How to Photograph Archery

How to Photograph Archery

(All images copyright Michael Berkeley Photography - no reproduction without permission)

It’s always a bit of a challenge photographing a sport that you don’t know very well, because it is harder to anticipate the action and also you don’t know what makes a good photo.  This was the case for me with archery.

(Sony A9II; 24-70mm at 57mm; f/2.8; 1/500th sec; ISO 6400)

In these circumstances, I do as much research as I can beforehand to find out what I can expect.  This entails going to the internet and seeing what others have written about photographing the particular sport and also looking to see the images that other photographers have taken.

I was very fortunate because a friend of mine knows one of the coaches at an archery club nearby.  He invited me along to an indoor practice session and he also kindly explained what was going on.  I subsequently went back for a further session outdoors, working with just a single archer.  This is one of the very few occasions where I have ‘posed’ the athlete and worked with them to achieve a particular image.

(Sony A9II; 24-70mm at 37mm; f/10; 1/60th sec; ISO 8000)

While photographing archery was different from any other sport, my indoor visit had many of the same challenges that I encountered with basketball (see How to Photograph Basketball).  In particular, sports hall lighting can be problematic, being flat and sometimes inconsistent, and also there tends to be clutter in the background (e.g. kit bags, health & safety notices etc) that can spoil photos.

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 70mm; f/4.5; 1/125th sec; ISO 8000)

Archery is essentially an individual and repetitive – and almost meditative – sport.  For the photographer, however, the first issue is the safety aspect.  The speed of an arrow in flight will depend on a number of factors, including the draw weight of the bow, the draw length, the bowstring material and the weight of the arrow.  Typically, recurve bow arrows can travel up to 225 feet per second (fps) or 150mph while compound bow arrows can travel up to 300fps (200mph).

This means that safety is paramount, and I was shown where I could and couldn’t stand.  In short, there is a red line across the hall, and it is essential to stay behind the line while the archers are shooting. Such is the importance of safety that, had i strayed over the shooting line, it is likely that the archers would have sensed it - even in their unconscious, peripheral vision - and I could have wrecked their concentration.  

I think I managed to edge in front of it by several inches – in the interests of my art – but common sense, self-preservation and consideration for the archers meant that this was not a rule to break.

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 126mm; f/2.8; 1/200th sec; ISO 3200)

This is a huge constraint photographically, because you are restricted to taking shots either from behind or from the side.  From behind, you will not get the archer’s face in the picture, but you can get the targets in the picture, giving context (see above).  This is not possible when taking a photo from the side and the picture is then more a portrait of the archer (see below).

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 120mm; f/4; 1/200th sec; ISO 6400)

With my indoor shots, I used a wide-angle lens (24-70mm f/2.8) and a telephoto lens (70-200mm f/2.8) to provide variety and different angles.  With the camera on Manual, I used a wide aperture (e.g. f/2.8) when I wanted a shallow depth of field to concentrate attention on my particular aspect of the image; and something nearer f/11 where I wanted a number of the archers in focus.

As I wasn’t capturing any fast movement, I was able to use slow shutter speeds – such as 1/125th sec, even 1/60th sec.  I had the ISO setting on Auto, within parameters, and you will see from the metadata of the images in this blog that the ISO rapidly increases when not using open apertures.  You can also see how many times I changed the setting as I experimented to find something new.

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 171mm; f/4.5; 1/125th sec; ISO 3200)

Archery is ‘slow-moving’ and much of the “action” actually takes place in the archers’ mind as they visualise what is going to happen. Against this background, I was most frequently photographing the poses at full draw, because this was the most visually dramatic element of the process, and I didn’t need to use burst mode as I would normally do for sports.  In the photograph above, the faces are all turned away from me, so the eye is drawn more towards the bows and the image is therefore more about the equipment.

As well as trying to convey the general atmosphere of the practice session, I also wanted to capture moments of emotion – the essence of all sport – and not just the ‘at full draw’ images.  While the archers are often inscrutable in their concentration, they often relaxed after they had shot their arrows – see the expression on the face of the archer on the right below.

(Sony A9II; 24-70mm at 24mm; f/4; 1/320th sec; ISO 8000)

Another good time to take photos was when the archers went down to the targets to retrieve their arrows from the targets. This was when they would chat to each other – more relaxed then when they were concentrating on shooting their arrows.

(Sony A9II; 24-70mm at 24mm; f/2.8; 1/500th sec; ISO 8000)

The subsequent outdoor session was a completely different experience.  For a start, it was a gloriously sunny evening, with wonderful light – so very different from the sports hall!  Also, as I was determined to capture an arrow in flight, ideally with the arrow bending as it leaves the bow (illustrating the phenomenon of the ‘archer’s paradox’), I was using the Continuous Hi burst mode (20 frames a second on my Sony A9II).

