PROJECT 3
Matty Graham shares his tactics to help you take premier league photos
It’s our nation’s favourite sport, and netting great football shots can feel like a win too! Successful images capture a moment in time and help tell the story of the match; scoring a goal, battling in a tackle, the jubilance of victory or the pain of defeat.
While pitchside access at bigger games will be limited, there are plenty of lower league options available to photographers looking to practise their craft, so head to a local game and get permission to take some action shots. There are, however, a few techniques you can incorporate into your photo game to improve your chances of taking winning photos. Some of these elements are kit-based, but most are focused around EOS skills.
By selecting the right focus and drive modes, you are giving your camera more chances of capturing those sharp, split-second shots that all sports photographers seek out. Ready for the first-half whistle? Let’s kick off!
THE SETUP FOR FOOTBALL FOCUS
Discover kit you’ll need to keep to get ahead at the big match...
It may sound like an inconsequential item, but for football you’ll standing around for 90 mins. At more professional games, you will need to kneel so you don’t block fans’ views. So pack a cheap foldable stool, it also means you’ll be lower for better shots.
To zoom in on the action we used a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM on our EOS R6 with the EF-EOS R adapter, but an f/2.8 option would provide faster shutter speeds and lower ISOs. Focal lengths of 300mm or 400mm may be needed at big grounds.
Football games are action-packed, so it’s likely your high burst modes, Image Stabilisation and constant autofocusing will drain your batteries and fill cards quickly. Pack plenty of spares or even use a battery grip to give you extra juice.
PRO TIP
If your camera offers dual memory card slots, be sure to make full use of them. With two cards you can either massively extend how many shots you can capture without the need to swap cards (where you could miss that vital moment), or you can choose to record your photos to both cards at the same time which will create an instant back-up in case one of your memory cards fail.
STEP 1 DIAL IN SETTINGS
Let’s start by taking a look at which settings you should use. One approach is to shoot in Shutter priority mode (Tv on the dial) and to set a fast shutter of around 1/640 sec, with the camera then selecting the correct aperture thanks to this being a semi-automatic mode. But, I prefer to work in Aperture priority mode (Av on the mode dial) and set my aperture to the widest allowed
