May I see your best soccer photo?

[jason j]

Hello, I have been shooting children's soccer games for the past few years.

Although I am a rank amateur, parents really enjoy the finished photographs,

which has given me the encouragement and feedback that I need to improve. This

has also made me wonder about the experiences and expertise of other people who

photograph soccer matches. So here are my questions: What ways of photographing

soccer games have helped you get great shots and would you please show me your

best soccer images? Thanks!<div></div>

[philg]

As a poor grad student, I went to a few games with a medium-quality zoom lens and a tripod and came up with what you see in

 

http://philip.greenspun.com/soccer/

 

I had zero knowledge of the game and no special skills. You can't choose where you stand, since the field itself is off-limits. A digital camera helps since you will be throwing away 95 percent of your photos. A 300mm lens (35mm equivalent; 200mm on small-sensor digital SLRs) is nice to have. A rapidly responding single-lens reflex camera is essential (i.e., no point and shoots!). Set the camera for "continuous" autofocus so that it will track motion. Use shutter priority and set the shutter speed to 1/750th of a second. On a cloudy day this might require an ISO 400 setting on the digital camera or ISO 400 film.

 

http://www.photo.net/learn/sports/overview

 

may be helpful.

[John Crowe]

I use a Canon 10D with Nikon manual focus lenses. I use the Nikon 400mm f2.8 AIS and Nikon 200mm f2 AI for all of my soccer shots. The best images come from the 400. I actually find the 400 too long on the 1.6x body and the 200 too short. I have often thought of adding a 300/2.8 again or one of those super slow 100-400mm autofocus lenses but I find the light gathering of the f2 and f2.8 primes too necessary, and the optical quality is phenomenal.

 

 

Why manual focus you ask? At the same price point I'd rather have a 400/2.8 than an autofocus 400/5.6 or 100-400/5.6. Similarly for the same price point I'd rather have a 200/2 than an autofocus 200/2.8. In both cases I can shoot at 100 ISO exclusively given good weather. The 200/2 came in handy for a recent night game and I was still able to shoot at ISO 800.

 

 

I use the 400/2.8 only on a monopod and I use the 200/2 handheld. This summer I took 1000 shots of my son's team and 1000 shots of my daughter's team. In camera I editted those numbers to half, and once on the computer I reduced it in half again. Going digital this year provided me way more opportunities to get good shots and it showed in my results.

 

 

Generally I stand behind the opposing goal line with the 400/2.8 and shoot "our" team head on as they come down the field. With the 200/2 I tend to run the lines to capture defensive players at one end and offensive players at the other.

 

 

I won't show the images of the other children here but here are a couple of my son and daughter.<div></div>

[John Crowe]

Another of my son. Sorry they are a bit small but I can never remember what our limitations are here.<div></div>

[John Crowe]

Can't leave out my daugther, the sweeper!<div></div>

[robbie_caswell]

Very nice, I like them alot.

[andykowalczyk]

Remember that the soccer motto is "Fair Play!" This applies to photographers as well. Traditionally no one (spectators, players, coaches) is allowed behind the goal lines. The international rules used to prescribe a "photographer's line" which kept photographers 6 meters from the back of the goal and 3 meters from the remainder of the goal line. Many leagues maintain similar rules. As your kids get to more competitive levels you will probably run into an "old-school" referee who will dismiss you from the goal lines. If you don't move he will view it as his responsibility to abandon the contest.

 

The basis for these rules is the same as not allowing baseball pitchers to have ripped sleeves - it is hard enough to hit a fastball without "noisy" backgrounds.

 

So just use common sense. Don't be distracting. Don't use flash.

[hughes]

Jason

 

I have some experience shooting soccer pics, I like to use a longer lens at wide open to isolate the background,one of the problems with kids soccer is cluttered backgrounds. Also remember the ball is crucialto the shot . My ideal lens is an 80-200mm but sometimes I use a 300mm here are a few of my shots

regards Steve<div></div>

[jmgatorbait]

Jason,

I've been shooting soccer about 5 yrs. I use a nikon d1h or a d100. I use a 80-200 2.8 or a 300 2.8 both nikon lenses.If at all possiable I try to keep the sun at my back it cuts down on post processing. Move around the field If you can. The ends are good if you can catch someone dribbling the ball towards you, and you can get some good headers from that vantage point after the goalie kicks. Try to anticipate the action and shoot as much as you can. Going to try to post a picture hope it comes through. Let me know what you think.

Jeff<div></div>

[hughes]

Another with a<div></div>

[hughes]

last one this with a 300mm the better the player the better chance of a dramatic shot I suppose

Steve<div></div>

[jason j]

Wow, what wonderful replies and images. I learned a great deal. Fortunately, my kids play their games between nine and noon, which means I get lots of light, including golden sidelight in early games and late practices. After reading these post, I'm going to purchase a faster focusing lens or focus manually. Thanks again.<div></div>

[andyjonesphotography]

The tongue helps you keep your balance.<div></div>

[John Crowe]

Dear Andrew:

 

 

It is common sense to use common sense.

