High frame rates can help in some ways, but they’re no substitute for spatial awareness and being one step ahead of the game when you’re working as a sports photographer. We look at some of the best who we’ve spoken to over the years. See what makes them produce amazing sporting photographs time and again. Here are some of the best sports photographers we’ve interviewed.
Damian Strohmeyer
Daimien’s work has been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated over 70 times, so it’s not a stretch to say that he’s photographed some of the most famous athletes ever. He’d covered 27 Super Bowls when we last spoke to him in 2015. Losing a vital shot to manual focus in the 90s made him realize that autofocus might be worth looking into.
Jim Bryant
Jim got his first steps in photography by watching his stepfather develop and contact print his 4 x 5 Speed Graphic negatives in the kitchen of their home. Today he’s a Pulitzer Prize-nominated photojournalist with around 40 years of experience. Read our interview with him to learn more about how he captures great sports images.
It’s important to pay attention to what’s happening out on the field during the entire game or you’ll miss the shot
Jim Bryant
Yannick Schurwanz
A former athlete, Yannick transitioned to photography and now takes eye-catching portraits of other athletes and sportspersons. While most sports photographers enjoy fast shutter speeds to freeze action, Yannick likes to slow things down and use colorful lights.
Zach Tarrant
Zach is a sports photographer who’s shot NFL for teams like the Houston Texans and the Minnesota Vikings. But he finds training his camera on professional wrestlers to be more exciting. He loves capturing a visual variety of emotions and finds that being ringside helps him achieve this quickly.
Khadejeh Nikouyeh
It was her mother’s dream to see her graduate from college, and Khadejeh decided to get into photojournalism to honor her dream. She ate, slept, and breathed photojournalism to focus on cultivating her craft and building her portfolio. Attending a chance Friday night high school football game made her realize how much she wanted to capture the on-field action.
Michele Grenier
Michele really enjoys getting photos of dramatic and emotional moments that occur when sportspersons are off the field. Most of these shots find their way to her lens while shooting indoor action. See some of her recent work taken with a wide angle Tamron 20-40mm in our recent feature with her.
Jean Yves Lemoigne
Some of the planet’s most flexible and tough fighters can be seen in a Muay Thai ring. But did you know many fighters practice an elegant pre-fight ritual dance known as Wai Khru Ram Muay? Jean Yves did a really cool photoshoot some years ago to showcase this.
All images are used with permission and are copyrighted by the respective photographers. The lead image is by Jim Bryant.