I absolutely LOVE doing documentary photography of basketball! If you haven’t heard, Indiana is a HUGE basketball state. Yes, more than other states. There’s nowhere else a movie like Hoosiers could have been made.
I scanned years of my archive of images I shot for organizations like the Indiana High School Athletic Association and the Indy Star newspaper to look for the biggest emotions I could find. This includes players, cheerleaders, fans, and coaches from all over the state, in venues big and small. Although, you won’t find many small venues in Indiana, even in the smallest of towns.
Go Early, Stay Late
When documenting sports, I take this advice seriously: go early, stay late. There’ so much that happens as people arrive to arenas to prepare, and stay afterwards to celebrate with family & friends, or even just cleaning up after the excitement is over.
Let’s Get Fired Up
I love to get on the court or in the locker room before the game, especially with a wide angle lens. Getting physically close to the emotion as a photographer means the photos you see are going to take you right INTO the action.
A More Subtle Look
Not every emotion is someone yelling in joy. Finding intensity or hopefulness or worry takes a bit more attention because the emotions are much quieter.
A New Perspective
What can I show that most people don’t have the opportunity to see? Looking for unique angles or perspectives provides more rounded coverage while documenting a basketball game.
Into the Stands
There’s just a difference to being IN the stands next to fans than standing on the baseline and zooming in with a telephoto lens. Can you tell which of the next 3 photos was taken from furthest away? You don’t have to know about lenses and focal lengths to tell. Which one do you feel furthest away from the subjects?
The image above was taken from furthest away. Crowd photos with a telephoto lens have their place, too. It condenses the field of view and compresses the people together a bit more.
A Sprint Onto the Court
At the end of the game, especially a high-stakes contest, I know there’s going to be a huge release of emotion. As the clock winds down, I get ready to run out and be in prime position to get emotion and expression up close.
Related Posts
Below are some of my other posts about basketball and sports photography. Also, I have a lot more than just basketball action and emotion. To check out some of my favorite sports images, click here to see the gallery on my website.