(Sony A9II; 24-70mm at 24mm; f/2.8; 1/10,000th sec; ISO 500)

As I was working on a one-to-one basis with the archer, John, I had a bit more latitude to try something more creative.  It also meant that it was easier to know when he was about to shoot the arrow. The fast shutter speed in the image above was to compensate for the wide-open aperture, which I used to create the shallow depth of field.

I tried a number of photographs that would have been difficult during the indoor session.  I always like to shoot from a low perspective as this can make the person look more impressive and ‘heroic’.  Outdoors, I was able to lie on the ground looking up to capture John in his pre-shooting meditative state as he went through the shot sequence in his head (see below), conveying an essential element of the overall process.

(Sony A9II; 24-70mm at 41mm; f/2.8; 1/10,000th sec; ISO 200)

After quite a few attempts, I did succeed in capturing a number of images of the arrow in flight (see below).  This involved pre-focussing the camera on the front end of the bow and starting to take pictures slightly before the arrow was shot (if you wait until you see it, you have already missed it).  Note that the shutter speed was set at 1/32,000th second and, even though I was shooting at 20 frames per second, there was still an element of luck in getting the arrow in the right place in the image, such was the speed at which it was travelling.

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 70mm; f/2.8; 1/32,000th sec; ISO 3200)

With special thanks to AC DELCO Bowmen Archery Club and, in particular, to Nick and John.

---

If you have enjoyed this blog or if you have any questions/comments, please leave a message in the comments box below.

How to Photograph Basketball

How to Photograph Basketball

 (All images copyright Michael Berkeley Photography - no reproduction without permission)

Basketball is fast and furious, and there is never a dull moment.  I also find it very difficult to photograph – possibly the hardest sport that I have covered.

The action moves quickly from end to end, and then a large number of players jostle for position in a very confined space around the basket, many with their back to you.  In this respect, it is very similar to ice hockey (see How to Photograph Ice Hockey).

(Nikon D500; 24-70mm at 24mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 4000)

My experience comes from photographing my local basketball team – the Salisbury Suns (Wiltshire, UK) – who play in a school sports hall.  The lighting is ‘challenging’ because it is quite dim and can vary in different parts of the hall.

This causes problems with exposure.  I use a fast shutter speed in order to freeze the action (1/1000th sec, considering the speed of the players move); the lens wide open to let in as much light as possible and also to provide a shallow depth of field; and use ISO Auto within parameters.

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 148mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 10000)

Reviewing my photos for this blog, I realise that I allowed the ISO settings to creep far too high in many cases, meaning that some of the images are not as sharp as I would like.  With my Sony A9II, I could probably get away with an ISO setting of 6400, but some of my images go beyond that.  I also shot a mixture of RAW and JPEG, and this is probably a circumstance where I would recommend shooting RAW so that as much information is retained for use during post processing.  It’s worth taking some shots while the teams are warming up to check the exposure.

(Sony A9II; 24-70mm at 65mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 8000)

I use Continuous Hi shooting, so that I have a sequence of images from which to choose the best shot; and focus tracking (3-D tracking on my Nikon D500, and one of the tracking modes on my Sony A9II).  This means that when you have locked onto the subject you want to photograph, the camera will keep it in focus as it moves through the viewfinder.

(Nikon D500; 24-70mm at 24mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 4000)

Because of the variable lighting in the hall, I leave the White Balance on Auto and address any colour cast issues in post processing.

As mentioned above, a wide aperture allows the depth of field to be as shallow as possible and makes the main subject stand out from the background, but in a small sports hall, it is going to be difficult to find a completely ‘clean’ background, because there will always be kit bags, spectators, health & safety notices etc in the way.

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 113mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 8000)

This is one of the reasons why I try to position myself at the end of the court, because the ends of the court tend to be less cluttered (see above).  Moreover, with ‘my’ team coming towards me, I can capture the player’s face as he attacks the basket – this is the same principle that I use for other end-to-end sports, such as football, ice hockey and rugby.

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 102mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 8000)

Because of the size of the court, a 70-200mm lens is ideal for shots further away, and a 24-70mm for closer shots – and therein lies a problem.  The action moves so quickly that it is impossible to switch lenses as the players approach at speed.  One option is to have 2 camera bodies (if you can afford that luxury), but it is still a challenge to change over at such speed.  I have tended to use one lens for one period and then swap over to the other for the next to provide variety.

