Sports

This Lancia was captured at Silverstone and is a panning masterclass. The front portion of the car is in focus and tack sharp and the vehicle’s high-speed – paired with a shutter speed of 1/125 sec – has created streaks of motion blur. If that wasn’t enough, a flame has been captured from the exhaust and the image has been shot at sunset, resulting in beautiful pink hues and golden light.

Capturing a sharp pan of a subject that moves as fast as a Formula 2 car at 1/80 sec is no mean feat. The result is super smooth lines of motion blur and spinning wheels. And to capture an exhaust flame too – a stunning shot!

Sports photography and long lenses are synonymous, but wide-angle lenses are also often used on the sidelines too. Here, the wide field of view provides plenty of context. The main subject is jumping for the ball, but we can also see a good portion of the opposition’s side of the court. This provides narrative, because we know where the subject is aiming to hit the ball over the net. The low angle also adds a sense of drama by emphasising the height of the jump for the ball.

A very slow 1/8 sec shutter speed has conveyed motion in each of the horses’ legs, while providing just enough sharpness so as not to lose the subjects’ equine form. The result is a beautiful, painterly aesthetic. A stunning image!

Soft, diffused lighting is usually the most flattering way to illuminate a subject, but this image makes the most out of harsh, outdoor lighting by embracing a black and white conversion. The result is an edgy graphic-art effect. The lip at the bottom of the image adds to the composition by balancing the frame, but also adds context, since it illustrates where the subject might land.

Fast movements and poor lighting means it’s often necessary for sports photographers to stray into higher ISOs. As this image illustrates, a little noise is almost always preferable to a blurry subject. The 200mm focal length was a good choice, since it was tight enough to accommodate the low angle – positioning the viewer on the waterline – while preventing the opposite end of the pool from encroaching on the frame. A stunning image!

Professional sports photography is often about telling a narrative, and that’s exactly what this black and white portrait conveys. The cyclist’s lolling tongue and pained expression illustrates the challenge faced by competing in such stormy conditions. We also like how no other cyclists feature in the frame, providing a more intimate documentation of the lone subject’s struggle.

Think still life and sports don’t immediately come to mind, but this fencing mask has made for an elegantly simple subject and the technique used to capture it was equally minimalist. The object was placed in front of a black background and by a window, so it was side lit by natural light.

Motion blur, spinning wheels, a tack sharp subject and a dynamic riding position. This panning shot of MotoGP champ, Fabio Quartararo, is certainly befitting the pinnacle of motorbike road racing. We particularly like the dynamic cornering pose. A great image!

By selecting a wide field of view this image encompasses almost the entire basketball court and the venue beyond. This provides plenty of context, providing the viewer with much more information than a tighter shot. The fast 1/640 sec shutter speed has frozen the players in midair too. A great image!

You'd be hard pressed to find a panning shot that's sharper than this. The bike's high speed and a slow 1/125 sec shutter speed has resulted in beautiful streaks of motion blur. Crucially, the rider's helmet is tack sharp. A great shot!

Most sporting events include a few pivotal moments that photographers aim to capture to tell the narrative. This jab during a boxing match is one such example, perfectly focused on both boxers on a near-even plane and frozen at 1/800 sec.

This pair of speedway motorcyclists have been frozen sharp with a super-fast 1/1600 sec shutter speed. An aperture of f/8 has provided a suitably large depth of field to render both subjects in focus and the speedy exposure has frozen each tiny particle of dirt.