High volume sports photography is a demanding but rewarding area of the photography world. Whether you’re shooting high school championships, or professional events, the ability to deliver a large volume of high-quality images is essential. This blog will dive into some high volume photography tips and strategies to help you stand out.
Table of Contents
What is High Volume Photography for Sports?
High volume sports photography is common in school sports events, championships, and even professional sports events. Photographers are often required to capture a large number of images of events and deliver them quickly in a short period of time.
When doing high volume photography for sports, you may need to capture images of an entire team or many athletes in a season or a day. Because athletes’ movements are sometimes unpredictable, you need to have quick reaction ability, the ability to predict movements, and photography equipment that can meet the requirements of fast shooting. In addition, the number of images in high volume photography is very large, and you also need an efficient workflow to sort, edit, and deliver the photos. This often requires the use of high volume photography software that allow for fast and batch editing to meet tight deadlines.
6 Tips for High Volume Sports Photographers
Here are six tips for high volume photographer to help you capture the action efficiently while taking stunning images.
Preparation for High Volume Sports Photography
High volume sports photography requires more than just showing up with a camera. Before you start shooting, you need to prepare in advance. Firstly, understand the rules and procedures of the game you are shooting. This knowledge will help you predict key moments, such as a goal or a slam dunk. Secondly, you can visit the venue before the game starts. Identify possible shooting locations and consider the lighting conditions and perspectives that will give you the best results. In addition, standing for long periods of time is common, so to prevent fatigue from affecting your performance, you should wear a pair of comfortable shoes.
Choose the Right Gear
To take satisfying sports photos, you need to invest in the right camera, lens, and other equipment.
Camera
Make sure your camera has a burst mode. Use a camera with a fast burst speed so you can shoot continuously without missing the key moments. Also, sports photography requires a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. For most sports, a shutter speed of 1/1000 second or faster is ideal. However, if you are shooting a sport like swimming, try using a slightly slower speed to create a blurry effect.
Lens
A telephoto lens is your best choice. A 300mm or 400mm prime lens is very valuable for larger venues or stadiums. You can use them to take close-up shots. A 70-200mm zomm lens is suitable for a variety of sports, and you can switch the focal length to capture the scene you want.
Tripod
For long outdoor shoots, especially when using a heavy telephoto lens, a tripod is a must-have. It provides stability and helps you take clear photos.
Finally, do a gear check before shooting. Make sure your equipment is in top condition. Charge all batteries and have spare cards, batteries, and lenses ready.
Master the Shots
When it comes to high volume photography, it’s not just quantity; quality is significant, too. You can take premium high volume sports photos with these tips:
- Focus on eyes and facial expressions. If you want to take a stunning shot, shoot a close-up of the athlete’s face. The eyes and expression can convey the emotion at the moment.
- Use the Rule of Thirds. While shooting fast-moving subjects, keep composition in mind. The rule of thirds can help you frame your shots in an aesthetically pleasing way.
- Focus on framing. Always try to capture the entire action in the frame. Leave some space around the athlete and avoid incomplete compositions.
- Predict key moments. By knowing the rules of the game ahead of time, you can predict where and when the action will occur. This can greatly increase your chances of getting the perfect shots.
Manage High Volume Photos
High volume photography means you’ll be taking hundreds or even thousands of photos at once. However, you also need to manage these images efficiently. Therefore, it’s crucial to establish an efficient workflow. You can use Zno Instant™ with unlimited storage to store all your images. Also, remember to use naming conventions for sets for easy retrieval later.
Apart from this, you need to batch-edit your pictures. With Automatic AI Retouching Feature, you can apply the same basic adjustments to volume photos at the same time. Our editing tool can save you hours and greatly improve your work efficiency.
Deliver Your Photos On Time
In high volume sports photography, timely delivery of final work is crucial, especially when clients expect to receive their photos on time.
To best serve your photography services, you should communicate with your clients in advance. Discuss about their expectations regarding the quantity, quality, and delivery time of images before the shoot. Communicating these details upfront can avoid misunderstandings later on.
Zno Instant™ is a live photo stream, you can share all your high volume photos with your customers in real time. They can easily select the photos they want in this app and download them. In addition, you can also encourage them to upload their sports photos to social media platforms instantly.
The most exciting thing is that with the AI Facial Recognition Function, your customers can easily find the pictures they want. This technology employs sophisticated algorithms to analyze facial features in photos. It can identify individuals across various images, regardless of the lighting conditions, angles, or facial expressions.
Take Care of Yourself
If you are outdoors for a long time shooting high volume sports photography, you may be exhausted. So you need to replenish water and energy. Bring your water bottle and snacks, which will help you maintain your focus and energy.
High volume photography is a challenging style of photography. With full-preparation, right gear, and technique, you can effectively capture large numbers of high-quality images. By mastering the art of high volume sports photography, you can capture the passion and excitement of sports for your clients and grow your photography business.
About Zno Instant™
Zno Instant™ is great for photographing the sports events of your clients. They can share images during live events with QR codes instantly. Sign up for a free account and elevate your high volume sports photography business today!