 

 

Often with kids fields there is a walking path behind the goal line where families traverse during a game since they cram as many fields close together as possible. If I am shooting from the path or beyond then I am no more a distraction than the crowds. I rarely if ever go behind the net itself and if I am my 400/2.8 is taking me a heck of a lot further back than 6 metres/yards to catch action in front of the net. Again with the 400/2.8 behind the goal line beyond the net I often find myself back at least 10 metres. I will encroach closer to the goal line when the action is in front of the downfield net since even at that great distance the 400/2.8 can produce splendid images even when cropped. If referees say anything to me it is about my being nuts to use a lens that heavy, not about where I am standing. If I were asked to move I certainly would obey. If I am using the 200/2 on the sidelines then I am in the designated areas for spectators. I am of course always careful to stay clear of any "emotional" parents from the opposing teams when I am in "their" end. I have even been asked to get pictures of their kids too!

 

 

In the past year I have become more comfortable shooting from anywhere around the pitch keeping more than enough space from players and coaches on the sidelines. The fields are often surrounded by public park land that families are gathered on anyway while they await their game. I simply place myself where I will not be any more of a distraction than them. Again with a 400/2.8 and 1.6x DSLR this is pretty easy to do. Although I pretty much shoot my kids teams only when they are playing into the sun there are times when I want to take advantage of as much light as possible and need to move around the pitch.

 

 

If anyone is at a game wanting to take pictures from behind the goal line or any other area and are unsure of the situation simply ask the referee before the game starts. They are generally quite approachable and quite reasonable. This is not the World Cup yet!

[jordan2240]

Jason,

 

Like some of the other responders, I use manual focus. I have Pentax equipment, and it simply doesn't focus fast enough in auto focus mode, so I lose more shots in auto focus than I do shooting manually. My equipment as of late is an *ist DS with a 100-300 Sigma f/4. It helps to get to know your focusing ring well, but I still forget which way to turn it as the action gets closer sometime (I just need to remember "right is tight" for that lens). Unfortunately, I'm at work, so don't have access to any shots I've taken with that equipment, but below is a link to a shot I took with a digicam at one game. It still cracks me up when I look at. There are two of us who normally shoot at my son's high school games (the other guy is actually a pro photographer), and we both generally position ourselves in one corner of the field for the bulk of the game (generally near the end line of the goal our guys will be shooting at). We both use monopods as well. If nothing else, it's less tiring than holding the big lens all game. I've tried moving around the field, but that doesn't seem to work as well as staying still. The best shots definitely have the ball in the frame, but as with the linked photo, it's not always crucial. It can be very frustrating when you shoot rolls of film or entire memory cards and get very few keepers, but like golf, it's that one great shot that keeps you coming back for more.

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/2312749

[andykowalczyk]

John

 

I didn't expect such a direct response - I must've sounded more curmudgeonly than I intended (of course, since I AM an old curmudgeon, that is a constant risk :)

 

Your plan of action sounds very good. When I "refereed" for kindergartners (somebody has to retrieve the ball when it goes out of bounds) I wouldn't even wince if a parent occassionally darted onto the field to take a snap - a wide-angle shot looking down on the ball is a great view!

 

But for older, faster, more aggressive players - if somebody was hugging the goal line (or even a side line) with a 400mm lens I would definitely be concerned that the photographer might get run over and one of "my" kids would clunk himself on the head during the tumult.

 

But then I also stopped games to get parents to move back from the sidelines. I made little girls take off their earrings so they wouldn't risk nasty pullouts. And I didn't let the embarrassed kid who lost all his hair during chemo wear a ball cap during the game - the bill might poke somebody else (but I did give him my knit cap to wear - I think he kept it :)

 

Checking in with the ref before the game should cure all problems. Since there is a tradition of rules concerning photography, when one gets involved with a traveling team, high school games, or other elite leagues, just be aware that there might be specific rules that should be observed.

 

Andy

[wilsontsoi]

<a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/3899259">Here</a> is one from <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation?presentation_id=305788">last year.</a>

[drekephotography]

Here is a link to my soccer portfolio.

 

http://www.photo.net/photos/DrekePhotography

 

I cover 9 teams and shoot thousands of soccer photos each year. The best advise I have is to learn the game. Knowing when something might happen so you can anticipate the shot, really helps. Having fast equipment does help, although, I shoot my pictures a single frame at a time, even with my D2h.<div></div>

[robbie_caswell]

Here was one this weekend from a real tough llighting situation.<div></div>

[robbie_caswell]

Sorry, meant to crop it

[robbie_caswell]

shot2<div></div>

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

I'm new to shooting sports, but here's one of my youngest son's team in action.

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/4333715

 

Lots of nice shots in this thread, along with great suggestions. Thanks!

[conrad_stoll1]

UT Soccer

[mbrown]

I'm fairly happy with this shot, he managed to save the goal as well... <A HREF="http://www.photo.net/photo/4950248">Goalie Save</A>

[gail_simmons]

I use a rebel xt 70-200 2.8 with 1.4x extender. What is the best manual settings for high school soccer?