Monthly Archives: August 2018

More Win Win Win Photography Ideas

Earlier this year I wrote a post for Beyond Here called Win Win Win Photography Business Thinking. It came from a meeting with another photographer who had found ongoing photography work that benefited all parties. I continue to look for photography business ideas which have multiple winners. Today I share more win win win photography ideas.

medals and awards

Indoor sports with large participation numbers are ideal for win win win photography ideas

The Opportunity

I’ve shared in a number of posts that I am shooting more and more sports and in this field we are finding more win win win photography ideas. I have a small team of sports photographers and we are shooting a lot of junior sports. We see an opportunity to bring professional quality photography to grass roots sports and to provide players and families with action shots they haven’t had access to before.


In short, we’re aiming to shoot images which make the kid the star of the image, in the same way they have seen their adult sports stars in photographs. At the same time, we are making the images affordable for the athletes and their families.

What Sports Work Best

Some sports are more suitable for than others. Indoor, fast moving sports are particularly good. Why is that?

There are three reasons

  1. Lighting. Most indoor stadiums are not well lit so it is not easy to create strong images without the right equipment. For that reasons, these sports are not well covered at junior level and we are getting feedback that “we’ve never seen images like these”.
  2. Fast Action. Again, sports are not easy to photograph without the right equipment and experience shooting fast moving subjects (see a separate post on that here).
  3. Access. Often it is not practical to have spectators walking around the stadium taking photographs and so there are specific areas set aside for spectators. They are not allowed close to the action and have to sit in the grandstand. By organizing access to the competition area it’s possible to create action images which are not possible from the spectators area.

Medals and ribbons

What’s the Win Win Win?

Win #1. The Kids. By using appropriate equipment, shot by an experienced photographer we create high quality action images which kids haven’t seen of themselves before. It is literally bringing pro photography to junior sports. The kids get a thrill seeing themselves in action and are quick to share on social media.

Win #2. Parents and Families Value the Images. Parents and families love seeing images of their kids in action too. Keep in mind some are willing to pay for images and some are not. If you can find sports with large participation numbers you will have a greater chance of selling more images.

Win #3 . The Clubs or Sports Organizers. The new battlefield for sports clubs is social media. That’s the primary channel they are using to promote their club and to differentiate themselves from other clubs and other sports. Win number 3 is for the club, as we are able to provide images for them to use on social media.

trophy

Can you come up with more win win win photography ideas?

Let’s Talk About an Example

Last weekend we shot a gymnastics event which had 100 kids participating from 4 different clubs. In gymnastics, only the competitors and coaches have access to the event floor. By having 2 photographers on the floor as well we were able to shoot unique images which athletes and families have not had access to before.

We shot a large number of images and have posted the best ones in password protected galleries online for parents and families to purchase.

This is what I’m looking for – more win win win photography ideas.

Can you find similar opportunities? Can you generate more win win win photography ideas?

 

Tips for Shooting Indoor Action Sports

Over the last 2 weeks I’ve been shooting sports events in dark stadiums. First was a fast moving basketball game and second a gymnastics session. Both are fast moving and require you to freeze the action. Here are tips for shooting indoor action sports.

Gymnasium

Increase ISO to achieve fast shutter speeds

Tip 1. Increase ISO to Achieve Fast Shutter Speeds

The one thing you can’t get wrong when you are shooting indoor action sports is focus. To achieve this you are going to need fast shutter speeds. Given that most indoor facilities are not very well lit, tip number 1 is to be prepared to shoot at high ISO. The images in this post were shot at ISO2000 to ensure I had fast enough shutter speeds to freeze the action.

Tip 2. Look for Plain Backgrounds

The images in this post were shot at a local gymnastics club. It was difficult to shoot with a background which didn’t take the viewers attention away from the subject, as you’ll see in some of the images in this post.

Gymnastics

Look for plain backgrounds so all the attention is on your subject

Tip 2 is to look for opportunities to shoot with plain backgrounds. To make this image I went upstairs to a viewing area and shot down towards the gymnast. By doing this I was able to use the plain color of the gymnastics floor as my background, allowing the subject to really stand out in these images.

Gymnast vaulting

Capturing colors can add interest to your images

Tip 3. Make Use of the Color in Your Surroundings

While the background in a gym environment is potentially distracting, it is also very colorful. I made a point of making some images which accentuated the colorful and busy environment. Keep an eye on the colors around you to see if you can create different images.

Gymnasium

Look for moments without fast moving action

Tip 4. Look for Moments Without Fast Moving Action

Some of the strongest images from this shoot did not involve fast moving action. We were able to create some images showing the strength, flexibility and balance of gymnastics without action. Here is an example showing the gymnast stretching. Tip 4 is to look for moments without fast moving action.

I hope these tips for shooting indoor action sports are useful for you. To read about related issues please see these earlier posts

Thanks for reading tips for shooting indoor action sports. Happy shooting.