How does sports photography actually work?
30.4.2020
Translation: machine translated
I have a passion for sports photography and would like to take good pictures. Unfortunately, I have no talent in this area. Perhaps a professional sports photographer can help me.
In addition to an exciting text, a good story lives from the visual world. In sport in particular, a great picture often says more than many words. I'm not a photographer, but I still want to take better pictures. That hasn't been one of my strengths so far. First step: I try to recreate the image of a sports photographer as accurately as possible. But first I need to learn more about the peculiarities of sports photography.
The outdoor and sports photographer Filip Zuan lives and works in the Engadin. His studio is the Grisons mountains, his motifs athletes on bikes, surfboards, skis, sailing boats or horses. Two years ago, I met him in Silvaplana for a chat. Back then, he told me about an extraordinary shoot with surf icon Robby Naish,
among other things.
Not quite as unusual is my personal little photo project, which I need Filip's help with. More on that later. Firstly, I want him to tell me how much he needs to know and understand a sport in order to photograph it?
Filip, your portfolio includes biking on trails and roads, SUP, classic winter sports, trail running, but also motor sports, hockey on frozen mountain lakes and snow polo. You are very versatile.
Filip Zuan: For me, it's essential to create stories with my images that are relevant and coherent for the respective sport. You need to have a great basic understanding of the sport, the athletes and the movement and know what looks good. I find the challenge of shooting different sports very exciting. I find it just as exciting to transfer knowledge from one sport to another.
How long does it take you to understand how to photograph a sport you don't know?That varies. Some sports are very intuitive, some take several attempts to find the essence and visually attractive angles. But after all these years, I've developed a feeling for what works and what doesn't. I realise when it feels good and this is usually reflected in the images.
You have one of the most beautiful "sports grounds" in the world right on your doorstep. What does that mean for your work?
Yes, for me the Engadin is one of the best places in the world and I feel very privileged to have this mountain landscape as my front garden. The different seasons and the activities associated with them make the Engadin even more exciting, hence the versatility of my photography.
Many athletes from all kinds of sports come to the Engadin for altitude training. Is there a sports photographer behind every second tree?
There are always lots of athletes and therefore lots of photo and video producers in the valley. We have a very high density of first-class photographers in the Engadin, and productions or athletes often bring their own photographers with them. I always find it very exciting to see what other photographers create here.
What is the most important quality of a sports photographer for you?
For me, the foundation is the interpersonal aspect. You create a story, an image, together with the athletes. Smooth communication and fun are a must for me.
Do you have to be sporty yourself?
Depends very much on the sport and the shoot. But yes, a basic level of fitness is certainly an advantage, as you'll be doing everything with the athletes. In addition, your rucksack with the equipment is usually not so light. You carry it around with you all day. I try to stay as fit as possible so that I can concentrate as much as possible on taking photos on the production days.
Your most difficult picture? And why was the shoot a challenge?
There is no specific image. I think that almost all strong images have to be "earned" in some way. Otherwise it would be too easy.
How much staging is in your pictures, how much "coincidence"?
That very much depends on the shoot. I often already have a rough plan or an idea that I want to realise. However, things usually turn out differently than planned and that's often how the best pictures are created.
You have your own philosophy: give luck a chance, always be ready. What does that mean?
Photography is a feeling. Most pictures can't be planned and are created spontaneously. Giving these spontaneous situations a chance, recognising them and capturing them accordingly means giving happiness a chance.
The sports world has come to a standstill because of the coronavirus. What does this mean for you and your work?
My winter season came to an abrupt end. Many productions were postponed, most of them even cancelled.
I also find the "deceleration" exciting and use the time to present new projects and ideas to potential customers, which often gets lost in the "daily business". But yes, economically speaking, it's not an easy situation. I hope that everything will normalise again to some extent in the summer.
My photo challenge
Filip's pictures are great. The quality of my photos, on the other hand, is poor. I can't take photos. Now I want to change this step by step and am taking on the following challenge first: I'm trying to recreate one of Filip's pictures 1:1 in my little garden.
But which one and what do you, as a professional, think about this idea?
Cool challenge. I'm already looking forward to the result. Basically, though, it's very difficult, as my pictures live to a large extent from the location. But yes, this running picture shot from diagonally above could work. I'm curious.
What should I look out for? Do you have any tips for me?
Behind the camera: Shutter speed at least 1/1000 to capture the movement sharply. With your old Nikon D90 you will probably have to pre-focus manually. Look for good light, early in the morning or just before sunset. In front of the camera: make clean, almost exaggerated movements. Good luck :-)
All the images in this article were provided by Filip Zuan. Follow him on Instagram. You'll find more about my challenge soon here. Follow my author profile and stay on the ball, or rather on the trail. <p
Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.chFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
