Photo by lryan110458

The kids are going back to school, the weather is starting to cool; it’s August. This means one thing: football is here.

But don’t be discouraged, you don’t need a $5,000 lens to shoot peewees passing the pigskin. With an entry level SLR (sorry point & shooters, you’ll need an SLR for this one!) and an inexpensive longer lens, you can take great images on the gridiron.

Here are 11 tips for shooting under the Friday night lights:

1. Use large apertures and fast shutter speeds: Football is fast. Everyone’s running, balls are flying, your subject matter is always on the move. To deal with this, you should use a faster shutter speed to stop the action. And to help achieve higher shutter speeds, use larger apertures, which will also help blur your backgrounds to make your subject pop. It’s probably easiest to shoot using aperture priority unless you feel comfortable using your meter and histogram to expose photos while shooting manual.

2. Set your camera to shoot in bursts: The likelihood you’ll capture the exact moment when your son hauls in the winning touchdown by shooting only one image is extremely slim. So, to make sure you get the picture, set your camera to shoot in bursts, that way when he’s going for the ball in the endzone, you’ll know you have the catch somewhere in your multi-shot burst. It will also be a good idea to use a larger compact flash or SD card when you’re on the field because you can significantly raise your chances of getting great images by shooting more photos.

3. Use a high ISO and adjust accordingly: In order to achieve a high shutter speed (somewhere preferably 1/500th of a second or higher), you’ll need to set a slightly higher ISO than normal. And because most high school football happens under the Friday night lights, usually while the sun is setting, you will need to watch your ISO throughout the entire game. You may start the game at 400 ASA, but by the end of the game don’t be surprised if you’re the highest ISO possible on your camera. Once you reach that point, if you’re shooting at shutter speeds of less than 1/250th, you can expect to see some blur in your images.

4. Watch your white balance: As the sun sets and the field lights slowly turn on, the color temperatures of the light you’re shooting under will be changing constantly. The key: just watch your white balance throughout the game. If you’re worried that you’ll forget, just set it to Auto and make minor adjustments in post processing.

Photo by bdigital2

5. Stay in front of the action: The key to shooting football is to stay ahead of the action. On offense, try to stay 10-20 yards past the line of scrimmage. If you’re shooting the defense, do the opposite. The goal is to get as many faces as possible in your images, so as long as you stay in front of the action, you’ll capture faces in all of your photos.

6. Focus on faces: Without faces, football is just a bunch of helmets, shoulder pads, and goofy pants. Even if you’re in front of the action, missing focus will ruin your photos. So, make sure to set your AF focusing area to a point that will be on the face of the player you’re shooting. It’s usually a good idea to use the center focusing zone because it is usually weighted heavier than the surrounding areas. However, although you may have more images in focus than if you use an outside AF zone, you’ll more than likely need to crop your images tighter during post processing.

7. Shoot as much as you can early on: Once the sun sets, you’ll have a tougher time capturing action photos. So, take as many photos as you can while the sun is still up. After all sunlight has disappeared, it’s a good idea to look for things other than game action to shoot. This is a great opportunity to get creative. Shoot the crowd, the sidelines, anything you can think of.

8. Keep an eye out for reactions: Football photos aren’t all action. So, don’t just shoot the TD, shoot the celebration in the endzone after he hauls in the catch. Watch the sidelines as well. The great thing about youth football is the heart, so take advantage of that. Look for the “jubes” (slang photog word, short for “jubilation”), look for the bummed out kids, and the angry coaches. And don’t just look for these after the sun goes down, keep an eye out for them throughout the game.

9. Don’t shoot with a flash!: Many photographers shoot with a flash during high school football. But this is a controversial subject. I am strictly opposed to this idea. (I’m probably going to get some e-mails…) The light always looks unnatural, there are always shadows, and it must distract the players and referees. So, for your kid’s team’s sake, don’t use a flash. It’s just not worth it. Just shoot as much as you can early on and you’ll be fine. Plus, the light is way prettier then as well. And also, don’t use a monopod. Unless you’re using a 300mm f2.8 lens or larger, you just don’t need it. If you’re throwing a monopod under a 75-300mm f4-5.6 lens that weighs less than a pound, I’m sorry, but maybe you should spend some time training with the football team.

Photo by Garret Davis

10. Keep a low profile: Because you’re more than likely not shooting with a long piece of glass like a 400mm, you can’t afford to be more than a yard behind the sideline. So, it’s probably a good idea to keep a low profile while your shooting on the field. I’ve heard more stories of referees asking shooters to leave the field than I ever thought possible, so when you’re on the field, make sure to not get in the way. And, as I’ve already mentioned, keep the flash in the bag. Once you start using it, you raise your chances of being a distraction. After all, youth football is about the kids, not your images.

11. Be alert!!: Another way to get kicked off the field is if you’re a liability. So, make sure you know where the action is and try to avoid getting run over on the sideline. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to dive out of the way of a charging linebacker. Just remember to be alert. I doubt you want to be plowed by a couple of 200 pounders, anyway.

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