Sports Photography

Sports photography is about one thing above all else: the decisive moment. Getting there requires fast glass, a camera with reliable subject tracking, an understanding of the sport you're covering, and the anticipation to be ready before the action peaks. This section covers the gear and technique for shooting sports at every level, from local games to professional events.

Pushing Boundaries: A Different Take on Photographing Sports

Outdoor photographer Rainer Eder has teamed up with Swiss mountain sports brand Mammut to produce Pushing Boundaries, a visually arresting photo series that reimagines what athletic determination looks like when it's taken out of its natural habitat. Instead of pristine alpine settings, elite athletes are placed into unexpected, often industrial environments — spaces that test their physical ability, adaptability, and mindset.

What Is It Like to Photograph a 24-Hour Race?

2026 marked the fifth time I worked IMSA’s season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona race, but only the third as a photographer. My first two races focused on writing magazine articles; as a photographer, I still have a lot to learn and continue to find my way creatively.

The Free Photo Economy Is Ruining Sports Photography

When outlets can fill galleries with “credit-only” submissions, quality drops, prices crater, and working shooters quietly burn out. I’ve been part of the problem. Here’s why I’m done working for free—and how I’m building paid alternatives that serious shooters can copy without burning bridges.

175+ Cameras and Virtual Chains: Inside Sony’s Massive Super Bowl LX Tech Blitz

Whether you’re a die-hard football fan or just watching Super Bowl LX for the multi-million-dollar commercials and the halftime show, there is one thing we can all agree on: the sheer scale of the production is staggering. This weekend, Super Bowl LX kicks off in San Francisco, and Sony is bringing an insane mountain of gear to ensure every single moment is captured in high definition.

Why I Shoot JPEG for Youth Sports (And Don’t Miss Raw)

By the time I pack up my monopod and walk off the field on a Saturday, my memory cards are loaded with a thousand frames. By Sunday morning, parents are already texting to ask when the gallery goes up. That’s the job: move fast, stay consistent, and tell the story of the game without spending the rest of the week dragging sliders. That’s why I shoot JPEG—on purpose, not by accident, not because I don’t know what Raw can do, but because the work I do doesn’t require me to excavate shadows five stops deep. It requires timing, clear color, and a fast delivery.

Small Body, Big Sideline: A Month on the Canon EOS R7 with My Old Canon EOS 6D

The first time the R7 choked on a third-and-short, I felt it in my chest. I was on the sideline, ten yards ahead of the play, finger down, trusting the tiny motor under my thumb to keep up with a world that had just gone from strolling to sprinting. Five… six… seven frames in and the picture flow hiccupped—the stream turned to a stutter—and my running back chose that half-second to change direction and break a tackle. I have a folder full of the prelude and not the punchline. With my old 6D, the pace was honest and simple: a handful of frames per second and an optical viewfinder that never lied. The R7 is a hummingbird by comparison—faster, sharper, with extra reach that feels like cheating—until it teaches you that speed without rhythm is just noise.

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro for Youth Football on Canon 6D

Tell most sports shooters you’re covering a football game with a 100mm macro and they’ll smile politely, the way you smile at someone who swears by decaf. But youth football isn’t the NFL. The field is smaller, the pace is choppier, and the best stories live within arm’s length of the sideline. In that environment—under sun, not stadium lamps—the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro on a Canon 6D is a secret weapon.

How to Tell a Story With a Single Image: Lessons From the Dugout

The best baseball photographs don’t always happen when the crowd is standing and the lights buzz a little hotter. Sometimes the picture you keep is the one that smells like rosin and bubblegum—the quiet breath between pitches when the game is thinking about what it wants to be next.

Pandemonium Erupts at the US Open After Photographer Steps on Court

The opening round of the 2025 US Open was supposed to be a routine night of tennis. Instead, it turned into one of the wildest scenes the sport has witnessed in years, complete with a photographer on the court, a furious Daniil Medvedev berating the chair umpire, and Benjamin Bonzi somehow surviving the chaos to win in five sets.

