Wide-angle lenses in sports photography
Techniques
14 September 2007 10:22
Think of lenses to take along to most sports and action events and most people will immediately reach for the longest telephoto in their armoury. These will be ideal for many shots, especially when you can’t get close to the action. But even with the subject filling the frame, the distant viewpoint can make the action look isolated and lacking impact. This is all down to perspective and the shallow depth-of-field you get with telephoto lenses.
View any event from a distance and it‘s difficult to feel like you are part of the action. The closer you are, the easier it is to get a real sense of the drama and scale of the subject. From this closer viewpoint it’s also easier to include more of the surroundings to capture more of the occasion. So you need to get in close and use a wider lens to get this whole new viewpoint to your action shots.
Choosing the right event or sport is the key to getting stunning wide-angle sports shots. There’s little point taking your wide-angle lens to a Formula 1 Grand Prix or Premier League football match – you just won’t get close enough to the action. So you need to think a little more low-key to find suitable events. Look out for smaller events such as mountain biking, local athletics, motocross and ice hockey, where it’s possible for anyone to get right next to the action. It’s even possible to get close enough to sports such as motor racing with a wide-angle lens if you pick the lower-key, local events.
When you are right next to the action the subject will often speed past you in a fraction of a second, giving you, or the camera, little time to focus. The solution is to use a technique known as pre-focusing. Set the camera to manual focus and try to set the focus to where the subject is likely to be when you want to fire the shutter. This is easiest when the action is more predictable, like motor racing or mountain biking, but with a little practice you can use the same technique on most sports.
If you use an aperture of f/8 or smaller, the large depth-of field will ensure that most of the scene will be sharp. But if you are very close to the subject or have to use a wide aperture such as f/2.8 or f/4 you’ll need to brush-up on your pre-focusing to ensure the subject is sharp.
Even if you are right next to the action, using a wide-angle lens means that you’ll include much more of the background in your shot than you would with a telephoto lens. You’ll also get much greater depth-of-field with a wide-angle lens, so more of the scene will be sharp enough to take attention away from the main subject. So you need to think carefully about your viewpoint and what there is behind the subject before you start shooting with a wide-angle lens. For many sports it will be almost impossible to get completely clear backgrounds, but look for elements that will enhance the shot such as crowds, clear skies or trees and foliage. If these backgrounds aren’t available try looking for backgrounds that give a sense of the location or venue. Many tracks and stadiums will be full of advertising boards or architecture that will work as a perfect backdrop for the action.