Parents vs. Pros

28 Mar Parents vs. Pros

Parents love photographing their children; and who can blame them? They love to show off photos on their phone of their kids in action—crawling, first steps, speaking, playing around the house, and as they grow older, on the sports field. When it comes to sports photography, it’s a matter of parents vs. pros.

Sports take place on large fields or gymnasiums and parents try to capture the perfect shot from a seat in the stands. They’re limited in their ability to get close to their child. Lighting is limited and there is lots of movement. Not a great venue for an amateur photographer to capture the perfect photo of their child.

The action shot

Parents try to capture that action shot while their child is driving to the hoop or winding up to strike out another batter. Rather than getting the perfect photo, a blurry mess is captured. The best cameraphone doesn’t have a fast enough shutter speed to catch your child in the moment. A professional photographer will have no problem getting that shot, however.

Busy backgrounds

Youth sporting events take place in venues built for convenience and the backgrounds are not always appealing—parking lots, bleachers, or just blank spaces. It’s easy for your child to get lost in the background as you’re trying to take your photograph. A professional photographer has the equipment and the experience to make your child stand out in a photo. They’ll capture a crisp photograph of your student-athlete while blurring the background and eliminating distractions.

Equipment

A cameraphone is great for an amateur photographer. A professional photographer, however, will have a number of cameras and lenses to use depending on the shot. They’ll know how and when to use them and you’ll see the results in the finished product.

Lighting

When capturing a live sporting event, working with the available light is important. These games take place in mid-to-late afternoon sun which can be harsh. Helmets and headgear cast shadows over faces and the sun glares off of them. These are complications a professional can handle. For indoor events, a flash can cause problems. And in some cases, sporting events do not allow flash photography as to not interfere with the athletes. In a dark room, an amateur photograph may be stumped, while a professional has the experience to work with the available light, as minimal as it may be.

Sporting events offer a number of great photo opportunities. As a parent, you should feel comfortable to live in the moment and enjoy your child playing a game he or she loves. When it comes to parents vs. pros, let the professional photographers do their work. They will capture the perfect shot of your student-athlete for your to relish and relive the memory for many years.

C3 School Photography photographs athletes of all ages in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and is eager to capture your future all-star in action.