Photography – how a picture can tell a thousand words in sport

With the rise of social media in the sporting world, Tammi Fairbairn looks at how photography is the perfect way to encapsulate those special moments.

Photography is a form of storytelling. However, photography in sport means so much more. The art of photography is essential for documenting high-stakes moments that can be used for marketing, storytelling, and fan engagement.

But what is photography?

The definition of photography is the application of creating durable images by recording light by using light-sensitive materials like film.

There are many elements that make a good photo, and they can be broken down into five main categories: lighting, focus, exposure, perspective, and intention.

Without exposure, an image cannot be captured. A well-composed picture includes shadows, colours, and lights that catch whoever is being photographed.

Photography is an important tool to capture history and preserve memories. However, with the rise of social media, photography is getting overlooked and forgotten.

Videography is on the rise as it captures motion, audio, and the narrative, whereas photos have a stillness to them.

Videos are raking in the views for a club’s social media page more so than photos. Could this mean that photography is dying?

Tyler Lopes, 20, has been the lead photographer at Hebburn Town FC for five years now.

Tyler Lopes in action | Tammi Fairbairn

He has witnessed the club go to Wembley, win the Durham Challenge Cup, and is now seeing the club potentially be promoted this season.

He began his photography journey eight years ago, and football has always surrounded his life. Hebburn Town FC was what started his passion for sports photography. They invited him down to the ground, and that is where it all started.

Captain Aidan Heywood celebrating after scoring a last-minute winner | Tyler Lopes @tylersmission2018

When asked, “What do you think are the key skills needed to be a successful sports photographer?”, Tyler answered with,

“I used to be a keeper, so I have quick reactions. Things can happen in a split second. You’ve just got to be quick. You’ve got to know what you’re doing and know what you’re focusing on.”

Photography captures emotion, and nothing screams raw emotion like a last-minute winner. Tyler recalled one of the memorable last-minute winners and how a photograph can capture that.

“The emotions that you do capture are more real, and it means more than just telling someone to stand there and smile. When Daniel ‘Bobby’ Moore scored his last-minute winner, he had a pint chucked over him. It shows a little bit of raw emotion. It’s not just emotional to me, it’s emotional to him, it’s emotional to fans. It shows sort of the overall theme of the game.”

Photography is potentially on the verge of dying not only due to the rise of videography, but also due to the cost. Camera companies like Nikon are competing with rivals, such as Canon, to see how many shots can be taken in one second. The advanced technology behind that only increases the market value of a camera, making it nearly impossible for beginners to start a new hobby.

Tyler discusses these issues and how videography is much more attainable for beginners.

“It’s an expensive hobby. It’s a much harder thing to get into. Most people have phones, so it’s easy to capture a video, but capturing sports photography, it’s harder to do. My dream lens costs £11,500. That puts it into perspective, and that’s just a lens. If you’ve got a camera that can capture motion, it’s not impossible.”

Sports photography does not have to start within a club; most photographers start by freelancing, grasping any opportunity they can.

Scarlett Gowans, 21, began her freelancing by taking photos of her university basketball team. Through them, she grew her portfolio and worked with local basketball teams such as Newcastle Eagles and South Tyneside. She has worked with a Nikon Z6ii but has also used a Fujifilm digital camera to capture retro-style moments at Newcastle United football matches.

Scarlett Gowans in action | Scarlett Gowans @s.sportsframes

Newcastle United celebrating after scoring | Scarlett Gowans @s.sportsframesI spoke with Scarlett about how photography has helped elevate the way a game may play out.

“Angles are so important in sports photography. You want to make sure you can capture the real essence of the sport, from goals to tackles to celebrations. To really capture emotion and intensity, you need to remain focused throughout and look out for key moves.”

Unlike Tyler, who sticks to traditional still photos, Scarlett uses several editing apps to enhance the way her photos are portrayed.

“Editing apps is something that can really benefit you in photography, as it can really enhance your images. Technology has changed the field of sports photography to a degree. Now, the noise in images can be eliminated with ‘AI Denoise’, which means using a higher ISO now is a lot less risky than it used to be, as you can sharpen up your images later.”

Newcastle United celebrating after scoring | Scarlett Gowans @s.sportsframes

When questioned whether videography could cause the field of photography to die, she answered,” Videography is its own brilliant field, but it doesn’t capture those snippets of memories that can be framed on a wall. Photography and videography should work hand in hand, and I believe that’s the way forward.”

The information that I have obtained from both Scarlett and Tyler has put into perspective how important photography is in the sporting world and how it will never disappear; it will only evolve.

Photography has been around for over two centuries and is continuously getting better. Technology will always be advancing, which then allows for mixed media to enter the sports world. A goal video can coincide with a celebration photo; the two work hand in hand. One does not have to outscore the other.

As Tyler said, “Photography is at the heart of the media. Photography is the base of it all. You will see more photos than you would in a video.”