Photographing sport is all about capturing action, movement, emotion (highs and lows), and telling a story.  And basketball has all this in abundance, but how do I capture this?

(Nikon D500; 24-70mm at 52mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 5000)

Probably the easiest way to get a good picture is when a player is on a break and is running up the court at speed.  In the photo above, the player is in full flight, with both feet off the ground, conveying the impression of speed.  In the image below, taken straight down the court, the facial expression adds emotion…

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 95mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 16000)

I like to get the whole of the player in the picture (i.e. including their feet), but this becomes very challenging when the players are close to you.  I also like to get the basket – or some part of it – in the image to provide context.  This creates a problem because of the height of the basket, such as in the image below where the players are cut off at the waist.

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 70mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 8000)

One way round this is to take the photograph in portrait, rather than landscape, orientation.  The image below was taken as a landscape and then cropped to a portrait format afterwards to concentrate attention on the main action.  With the lens I was using, it would have been impossible to have included both the whole of the player and the basket in the picture – I was just too close.

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 95mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 10000)

It’s good if you can take a photograph that tells a story.  In the image below, the player who has just passed the ball, has realised that the player in front has taken his eye off the ball and he is therefore trying to get his attention before it hits him in the back …

(Sony A9II; 70-200mm at 95mm; f/2.8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 16000)

Another way to convey the emotion and speed of the game effectively is to reduce the shutter speed to introduce intentional blur into the image, as below.  This was taken with a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens and the blur is obvious at 1/200th second, but not so great that the picture becomes confused.  With the wider aperture and slower shutter speed, the ISO setting is far below most other images in this blog. 

(Nikon D500; 50mm; f/2.2; 1/200th sec; ISO 2000)

As with all sports, it is worth keeping an eye open for interesting pictures away from the main action.  For example, the image below of the coach giving a team talk during a time out provides something different to tell the story of the game.

(Nikon D500; 50mm; f/2.0; 1/200th sec; ISO 2000)

Basketball is a challenge for the photographer, but well worth the effort.  I can’t wait to get back and give it another go!

With special thanks to Salisbury Suns Basketball Club.

---

If you have enjoyed this blog or if you have any questions/comments, please leave a message in the comments box below.

How to Photograph Motorsports

 How to Photograph Motorsports

(All images copyright Michael Berkeley Photography - no reproduction without permission)

My experience of photographing motorsports comes from a couple of days spent at Thruxton Motorsport Centre in Hampshire back in 2017.  This blog complements the one I have already written on How to Photograph Speedway.

Both days at Thruxton were practice – not racing – days, and the first involved touring cars, the second superbikes.  The ‘supporting’ races involved different types of car, so there was plenty of excitement and variety, even if there wasn’t the edge that racing provides.

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 500mm; f/5.6; 1/3200th sec; ISO 280)

Having never been to Thruxton circuit before, my first task was to recce the available positions from which to take photos.  Not having a press pass, I was limited to the public areas, so I walked alongside the track as far I was allowed.  I found some good spots, some where the cars or bikes were slowing down for a corner, others where there was a good straight – with uncluttered backgrounds – to take ‘panned’ shots of the cars and bikes at full speed.

It became clear that the best location was at the chicane, which involved a sharp left-hand bend followed closely by a sharp right-hand bend.  One of the reasons I knew that this was a good location was the number of photographers there – which gave the game away!  I wondered how easy it would have been to find a suitable spot here on a crowded race day, and it also meant that I had to jockey for position (politely of course!) to get an uninterrupted view of the track.

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 360mm; f/5.6; 1/2000th sec; ISO 200)

Particularly with the bikes, the chicane allowed images of the riders leaning a long way over in one direction and then immediately back over in the other direction, which produced dramatic images – see above. 

As I had not photographed motorsports before, I was unsure what I would find, and I therefore took most of my kit with me.  I was using a Nikon D500 at the time and I used the 200-500mm f/5.6 lens (equivalent to 300-750mm on the crop-sensor camera) most of the time, although I did also use the 70-200mm f/2.8 (105-300mm equivalent) lens for variety. 

This meant that I was using a monopod much of the time, because the 200-500mm is heavy and difficult to keep steady when hand held.  Using the monopod also helped hugely with panning shots (discussed in more detail below).

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 500mm; f/5.6; 1/2000th sec; ISO 360)

I set out my ‘standard’ camera settings in my blog on Getting into Sport & Music Photography.  I always use Manual and set the Shutter Speed and Aperture, while setting the ISO to Auto within suitable parameters. My ‘default’ settings involve freezing the action, so I would normally open the shutter wide (to give a shallow depth of field) and use a fast shutter speed – see above and below.  A ‘wide open’ shutter also helps in being able to shoot through any safety fences.

