Sport Portraits - Capturing the emotion! Your photos please!!

Lyndsey

Lyndsey

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Hi All!

I've decided to set myself a little project this year - to step out of my comfort zone (wildlife / birding / macro) and do something a bit different!

I've been messing about with my camera for a few years, but I've never really set myself a project, so new year, new challenge!

The camera kit I have is not really suitable for catching long distance, fast-paced action, and I find when I've tried it previously it takes up so much concentration that I miss out on the enjoyment of going to watch...

So, my idea is to have a go at capturing some portraits (close up and environmental) of players / athletes / fans / spectators that show the emotions of being involved with sport. It will be based on local football, cricket, cycling, equestrian and motorsport... plus anything else I can get myself to!

I have no starting point for this, but a few ideas of what I want to achieve :)

So my question is: would any of you like to post up images you've taken that are not action shots, but that convey the emotional side of any sport - passion, joy, disappointment, exhaustion, commitment, partnership... ? The blood, sweat and tears that go into it!

Some very talented people on here, I'd love to see your work!
 
Great theme. Here's a couple I've taken recently. Not sure I fit the 'talented' category, but enjoy anyway.

 
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They are fab @Photodiva - proper dedication when you take an instrument to the match!! Love the black and white :)
 
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Good idea for a project, I had though about taking my camera to our local football ground but haven't done it yet. I look forward to seeing some of your results.

I can't help with my own photos but there are a couple of shots in the TP 2016 sports photographer entries that might be of interest to you here particularly numbers 18 and 21. Also @kennysarmy takes quite a lot of local football and a couple of his flickr albums have crowd shots, I had a quick skim through and found this one which fits the type of thing you were looking for (I think)...https://www.flickr.com/photos/kennysarmy/28902170612/in/dateposted/
 
That's a brilliant picture @Organic! It brings out the 'mumsiness' in me though - get him over the line and get a blanket round him!!!
 
SteveSc said:
Good idea for a project, I had though about taking my camera to our local football ground but haven't done it yet. I look forward to seeing some of your results.

I can't help with my own photos but there are a couple of shots in the TP 2016 sports photographer entries that might be of interest to you here particularly numbers 18 and 21. Also @kennysarmy takes quite a lot of local football and a couple of his flickr albums have crowd shots, I had a quick skim through and found this one which fits the type of thing you were looking for (I think)...https://www.flickr.com/photos/kennysarmy/28902170612/in/dateposted/
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Thank you for the recommendations Steve - much appreciated! :)
 
Thank you Lyndsey. I understand what you mean, lol. It was raining pretty hard and I did feel a little sorry for those caught in the showers. All part of competing though.
 
Organic said:
Thank you Lyndsey. I understand what you mean, lol. It was raining pretty hard and I did feel a little sorry for those caught in the showers. All part of competing though.
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I bet they loved it - I've got three boys, whatever the weather - it's usually only dinner that will get them back indoors! :)
 
Thanks for posting those @gramps ! They all capture a feeling, which is what I'm intending to attempt!

Love the happy freewheeling cyclist, and the last one of the runner :( Always sad to see someone pull up...
 
I like this idea, I'm constantly asked by the club I work for to get crowd pictures and atmosphere pictures, I might dig some out and join in.
 
Lyndsey said:
@Spiderdudeuk - that's ace!! I didn't even know such a thing existed!! :) Just googled it - 50kg of coal carried for 1012 metres - race to the Maypole! Love it!
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Major event up here in Yorkshire, even kids have their own race with a much smaller bag obviously...lol

All uphill as well... People already training for this year!
 
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@dancook That's a great series - I keep getting drawn back to the third one with them sliding towards you, mud flying!! How far away were you?
 
Lyndsey said:
@dancook That's a great series - I keep getting drawn back to the third one with them sliding towards you, mud flying!! How far away were you?
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It was a 200mm fixed prime, I had to get a good distance back to get them in..

I was only photographing people at my leisure, and they requested a shot of them running and sliding :)

it was more of a pain when people asked for group shots and I was shooting 200mm.. i would have to run back so far....
 
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dancook said:
It was a 200mm fixed prime, I had to get a good distance back to get them in..

I was only photographing people at my leisure, and they requested a shot of them running and sliding :)

it was more of a pain when people asked for group shots and I was shooting 200mm.. i would have to run back so far....
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I'm sure they were pleased with the result - thanks for sharing! :)
 
Lyndsey said:
So my question is: would any of you like to post up images you've taken that are not action shots, but that convey the emotional side of any sport - passion, joy, disappointment, exhaustion, commitment, partnership... ? The blood, sweat and tears that go into it!
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Perhaps these are relevant?

