Tips for Soccer...

[mnmcote]

What have you guys got for photography tips for capturing photographs of soccer?

 

[imagemaker46]

If you can shoot from the end downfield it will give you some separation from the background. The light looks very nice in the photo you posted, but it wasn't used as effectively as it could have been. Shooting from the end zone behind/beside the net is really one of the best zones. You can shoot from the sides as well, if the backgrounds are clean. Unfortunately for most recreational soccer games, there are usually, trees, cars and lots of people it the backgrounds. Look for the cleanest point and hope to get enough action passing in front. Soccer is really a waiting game.

 

[astroNikon]

Someone wrote a long list of best methods for soccer shots .. I'llgo look for it.
But basically what Scott said above.

The Action shots that the parents like of their kids that I take are mostly from the end zone going out.
Knowing how to play the game and what to expect are key to getting shots just right .. also knowing any lag in your camera to time it just right.

 

[astroNikon]

here's a good one

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...orum/355543-shooting-major-league-soccer.html

 

[gsgary]

When shooting football never follow the ball try and predict where it is going

 

[manaheim]

I'll toss some quick tips... I didn't read astro's referenced post there, but I'm sure it says more than what I know.

1. With kids, get down low to shoot.
2. Try to shoot as much as possible from near the goal as you'll find more of the action coming towards you.
3. If one particular team is generally ahead, they'll likely be at their opposing side's goal more. Be aware of that.
4. Try to get your subjects with the sun on their front. Keep in mind soccer switches sides at half-time, so if your team is not running into the sun now, they will be later.
5. Watch for background distractions- often unavoidable, but be aware.
6. Try to get the shots where the people are WITH the ball. Those are going to be your best action moments.
7. Shoot in bursts or fire rapidly manually. Look through each burst and pick the best shots.
8. Shoot on shutter priority if you can and keep the shutter speed up high.

 

[TheNevadanStig]

One more: Good facial contact and showing of emotion is a must. You are not going to get a lot of hardcore "action" with soccer as opposed to some other sports, so that facial contact/emotion takes a pretty high priority.

 

[gsgary]

One more: Good facial contact and showing of emotion is a must. You are not going to get a lot of hardcore "action" with soccer as opposed to some other sports, so that facial contact/emotion takes a pretty high priority.

Like this one

 

[gsgary]

Football is a sport i used to hate shooting, rugby and cricket was my thing

 

[Hof8231]

While I shoot mostly American football, my feelings about shooting both of these sports is similar. Most of these are personal preference, but I think you might find something helpful.

1. Shoot from field level. Obviously this is not an issue if you're shooting smaller leagues that play outdoors with no real stands, but I find it's important. In my opinion, the higher up a shot is taken, the more it looks like just a fan snapshot than a professional photo, no matter how good it turns out. Again, my opinion.

2. Shooting from midfield is not as good in practice as it seems in theory. Sure, it sounds awesome to be right in the middle, but you're really making it more difficult to get good shots of where the scoring (and the most action) happens. There are a LOT of bodies on the field during most team sports, and they'll get in the way at the worst times. Not to mention that this is where the team/parents/fans set up camp during the games mostly. I try to shoot from behind or close to the goal line in American football and between the 6 and 18 in soccer (occasionally behind the goal line, but rarely). You'll miss some action at the other end, but in my opinion a great shot down at the close end is better than getting a decent shot at both ends from mid field.

3. Try to cover as much focal range as possible. Whether this means carrying 2-3 body/lens combos or using 1 body with something like a 28-300 (beautiful for outdoor sports,) I feel this is very important. A 70-200 will be a good range for most things, but having a quality wide-angle can come in real handy.

4. Learn as much about the sport itself as possible. I don't know your level of soccer knowledge so I don't mean this to be offensive if you know a lot, but I find it more important than anything. If you know the sport well, you'll be able to anticipate action well. If you can anticipate the action, you will get much better shots. As ridiculous as it sounds, before I started working for the indoor American football team I work for, I spent a lot of time watching old indoor/arena football games. It really helped me get it down and know what to expect. I'm really glad I did, too, because while I know football, indoor football is a whole different game. Much like watching how World Cup soccer is considerably different than a league of 13 year olds lol.

5. Shooting modes: Fast shutter speeds (I like to use at least 1/500.) Continuous focus mode, more open apertures (f/2.8-5.6) for subject isolation. I personally recommend using Shutter Priority or Manual Mode with auto ISO. I feel this always gives me the best results. Again, you may have something else you're more comfortable with.

6. Know your background. I know that shooting sports, there will almost always be SOMETHING in the background, but I always try to find a spot that will give me the best chances of having minimal possible distractions in the shot. That's one benefit of shooting from a higher vantage point, but I still don't like doing it.

I know a lot of these are personal opinions and might not be what you're looking for, but I hope at least something in my ramblings will be useful to you. The most important thing is always to just practice as much as possible.