It was bright and sunny when I visited Thruxton, so I was using shutter speeds of 1/2000th sec and faster for images where I wanted to freeze the action (but see below where I discuss conveying the idea of speed by intentionally blurring the image).  With the aperture wide open (f/5.6 on the 200-500mm lens), this meant that the ISO Auto Setting was producing an ISO in the region of 300.

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 420mm; f/5.6; 1/2500th sec; ISO 400)

Having said that, motorsport is all about speed and the overriding imperative is to ensure that the photographs reflect this, while trying to tell a story and describing what is going on. It’s possible to convey speed by capturing a car with 2 wheels off the ground, or the angle of the bike leaning right over, or by showing smoke coming from the car’s locked brakes (see the two images above). The fact that the fast shutter speed has frozen the action does not matter so much when the photos are ‘front on’ or from behind, because it is not obvious that the wheels are frozen.

This does, however, become a problem when the photograph is taken from the side, as a ‘frozen’ car or bike will appear unnatural and static. In these instances, it is best to convey the idea of speed by showing that the wheels are turning and blurring the background by ‘panning’, as shown in the image of the car below. This is much more dramatic and full of emotion.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 70mm; f/22; 1/50th sec; ISO 180)

As you will see, the camera setting for this image are completely different.  In addition to the slow shutter speed, the camera needs to be set to continuous shooting and a tracking autofocus setting.  On my Nikon D500, I used 3D tracking which, when locked on, meant that I didn’t need to worry about the focus – just the motion blur.

The technique of ‘locking’ the focus onto the part of the image that you want in focus, and then moving the camera in a smooth arc to track the object, takes some practice (I discuss this also in my blog on How to Photograph Speedway).  I confess to being disappointed at how few usable images I managed to capture at the start, but in the end you only need a few good images to make it worthwhile.  The joy of digital cameras is that you can take as many images as you want without worrying about the cost of film – and practice makes perfect!

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 410mm; f/8; 1/2000th sec; ISO 450)

Otherwise, the normal rules of composition apply.  As a generalisation, it’s good not to have the car or bike right in the middle of the frame (a rule broken in the photo below!), and you should allow it ‘space to move into’. The picture above uses the rule of thirds to give a pleasing view, but it also demonstrates the sort of photograph that is needed in order to ‘tell a story’ with a single image, which is so important with sports photography.  It is straightforward to take record or stock shots of individuals drivers or riders but taking a photograph that explains what is going on during the racing is more of a challenge.

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 500mm; f/5.6; 1/2000th sec; ISO 280)

In terms of composition, the image above uses the colourful leading line of the bend to draw the eye towards the bike on the corner.  I am never sure that taking a photo of somebody’s back – or in the case of equestrian sports, of a horse’s backside – makes for the most attractive of images, but it is always worth trying something different.

It’s important to exploit the lighting conditions, and this may dictate where you want to position yourself in order to get the light coming from the most effective direction.  In the image below, the bright sunlight is being reflected back up onto the underside of the bike and the rider, adding also a strong band of light on the rider’s visor.

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 500mm; f/5.6; 1/1600th sec; ISO 180)

In almost all my blogs I conclude by saying how much I enjoyed photographing that particular sport and that I can’t wait to get back to do it again.  This may just be a personal thing, but I wouldn’t rush back to photograph motorsports.  While I do enjoy motorsports – and I thoroughly enjoyed the first half hour of photographing the cars and bikes – I found that it become very repetitive very quickly.

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 410mm; f/5.6; 1/2000th sec; ISO 160)

As an example, I enjoyed taking the photograph above, with the car cornering on two wheels.  But I soon realised that I was taking the same photograph time and again but just with different cars – see below.  This may be fine if you are a ‘petrolhead’ and you want a photograph of every car or bike but, as a photographer, I was wanting something different.  The images earlier in this blog where the cars’ brakes have locked and created smoke provide something out of the ordinary.

The other – and even bigger – issue for me is that you cannot normally see the drivers’/riders’ face, because they are (obviously!) wearing helmets.  This means that you do not get any of the emotional response that can be achieved with other sports.  You can just about make out the face of the rider below, but his expression does not tell a story in the same way that, say, somebody with arms aloft after winning an athletics race would.

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 500mm; f/11; 1/100th sec; ISO 100)

Having said all that, I would not wish to put anybody off – give it a go and I am sure that you will have a fantastic time!   

---

If you have enjoyed this blog or if you have any questions/comments, please leave a message in the comments box below.