I have been shooting sports for Collegiate Times for over a year. I started with very little  knowledge of photography and no experience in shooting sports. I have learned a lot from my fellow photographers and still there is a lot to learn. Here are some tips that fellow photographers have shared with me and I am jotting them down.

1. This tip does not basically belong to photography but how to behave on field. Players should always get the preference no matter. There are always limits where a photographer can go in field, but in those limits also photographer should try to sync in background. He should be almost like invisible, so in any condition he is not disturbing any players or blocking any viewers.
2. In a sport where ball is involved, always get ball in the picture. Ball in the picture always gives your viewers what is going on in the picture. I was taught this skill while shooting tennis. Taking ball out of photographs can confuse viewers what’s the player doing.
3. Study the players. After shooting a particular sports for a team we know what kind of moves/shots/dunks a player has. If we are able to predict players next move in the game we can be at exact place to capture that moment. Its true that it will take many hundred bad shots but one good shot is enough to make you happy.
4. Know the sport well, especially the rules of the game. It may seem trivial but sometimes when we are trying to figure out what’s going on in the game and we miss the chance. Rules also help us decide which is the perfect position to take for photographs e.g. one should know where the referee would be most of the time so they don’t block the shot.
5. Study the fellow photographers and their photographs. I think this is the most important step in learning. You know the photographers that usually shoot with you and the spot they choose to take photos. When analyzing their photographs we can find out why they chose that place, what kind of shot they were looking for etc. We should also search for images from that sports and try to figure out what composes a great shot. I believe, learning from others experience is the best way.
6. Its not just the action that is important, we should be able to capture the reaction as well. Since we get only one photo to tell the story of the game, we need to know exactly what is going on in the game and capture that moment. Sometimes the frustration, joy, excitement, eagerness,  anger, intensity, and concentration of the player make an excellent shot. Fans, cheerleaders, half time activities and mascots are very good subjects too.

I learned a lot in last two years from SPPS photographers and seeing others shoot at Cassell. It has been a joy shooting Hokies at Basketball and Volleyball, I am definitely going to miss it.  

PS: These are just few basic tips I learned, I believe I have a lot of learn. I would try to update this blog regularly based on comments/tips I receive.