Soccer, the most popular sport in the rest of the world (and known most everywhere else as Football), is growing in popularity in the United States, especially among children. So if you’re a soccer mom who wants to capture junior kicking the ball, here are some quick tips.
Soccer photography is tricky. The field is big, the action is continuous, and your subjects are always moving across that vast playing area. On the other hand, since soccer players don’t wear helmets, when the action gets intense you can get their facial expressions.
What you need:
Stay centered
The action moves from one side of the field to the other, but is most often in the middle of the field, so it’s best to stand on the sideline towards the middle of the field. Be sure to stay away from the touch line or goal line—at least 3 feet back. Study the rhythm of the game and anticipate the action getting closer to you. When the action is on either end of the field, use your longest lens (300mm is good); for closer action, use a shorter zoom (70-200mm).Try shifting your position to behind or just to the side of the net, and try shooting someone attempting to score a goal. The shorter zoom lens is best for this kind of shooting but keep in mind shots on goal are rarer than mid-field play, so if you stay focused on the center, you’ll get more opportunities for good shots.Set the fastest shutter speed you can get away with so you can freeze the action, and disable any autofocus locking settings.
As with any other team sport, be sure to approach coaches and league officials and offer a few shots of the game. It might lead to an opportunity to sell action shots to the parents!
