Things to remember when photographing your athletes!
I MISS these days of the killer action shots that I used to be able to get from Farron's soccer games! These are some AMAZING memories to have!
Capturing fun runs, summer sports leagues, competitions, or sports camps has always been a TON of fun to me and it's so fun to see that side of us, and our families as they grow! Looking back for some shots to include in this blog warmed my heart with all the youth soccer, races for their elementary school and the sports they did just for fun during the summer!! By gosh, we have done A LOT in their short 19 and 21 years!!!
Camera tip: when you take pictures during sports with lots of movement, set your camera with a high enough shutter speed to avoid blur! Also on your phone, most have the burst mode available, where you can take many shots in a short period of time, guaranteeing that you will have a few that are beautifully focused! I do this a lot at the gym when I photograph athletes when they are moving / lifting! I just use my iPhone and have excellent results, even indoors!
In addition to action, get the shots that help tell the story, especially of special events that may not happen all that often!
Below are some places over the years that I have remembered to photograph and wow did they bring back memories, some of which I had forgotten until I dug into the archives!!
Fun Runs
Just as they are titled...these are FUN! I have done quite a few over the years and always enjoy the hype, the camaraderie and how so many people will get involved because it's FUN! What a fantastic idea to get people more interested, at any age, of fitness!!
Just like any event, remember to photograph the elements surrounding the event, like below where Gabby and I were awaiting the start of the race, to help remember the big picture of your memory! It was cold, we were ready to run, and there were TONS of people!!
Just like any event, remember to photograph the elements surrounding the event, like below where Gabby and I were awaiting the start of the race, to help remember the big picture of your memory! It was cold, we were ready to run, and there were TONS of people!!
This was a Turkey Trot that the girls and I ran and I laughed at how I looked utterly exhausted in the shot below, at the end, and Gabby looked like she was just cruisin with ease! 😏
Farron prepping for her sprint race!
"Let a boy beat me? Heck no!" 😁
Rec sports teams, Club teams and Camps
Many of our kids will participate in soccer, baseball/t-ball, golf, track, etc...on a league that they may do year round, or just as a fun activity during the warmer months! I know that my own kids had activities that they did every year and it was SO fun to see how much they improve, how well they fit into their huge jerseys lol, and how their personal "style" changes! I always tried to take at least one day and get some shots of them doing their thing!
Speed and Agility Camp at Pomona High School was a favorite for my girls and a bunch of their friends who played soccer! Gabby, jumping UP the hill!
Another sprint session, something this kid was good at!
This wasn't her first season but the uniforms were still so huge on these tiny bodies!!
Back on Gabby's first year in the competitive league with Edge (now Real Edge)....and the uniforms were black and white instead of blue and white!
I remember this was her first huge tournament, held out at Dicks Sporting Goods Park! The Denver Cup!
Indoor athletics
Sometimes indoor pictures can be a little more tricky but with cell phones today, or if you have a digital camera, you can get some really fun memory shots of activities that aren't beautifully lit! I remember this room where all the girls would get their shoes on and ready for class!! I snuck in one day and grabbed a shot!
The girl's studio would always have a parent's night where they would show us what they were learning and we could see the costumes that the dance instructors picked out for the recital each year! I am so glad to have this piece in their athletic journey!
The girls loved gymnastics and participated for quite a few years, both eventually advancing to the team! I may have forgotten how tiny she was when she did this! I found this green leotard just the other day!!
Grainy pics but fantastic memories!
Water Sports
Gabby did so well on the wake board! I totally forgot about this endeavor until I went looking for some sample images for the blog! SO glad to have these action shots!
High School and more advanced sports
Not that pictures of the little ones isn't the absolute best, but when you hit high school, stuff get's real and the pictures can be amazing! Capturing expressions in cheer and the enthusiasm radiating from her face in fantastic!
Gabby cheered 4 years on Varsity cheer for her HS and excelled! It was so much fun to watch her journey of athletics through the years to reach this point!
Photographing top level club soccer games was what I LIVED for at this age! I got a chance every weekend to top the last weekend's pictures lol! Something new was always happening, never the same shot! This was one of my all time favorite games that I photographed in Farron's last year of soccer! It was highly physical and exciting!
Capturing action is SO. MUCH. FUNNNNN!
It's fun to catch the fouls too! Leggo!!! ;-)
Farron never lost possession of the ball in this shot...I have a series of images from these 5 seconds!
Lastly, don't forget YOU, or your spouse/ significant other! It's great to showcase each other as we stay fit into our adult hood!! You can use them to see how far you have come or possibly where you would like to get back to!! These are also pictures that you kids will really value having of you!!
Robbie is an athlete at our gym who kills it out there!
Remembering us grown ups is equally as valuable, for us to use as bench markers and for our kids to have as memories of us as we, ahem, get older.... 😛
Wrapping things up, remember your camera whether it is a digital SLR, a point and shoot, or your phone! This is another amazing part of life, both childhood and adulthood! We must remember these moments of greatness! They may provide you with a good chuckle, a warmed heart like mine was writing this, or renewed inspiration!
I love love LOVE love to connect so reach out if you like to connect too! Follow on my social media accounts if you don't already and want daily interaction! Drop your site and I would love to follow back and see what trips your trigger!!
Until next week!! Keep shooting and capturing those memories!! Love to everyone that takes the time to stop by, read and appreciate my blogs! I appreciate you more than you may realize!! 💗