The OWC Envoy Ultra: Thunderbolt 5 Enabling Over 5 GB/s on a Portable Drive!

With every new generation of camera producing larger files and higher bitrates, the demand for faster transfer speeds is relentless. Now, with Apple's M4 Pro and M4 Max chips ushering in the new Thunderbolt 5 standard, the goalposts have moved once again. Can the OWC Envoy Ultra deliver the next step-change in portable drive speeds?

Top Ten Questions With Kevin Jairaj

Kevin Jairaj has been the Official Photographer for the College Football Playoff National Championship since its inception in 2015 and has become sought after for sports, weddings, and events in London; Trinidad and Tobago; the Bahamas; the USA; and, especially, his home state of Texas. Kevin has covered multiple Super Bowls and the Olympics. He shares why double exposures aren't artful, why panning skill is essential, and which standard piece of gear is "obsolete."

Real-Time MLS Soccer Coverage With the Sony a9 III and PDT-FP1

Get an inside look at what it takes to cover an MLS soccer match at the Seattle Sounders, featuring Sony's flagship a9 III global shutter full frame mirrorless camera, and the PDT-FP1, an all-new portable data transmitter for creators.

Gear Up for the Olympics: Must-Have Lenses for Sports Photographers

The countdown to the Olympic Games is on, and the world shifts focus to the multi-sport event which takes place in Paris this summer. From athletics to equestrian to diving, we explore the best and most versatile lenses for sports photography and crown the best camera body and lens combination for the job.

Pro Strategies for Sports Photography

When you're shooting sports, knowing the game is key. It's about anticipating the action and being ready to capture those peak moments. Timing is everything, and the better you know the sport, the more consistently you'll make great pictures.

Peak Design and Roam Media Core Launch Sports Photography Scholarship

Have you ever flipped through an REI catalog with a twinge of despair, or gazed with more questions than answers at the DICK’s Sporting Goods billboard? Perhaps you’ve wondered who shot those jobs and how they got the contract? Standing in the camping section, you suddenly realize why the 20-year-old employee is looking at you oddly. You have been staring at the billboard for who knows how long in a state of perplexed despair. Articles that line your LinkedIn feed extol the value of “networking,” but who to network with and how to gain access to these gatekeepers didn't come attached. You want a shot, but you don’t seem to be able to get your hands on that opportunity. If that description hits home, and if you are a female, you want to read on about the Peak Design & The Roam Collective Photography Scholarship.

A Hands-on Experience With the Sony a9 III

The announcement of the Sony a9 III set the photography world alight with excitement as it became the first camera to feature a global shutter. In this video from Julia Trotti, she puts the camera through its paces in a sports environment. Let's see how she gets on.

Photographer Takes Direct Hit From NFL Pass

In the world of sports photography, capturing the perfect moment often comes with its risks, as vividly illustrated during Sunday's NFL game at MetLife Stadium. While the New York Jets and Washington Commanders battled it out on the field, a photographer, engrossed in capturing the intense action, experienced an unexpected hazard of the job.

Sony 400mm Lens Saves Sports Photographer From 104 MPH Foul Ball

Jim Rassol wasn't expecting to have his $12,000 Sony 400.. G Master lens smashed when he headed in to photograph an MLB game on June 24, 2023. Check out the story of how his lens saved him from injury and the community rallied together to help him fix his lens.

How to Become a Commercial Photographer

Have you ever walked by a beauty image on the shelf at ULTA or scrolled by a brilliant shot on Instagram and thought: “I want to make images like that”? Or perhaps you are a photographer who saw a picture and thought: “I could have shot that better!” You have the skills, but you don’t know how to break into the commercial market. In this article, I’ll share about how to break into the market and disclose tips and tricks to succeed in the commercial photography space.

