Digital Sports Photography: Take Winning Shots Every Time

Digital Sports Photography: Take Winning Shots Every Time was an easy read, though I did find some repetition throughout the text. There were some helpful discussions in this book, especially if you are less familiar with sports photography – the legal section did discuss the concerns of displaying photographs with/without model releases (and provided a sample model release), the digital workflow (basic overview), and the discussions about “anticipating the moment.” If I were looking to expand into a new area of sports photography, I would probably find this book more helpful (I admit, the scuba diving section was the most interesting to me!). As it turns out, the text is geared towards the sports enthusiast and the “part-time” photographer rather than the professional. It was bothersome to have to read through the sections discussion how to make the most of your point-and-shoot camera — I would have preferred learning more about professional equipment used by sports photographers. Now, as a note, the authors do summarize or refer to equipment used by the pros (e.g. Canon Mark II, 400mm f2.8 lenses, Photoshop CS) — but these are considered “above” what the typical reader would own (or plan to purchase).

I found the section on getting started in the photography field a little demeaning. I understand the book is meant to encourage readers to get better and become more involved in the world of sports photography, but this section was really not very helpful for me. I would have liked to see some more in-depth discussions regarding technical challenges when photographing sports. The authors discuss how to get the best shots with both SLRs and point-and-shoot cameras; describe the equipment the pros use and state how it is likely more expensive than you (referring to the amateur or semi-pro) want to spend.

Aside from the intended audience for this book, I thought it was an informative read in some parts. The authors were able to give me a feel for photographing multiple types of sports, and though I didn’t really learn much about the sports photography for the sports I already photograph, I can see how this book would be helpful for someone looking to learn about the lighting considerations, camera decisions (focus, shutter speed, ISO).

To sum things up, I was disappointed in this book — although it did provide some helpful tips on positioning yourself to get great shots, I was hoping for a more in-depth, technical dialogue on sports photography from a professional standpoint.