Semi-Final: 2nd September 2023 – Men’s Premier League Camberwell Hockey Club vs. Southern United
As an athlete myself, stepping behind the camera to photograph sports gives me a unique perspective. I understand what an athlete values in a photo—the raw emotion, the quiet moments, the connections—and I often find these effortlessly. Capturing sports moments is as much about the action as it is about the story behind the game, sport is much bigger than the game itself.
But today was different. I didn’t have the usual 70-200mm sports lens in my kit. Instead, I worked with my trusty Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, a more versatile option… or the less prepared option (hahaha oops). A challenge? For sure.. But it forced me to get creative, and the result was one of my favorite hockey games I’ve ever photographed. It goes to show that your gear isn’t everything—it’s about how you use it and the narrative you want to tell.
In my eyes, sport is art. And every athlete is a masterpiece in themselves. My goal is to showcase the beauty of athletic photography, whether it’s high-speed action or the quiet moments in between plays.
These are a handful of the patterns/moments I look out for besides just the action shots:
• The visual aesthetics of the sport
• The community and support that surrounds the team
• The quiet moments
• The details of the environment
• The individual athlete
• The team moments
Photography Details
• Camera: Sony a7iii
• Lens: Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
• Access: Media pass from Camberwell Hockey Club allowed me to capture low-angle sports shots right on the pitch/ on the CHC bench at the State Hockey Centre.
Photography Tips for Creative Sports Photography
1. Experiment with lenses: A non-sports zoom lens like the Tamron 28-75mm lets you explore more creative sports photography, focusing on storytelling instead of just action. Yes I know the classic 70-200 sports zoom is ideal for action photography but the the smaller zoom of 28-75 pushed me to focus on the emotional moments and visual storytelling of the game. Which sets these images apart from the normal action photography.
2. Change your angles: One of my personal favourite angles is capturing a bird’s-eye view - gives the photography a fresh perspective on the game, instead of a lot of the sports photography coming from ground level.
3. Black and White edits
Wanna make it moooooody??? (I always do.) Black and white can show a lot more texture and depth than colour. Adds to storytelling.
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Once again, I am not a writer, I am a photographer...
SO... Thank you DEARLY for making it this far and listening to me talk.
Now here are some more of the images I took during the game in gallery form, enjoy :)
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