I don't get many action shots for a couple of reasons, but I do try to take as many behind-the-scenes photos as I can. Most are athletics and/or Commonwealth Games related:








 
@skysh4rk - I really like the first one, it seems to me to have a vintage tone, but with modern, 'selfie' type poses! Thank you for posting :)
 
Lyndsey said:
@skysh4rk - I really like the first one, it seems to me to have a vintage tone, but with modern, 'selfie' type poses! Thank you for posting :)
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Thanks. These were all shot using old medium format film cameras, so perhaps that has contributed to the vintage look.
 
@admirable - I can relate to this one... I grew up showing ponies (though not to anything like this level) - the hard work, early mornings and very long days - but most of all the love for the animals, lifelong! :)
 
What a good theme!

I photograph local children's footy and although I need to get a certain amount of 'lifestyle' shots each season, I generally have to concentrate on action shots.

I like this shot because it's one of those where everything falls just right. The captain has just scored the winner in the under 10 cup final, against the team he lost to in the previous season's under 9 cup final. I think the rain gives it added drama - it was a sudden cloudburst that came on minutes before the goal and then stopped. In addition to this, I always shoot from the opposite side of the pitch on cup finals weekend and have done for years. However, the cloudburst caused me to run for the cover of the dugout. I would have seen this from behind if it hadn't rained!

 
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That is a splendid picture @robp !! Glory days! The captain's celebration is great - but I love his teammate's expression, show's what it meant to them! A rain shower isn't always a bad thing! :)
 
Thanks for sharing your photos @1dmouse - a great expression caught in 1, and the tension in the second one really jumps out of the screen - a good study in defensive and aggressive body language :)
 
robp said:
I photograph local children's footy......
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That pic is just magic, I love it. Have you shown it to the parents? I would imagine this would be pride of place in that young lads bedroom. (Alongside pics of whatever hot singer is around now obviously, is it still Britney spears?)
 
Ballyman said:
That pic is just magic, I love it. Have you shown it to the parents? I would imagine this would be pride of place in that young lads bedroom. (Alongside pics of whatever hot singer is around now obviously, is it still Britney spears?)
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I offered the manager a disc of all the images from the match. I do this with all the cup final teams - they buy a disc and the parents/carers chip in to share the cost and take a copy each, thus all getting the entire story of the match for relatively little cost.. He declined without even consulting the parents/carers of his players!!

I put this one on our league's Facebook page so I guess the parents simply copied it to their various devices and have never looked at it again.
 
Really, really good to see those pics of refs, 1dmouse :)

I've been involved in grassroots footy for yonks, as a parent, assistant manager, manager, club secretary, league management committee member and grassroots photographer for our local daily. And one of my biggest bugbears is how pulling on a black shirt and hanging a whistle around your neck makes you fair game for abuse, both verbal and physical.

Here's a couple of ref shots from me which I hope fit in with your theme, Lyndsey. The ref sorting out the goal didn't have to do that. All he actually had to do was inspect the goals and ask the team managers to sort out any problems that he discovered.



 
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Thank you for posting them up @robp ! I didn't take part in much team sport when I was younger, but am getting involved more now as my boys get older... There are a lot of unsung heroes in local sport, and it wouldn't run at all without the people willing to give up their free time to make the cogs turn... I understand 'the heat of the moment' and that decisions may be questionable, but I am amazed at how much these guys put up with at times (from spectators and players). Not just football - I've seen a couple of splendid hissy fits (by adults!) directed at cricket umpires too!
 
Lyndsey said:
Thank you for posting them up @robp ! I didn't take part in much team sport when I was younger, but am getting involved more now as my boys get older... There are a lot of unsung heroes in local sport, and it wouldn't run at all without the people willing to give up their free time to make the cogs turn... I understand 'the heat of the moment' and that decisions may be questionable, but I am amazed at how much these guys put up with at times (from spectators and players). Not just football - I've seen a couple of splendid hissy fits (by adults!) directed at cricket umpires too!
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Ooh yes. Hissy fitting parents and managers! Now they would certainly fit into this project lol

I see it regularly and am always so dumbfounded that they are getting so het up over a children's footy game that I never think to photograph them. I often wonder afterwards what their reaction would be if I had flipped my camera to video mode and played my recording back to them in front of everybody.

Thank you for the inspiration. I shall now look out for hissy fitting adults with a view to photographing them :)
 
Some from 2016...
 

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@Bobby G - great to have caught that one - I can see why that would be a favourite - they look a good natured, happy crowd!

@Seba - fantastic! Winners and losers, jubilation and despair...

@Cheese Scientist - I like them all, but particularly number 4 - he is an imposing figure!

And just another quick thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread... I have set myself quite the task if I'm going to capture anything like the quality shown here :)
 
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