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Picking Apart The Perfect Shot

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While most have my posts have been about how to build your brand and what to do with your content, I chose to give a couple pointers in regard to sports photography.  The best part about this post is that you don’t need any formal education to figure out the basics.  As long as you have the motivation and determination to succeed than everything will be fine.

As long as you know how to operate your camera, then the rest of this post will help hone your skill of shooting sports photography.  Positioning is a big factor with this topic and a problem for most trying to get the best content possible.

Furthermore, taking photography in the sports industry might be harder than it looks.  While most take pictures of a baseball player hitting a ball or a football player making a catch, there’s only a select few that have the skill that gives them the step ahead of people to get the pictures people want.  Having a general sense of where to have your camera pointed is significantly bigger problem beginners have.

However, the only gap in knowledge that separates these people is that they are photography aficionados who lack going the extra step.  The rest of this post will give you some tips and pointers that will close that gap between you and the best.

  • Positioning

Where you are on the field is a simple yet effective strategy that will make your photos stand out among the rest.  While you want to see where it’s falling because every case is different, you can’t go wrong with having the sun to your back or over your shoulder.  Also remember that, as I stated before, sports fans love to follow narratives.  At a cousin’s football game, for example, be in the corner of the home end zone with the sun over your shoulder and the home crowd on the edge of the shot.  When all things come together, if your cousin makes a game-winning catch, you have him, the crowd, and the referee in the shot.  This gives you an aesthetically pleasing shot that shares a feeling rather than just a shot.

  • Don’t Chimp

For those who don’t know the term, “chimping” is the act of checking every single photo on your camera after capturing it.  This could be the single worst thing to do especially as a sports photographer.  The shot that you need could be a matter of parts of a second and you need to be on your toes and alert at all times.

  • Do your research prior to the game

This might, in fact, be the best the most important tip regarding sports.  Sports media and fans create storylines and narratives around any league: Messi or Ronaldo; MJ vs LeBron; Will Ovechkin ever win a cup? When you’re setting up for the game and have your camera ready to take pictures, knowing the narrative for that specific game will separate you from the rest of the pack.  For example, if two players are feuding, a baseball player is ready to hit his 500th home run, or the moments immediately after a result might be the most crucial.

Any tips for other beginners out there?  What do you have to offer?

 

 

Read This If You Want To Obtain Your Sports Dream Job

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The title says enough as to what this blog post will entail.  With a couple of easy tips and tricks, you will be able to land your ideal dream job in the sports industry.

The problem most individuals have is they don’t stand out through their resumé.  Remember that everyone you are competing against is submitting a resumé and it can be strenuous for the employer.  Imagine if you were given a couple dozen resumés and told to pick the best.  Something that stands out and separates from the rest of the crowd not only gains the attention at first glance but gets thorough undivided attention from the employer.

Furthermore, in sports, it isn’t about naming every player on the 1956 Boston Bruins roster or who had the game-winning overtime goal in game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the Stanley Cup playoffs twenty years ago.  Many people focus on the wrong information.  When your job is creating content for a sports team, stick to what you know and show the employer that.

1. Cater your resumé to the job.

Take the perspective of your employer to make this concept easier to understand.  From their point-of-view, they have a hole in their business that they need to be filled by potentially hiring you.  The problem they have is solely that spot and obviously, they want the best candidate for that spot.  So, it would make sense for you to list everything on your resumé that links to that problem and how you will solve it.  Using past experiences similar to their problem that you solved or listing programs and content you’ve made that resembles their style will surely make you stand out.

2. Provide numbers or content rather than generalizations.

When applying for the job, the employer knows that you probably meet the basic requirements.  If you did not, you probably wouldn’t have even applied.  The basic minimum you should have on your resumé is a list of skills and accomplishments you have that they noted on their website or wherever you found out.   Furthermore, everyone is probably doing the same thing so no one really stands out.  But what you can do is write out how much more money you brought in rather than just saying “I increased revenue”.  Listing all of your analytics with social media and the content your created lets your employer see what you did.  Saying “I increased traffic on my blog page” will not cut it.

3. Tell a story.

I understand that you’re not going to start your resumé with “Once upon a time…”.  What I mean by this is that the employer has no idea who you are or what you’ve been through to get to here.  Rather than listing everything you’ve done, maybe take the reader through all the experiences you’ve had so he or she can see your development and perseverance in the industry.  For all you know, you stack up head-to-head with someone else.  If your employer sees that you show the determination by telling that story, that may be what gets you the job.

What is your opinion on the steps I have for obtaining a job?

Have you done anything different in the past that has landed you your dream job?