Sports

This image of a rally car kicking plumes of dust is a jaw-dropping capture. Just enough of the subject is visible to make out that it’s a car, but at a glance, the headlights peer through the dust like some kind of striking predator. A fast 1/1000 sec shutter speed has captured the flying debris still enough to form explosive patterns of dirt, while retaining a slight blur to convey a real sense of motion. A fantastic shot!

The dramatic sky and active space really add to this silhouette of a cyclist. The key to a good silhouette is making sure it’s easily identifiable and both the angle and the rider’s positioning on the bike leave no doubt as to the subject matter. A fantastic image!

If you thought panning was difficult when photographing motorsport or birds in flight, try adding in the up and down movements of a galloping horse. This image is a beautiful example. The horse’s body and the rider are near sharp, but the spinning wheels and the animal’s blurred legs convey movement. All shot at a rather remarkable 1/25 sec.

Moichara is a cattle race in West Bengal and this image depicts a rider thundering through water with two cattle. The lens is set directly in front of the advancing trio and the expression on the rider’s face adds a real sense of competition. A middling aperture of f/6.3 has allowed for the cattle and rider’s faces to all be in relative focus, while a fast 1/4000 sec shutter speed has frozen the flying droplets of water.

This image of a batsman is tack sharp, vibrantly lit and features a shallow depth of field that clearly separates the subject from an otherwise busy backdrop. A shutter speed of 1/1250 sec was more than enough to render the cricketer’s swing sharp, but for all its merits, this image still hinged on one final ingredient. The ball – which has been captured right in the centre. A great image!

Beautiful lighting and a soaring subject that’s been frozen still. The key here is the snowmobile’s separation from the two marshals and the visible jump at the base of the frame, so the vehicle doesn’t simply appear to hover in mid air. A great shot!

This frame-filling image of a competitive kayaker is a splashing image of a difficult subject. We’re pleased to see that neither the oar nor water have obscured the kayaker’s face. The sports person has also been captured in a dynamic pose, preparing to round the poles, which have been neatly framed on the right-hand side. The finishing touch is a little active space, positioned exactly where the kayaker is looking, conveying to the viewer the intended direction of travel.

Sports photography isn’t always about freezing moments of action. This close up of rugby players preparing to enter a scrum helps to build an on-pitch narrative. The white knuckles grasping their teammates’ shorts and the hint of trepidation on the faces of the second row convey the brutality of the UK’s favourite full-contact sport.

The wide field of view has pulled the fighter’s surroundings into the frame and together with the candid nature, this image feels very much like a documentary capture. We like how the stairs act as a leading line and the doorway creates a frame within a frame, so the viewer cannot help but be drawn straight to the fighter, frozen still following a right hook to the heavy bag. A great image!

An incredible shot. The wide angle field of view provides plenty of context around the subject, despite the skateboarder nearly filling the frame and the subject has been positioned perfectly right in the centre of the image, not to mention being tack sharp.

There are a few key elements that make this excellent motocross image stand out. The bike is at an extreme angle, but is travelling towards the lens, the rider is looking in the direction of the camera and the jump is visible, with active space in the lower portion of the frame for the vehicle to travel. Framing the jump is essential, since it grounds the image. Otherwise, the bike would just look like it’s hovering in mid air. A great shot!

Sports are spectator events and capturing images that include the crowd is almost as important as capturing the action. This wide-angle shot of a college basketball court is bursting with narrative as the crowd, coaches, substitutes and other players look on at the action in the centre of the frame. State rules meant the photographer couldn’t sit under the basket, requiring them to sit to one side and lean in to fire the shutter. A great shot!

A lone boat, clean background and black-and-white conversion all come together to create this minimalist panning shot. But what makes this image so enthralling is that the rower is looking towards the camera and the sports person’s speed has been matched by a seabird that’s also tack sharp. A fine image!

We like how the ropes have provided a frame within a frame and that the black and white conversion has nullified any distractions so the viewer is able to focus entirely on the sparring boxers, mid punch. A great shot!

Tying a bag of powder paint to a football that's subsequently kicked is an inspired idea. Others would create this effect in post production, but the fact that it’s been created in camera is very impressive indeed. A fine image!