity of sports games. Your most important gain will be that you will practice improving your skills while building and diversifying your portfolio without the constraints of major sporting events. Covering these smaller events can often lead to great stories and unexpected opportunities.

Stock photo platforms are not primarily focused on editorial content. However, they feature a significant amount of it in their libraries, and this type of content is often in high demand. This means stock photo sites will do your sports photography, whether it's general, minor league, or major league. Some platforms, such as dream time, can help you gain press access by providing a letter of accreditation, so it's worth contacting to see if such options are available.

Another way to gain access to sporting events is to work one-on-one with an athlete. Networking is key and athletes are interested in building their brands and online presence, so partnering with an athlete is a win-win for growth and visibility.

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Invest in the right equipment

Sports photography is demanding and highly competitive, and it has the right equipment it's essential for capturing those perfect moments. Be prepared for a lot of action and motion shots, but the good news is that these are very popular with stock photos places. And if you're shooting at a small sporting event where you can get signed versions of models to sell your commercial content, you've hit the jackpot.

You need a fast camera, preferably solid, with excellent focusing capabilities and low noise in low light. You have to match it with the perfect wide-aperture lens of any focal length. You don't necessarily need the latest models. If you don't have the right equipment, but still want to shoot sports, you can go to the used market and find competent tools. Professional photographers often update their gear to stay competitive, so many of their models from previous years have ended up on eBay for great prices. If you don't have the $5,000 Canon R3 or 1Dx Mark III, that's okay. You can find the 1Dx or even the 1D Mark IV at bargain prices under $1,000. Even if you don't have the $10,000 f2.8 100-300mm from Canon, you can still pick up a perfect f2.8 300mm for around $1,500.

But still, depending on the sports you intend to shoot, you will need good, strong, fast camera bodies and equally good lenses. A 300mm or 400mm lens will work well if you're doing field sports. Many photographers prefer to use the 400mm lens, but it is much more expensive and you don't always need that extra 100mm. However, the focal length and maximum aperture of the lens are calculated when the subject is separated from the background, so you should use a long lens with a wide aperture; f2.8 works best. For the second camera, a 70-200mm with 2.8 should be enough to freeze the action when it's close to you. For indoor sports, an f2.8 70-200mm is a must; for the second camera, an 85mm f1.4 would be perfect (or a 50mm f1.4 if you're on a lower budget). The lights in sports arenas are less bright for your cameras than they appear to your naked eye.

Try shooting sports with two cameras and different lenses on them. Because the action happens quickly, you don't have time to switch lenses when players get too close, and it's much easier and faster to leave one camera with the long lens on the ground and capture the other with a shorter lens. turned on. that. The “leave it on the ground” part is why I insist on solid hardware; sometimes, you have to do it relatively quickly.

It is also essential to have a folding camping bench to sit and photograph players from a lower level (sitting directly on the ground for 2 hours will be challenging when you are shooting) and a monopod for the lens long because those big guns can weigh quite a lot. The 400mm f2.8 weighs 3 kilograms and the 300mm f2.8 weighs about 2.5 kilograms; it might sound doable when you think about it, but holding them by hand for 2 hours straight is no easy feat.

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Master your photography skills and equipment

Good luck to us sports photography it depends a lot on mastering the camera settings and being versatile when working in manual mode. Capturing fast-moving action requires quick reflexes and a deep understanding of your gear.

You have to adapt to changing light conditions and use the right settings for each situation. Usually, to freeze the action, you'll need a shutter speed above 1/1000. However, you may also want a nice separation from the background, so if you're using f2.8, you may need to go to a shutter speed of 1/2000, depending on available light. This will work for field sports, but if you're indoors, you may need to push the shutter to f2.0 or less and the ISO to 2000 or more to keep the shutter speed as high as possible. possible.

Learn to use AI Servo focus mode to capture sharp photos when the subject is in constant motion. Also, make a habit of checking your settings whenever you can. Not always, because you have to follow the action and always be ready to shoot, but whenever the action is low, take a look at those settings and check if everything is still as it should be.

Once you have mastered the basicsexperiment with creative techniques like zooming and panning. Zooming involves using a slower shutter speed (1/15 to 1/40) as you zoom in or out during exposure, creating a dynamic burst effect. Conversely, panorama requires you to follow the subject at a slow shutter speed (1/80 to 1/100), resulting in a sharp subject against a motion-blurred background. Both techniques take practice, but can produce stunning, unique images of great, inspiring sports moments.

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Find the right place of sale

Considering their editorial nature, stock photo agencies may not be your top choice of place to sell your work. Celebrity media usually pay high sums for record shots. However, if you are not working exclusively with a media outlet, remember that stock photo sales can be a steady source of income for an indefinite period. You can sell the same shot as many times as you want. Stock photo platforms allow you to non-exclusively upload and sell your images to various clients, from media to businesses, indefinitely and indefinitely, under various license agreements. An image can be your constant source of income for a lifetime, sometimes generating thousands of dollars from sales on stock sites.

News outlets, blogs, and magazines illustrate articles, reports, and stories using editorial photos, and often, they source their images from stock photo platforms. A stock photography agency markets and sells your work to a diverse clientele around the world, increasing your exposure and visibility without putting in any extra effort other than uploading your file to them. In addition, stock photo agencies usually protect your images and intellectual property rights. Despite the challenges, you will find this game worth playing.