Adding Creativity to Your Sports Photography: Beyond the Action Shot

Guest Author: Kelly VanderBeek

Ok, bear with me a second. I’m about to talk parenting, but I’ll get to the sports photography thing very quickly, I promise. And at the very end, you’ll find my Cheat Sheet on how to break out of Creative Ruts.

One of the ideas I’ve come back to repeatedly in parenting comes from Dr. Russell Barkley’s philosophy of raising kids: sometimes our job is to be the shepherd, creating the safe conditions for our kids to grow, make the most of what’s in front of them, and develop their unique selves. Other times, we need to be the engineer – intentionally changing the environment, creating structure, or putting the right pieces in place to help them succeed.

Interestingly, I think about sports photography in much the same way.

Most of the time, I’m the shepherd.

That’s because I’m working with whatever the sport, the athlete, and the environment give me. The light might be terrible. The weather might be incredible. There might be fog rolling through the mountains, snow falling sideways, harsh stadium lighting or absolutely nothing but beautiful natural light. My job is to recognize what’s available and make the most of it.

To do that, I have to go into my creative toolkit.

I change my angle. I look for reflections. I work with fog. I use the architecture around me. I might shoot through something like leaves or a crystal, get incredibly low, find an unusual perspective or wait for the light to change.

I’m not necessarily trying to control the scene. I’m trying to see what’s already there with the core value that my camera is my tool, but I am the artist.

But sometimes, especially when I'm creating something more conceptual, working with a client or simply looking for an opportunity to experiment, I become the engineer.

That’s when I might bring in artificial lighting, create my own fog, introduce fire or water, or deliberately manipulate the environment to create something that couldn't have happened naturally.

It’s important to remember that both approaches are rooted in creativity. However, in this post I’m going to focus on being the shepherd, because that’s the majority of sports photography environments. Why is that? Well, surprise, surprise, competing athletes don’t love having flashes affect their vision or artificial fog blurring their sights. I know, so picky, right?!

I think this is an important distinction in sports photography: creativity doesn't always mean adding more. Sometimes it's about learning to see more in what you already have.

Start With the Angle

One of the easiest ways to add creativity is simply to move.

Sports photographers often have a very predictable perspective: sitting or standing on the sidelines, shooting toward the action. It's effective – but it's also where everyone else is shooting from.

Get low. Get high. Shoot through something. Look for leading lines. Use the architecture of a venue. Frame an athlete against a clean background. Sometimes even moving a few metres can completely change the photograph.

A low angle can make an athlete feel powerful and dramatic. Shooting from above can emphasize patterns, movement and geometry. And occasionally, the best image happens when you're not photographing the action head-on at all.

Use the Environment

Weather and atmospheric conditions aren't always problems to overcome. Sometimes they're the photograph.

Fog is one of my favourites.

It can isolate an athlete, simplify a busy background and create a sense of mystery. Snow, rain, dust, spray and even condensation can do the same thing. Rather than waiting for "perfect" conditions, I often ask myself how I can use what's already happening around me.

The environment becomes part of the story.

And this is where that shepherd approach really comes into play. Instead of trying to manufacture the perfect conditions, I’m asking: What have I been given, and how can I make something extraordinary from it?

Put Something Between You and the Athlete

This is where things can get really fun.

I occasionally use crystals or other simple objects in front of the lens to create reflections, flares, distortions and unexpected layers. I'm not trying to make the image look like it came out of a special-effects studio. I'm trying to introduce something that couldn't have been created by simply pointing a camera at the athlete and pressing the shutter.

It's a small technique, but it can completely change the feeling of an image.

And you don't need expensive specialty equipment. Experiment with what you have. Look
through objects. Shoot through openings. Find reflections. Let light bounce around.

The goal isn't perfection – it's discovery.

Don't Forget the Light

Light is probably the most powerful creative tool we have as photographers.

At most sporting events, artificial lighting isn't permitted or practical, so I rarely carry a full lighting setup with me. Available light is usually going to be my primary tool.