How to Improve Your Sports Action Photography

When it comes to sports portraits and action photography, employing a bit of artificial light can make a huge difference by giving you the ability to shape the look of the frame and add a lot of drama to the image. If you are ready to get started working with artificial light in your sports action portraiture, check out this excellent video tutorial that will give you a range of helpful tips and advice sure to put you on the right track. 

5 Photographs You Need to Get When You Photograph Basketball

It takes years of practice to become good at sports photography. Basketball, for example, is fast-paced, with frequent turnovers. When covering a game, you need to be attentive to all of the action happening on the court. But even if you photograph all of the crucial plays, something may be missing from your coverage. This article will help you understand the variety of potential shots at a basketball game and what you need to do to ensure that you capture them properly.

Photographing the World Cup: An Interview With Ammar Hassan

Have you ever seen the camera pan across the photographers during the World Cup and wondered: "How did they get that job? What is that lens they're shooting with?" Well, Fstoppers, I have all the answers for you. I had the privilege to chat with Ammar Hassan, who covered not one, but four World Cup championships, and he was gracious to tell us all about what it's like to photograph the world's most watched sporting event. 

The Sigma 60-600mm vs the Sony 200-600mm: Best Wildlife Zoom Lens Shootout

Lens makers these days are coming up with some incredible options that were unheard of just a few short years ago. That continues here, with the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 lens put up against the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 in a battle for the title of best wildlife lens. You could also make a case for it being an action sports lens shootout too. So, how do they perform, and which comes out on top?

Pushing a Camera to its Limits on a Low Light Husky Ride

If you want to know how good your camera is, pushing its abilities as far as they will go is the way to find out. Combining speed, vibration, and low light stretches its photographic capabilities, and flying mud, rain, and thick fog help too.

The Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 Sports Lens Review

Sigma describes this lens as its "flagship" lens, but how does it perform in the hands of an independent reviewer? Take a look and find out if it lives up to the hype.

Savage Sports Photography

How do you get “the shot”? The saliva spewing out, as a fighter gets the decisive knockout blow. The sprinters desperately leaning forward in to gain the winning inch as they cross the finish line. The water tracing the swimmer's face as they come up gasping for air. Sporting events happen so fast, and even if you make the most of your camera's impressive burst rate, it takes a lot more to nail your sports photos. These are three pillars I always lean on to create savage sports imagery.

Video Shows Camera Operator Hit in Head by Home Run

During the May 16 Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game, Diamondbacks left fielder David Peralta turned on a Craig Kimbrel fastball, lifting it for a home run over the right field fence. Unfortunately, the ball came down on the head of a camera operator standing on top of the outfield wall. 

What It Is Like to Cover F1 Racing

Mark Thompson is a Getty Images photographer with over 25 years of experience covering F1 races, including Red Bull Racing. I spoke with him to gain insight into what it is like to cover this competition.

Nikon Z9 Firmware Update Makes It Even More Incredible

The Nikon Z-series has a highly impressive firmware update coming, particularly for the Z9. Version 2.0 turns Z9 into a videography and sports photography titan, and if you have any interest in using it for either of those (or a great many other uses), you're going to want to check this out.

Photographer Hit by Errant Golf Tee Shot

On February 9, at the Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am Tournament, a photographer was hit by an errant tee shot, with the event captured on video. 

Canon R3 Versus Sony a1 Versus Nikon Z9: The Best Flagship Camera

Canon, Sony, and Niko: the three major manufacturers within the photography industry. For a long time, Canon and Nikon held a duopoly, until Sony started producing full-frame mirrorless cameras. We now have a triopoly with Canon, Nikon, and Sony going to head to head with their flagship cameras. 

NFL Cameraman Takes Ball to the Head, Still Gets His Shot

People who work on the field and sidelines of NFL games are often in harm's way from players crashing around and off the field during plays, but occasionally, it is a flying ball that causes trouble. One veteran cameraman showed off his toughness recently when a Nick Folk field goal came down directly on his head.