But I will often have something small in my bag just in case.

My go-to is a Profoto A2, sometimes paired with filters or modifiers to create more interesting lighting effects. When the situation allows it, a little controlled light can add colour, shape or separation and give an image an entirely different feel.

The key is knowing when not to use it. Good sports photography doesn't require artificial light. Sometimes the most beautiful light is the light that's already there.

What's in My Bag?

My camera bag changes depending on the assignment, but there are a few pieces of equipment that are almost always with me.

My primary camera is the Sony α9 III, which is my go-to body for sports. I also carry my Sony α7R V, although that body will soon be upgraded to the newest model for faster and more accurate autofocus capabilities and a greater resolution to play with.

These 3 lenses are always in my bag:

Sony FE 70-200mm f2.8 G Master OSS II – one of my most-used lenses for sports
and portraits.
Sony FE 24-70mm f2.8 G Master II – incredibly versatile when I need to get closer to the environment or tell a bigger story.
Sony FE 16-35mm f2.8 G Master II – great for versatility around people and the wide, immersive perspectives.

Then there are the BIG LENSES. (...let the drooling begin...)

For outdoor sports, my Sony FE 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 G OSS is a workhorse. It gives me the reach I need while still allowing enough flexibility to follow unpredictable action. It’s also surprisingly budget-friendly for the quality.

For the butter-soft backgrounds and my highest-quality images sports images, when I can’t get too close to the action, I’ll typically use the Sony FE 300mm f2.8 G Master OSS.

And when I'm shooting an event like the Olympics, where I know I'll need every bit of reach and speed available, I'll use the Sony FE 400mm f2.8 G Master OSS – not budget-friendly, but quality that's unparalleled.

These lenses aren't just about getting closer. Different focal lengths fundamentally change how an image looks and feels. A 14mm can put the viewer directly inside the environment. A long prime can compress the background and isolate an athlete beautifully.

Equipment Doesn't Create Creativity

It's easy to get caught up in gear.

And believe me, I love gear.

But the newest camera or biggest lens isn't going to automatically make a photograph more creative.

Creativity comes from being curious.

What happens if I shoot from down here?

What happens if I wait for the fog to move?

What happens if I shoot through this?

What happens if I intentionally introduce a reflection?

What does this scene look like with a 14mm instead of a 300mm?

What if I stop trying to capture the "perfect" sports photograph and instead make something that feels different?

Those are the questions that keep sports photography interesting for me.

The technical side matters. Knowing your camera, understanding exposure, mastering autofocus and knowing your lenses are all essential. But once those things become second nature, you have more freedom to experiment.

And that's where the fun begins.

REMINDER:
CAMERAS ARE TOOLS.
YOU ARE ARTISTS.

Creating Space to Explore

This philosophy is also at the heart of my Branch Out workshop.

When I created Branch Out, I wanted to build more than a sports photography workshop. I wanted to create a safe, supportive space where women could explore their creative selves, experiment, ask questions and discover what happens when they give themselves permission to photograph sport differently.

In that sense, I’m the shepherd: creating the conditions for photographers to feel comfortable enough to take risks, try something new and trust their own creative instincts. There’s no pressure to create the "right" image. There’s room to fail, experiment, laugh, learn and find your own visual voice.

But I’m also the engineer.

I intentionally build workshops that push photographers outside their comfort zones and introduce tools, techniques and creative approaches they may not have explored before. That might mean experimenting with artificial light, fog, crystals, unusual lenses, different perspectives or entirely new ways of approaching a sporting environment.

The goal isn't to turn everyone into the same kind of sports photographer. Quite the opposite.

It's to give each photographer the space, tools and confidence to discover what kind of
photographer they want to be.

Because ultimately, creativity in sports photography isn't about having the biggest lens, the newest camera or the most elaborate setup.

It's about curiosity.

Creative Rut?

Remind yourself of core principles in design and composition to help you ‘see’ creatively. If this isn’t natural for you, consider having a short list in your phone or a note tucked into your pocket.