Immensely helpful rundown of where to stand to capture different types of football action - thank you! 👊🏈

Sunday will be my first American Football game photography. I will practice your tips

Hello, Jerry!! I used your tips at a friend's football game and got some STELLAR photos of the event! I actually got their son stiff-arming a defender from the opposing team! It was, as the young people say, ABSOLUTE FIRE!! 🔥🔥🔥Thank you for the video!👍

@JerryTLai

10 ай бұрын

I'm glad the positioning helped you out! That's definitely a big part of sports photography, knowing where to be!

SKOL! Great video! Off to shoot my first high school football game...

Another excellent video and nice to see the NFL games

Hi Jerry. Good video that deserves much more attention and views :-) Liked & subscribed! I tend to use the same spots as you describe here but I also make camp behind the end zone lining up with the hash marks and let the play come to me. The goal is to capture a runner looking towards this area. Eye contact in football photos is great! I have shot 200+ football games in Europe where the game is slightly different than in the US. Fewer run plays between the tackles, many big plays of 50+ yards, and typically one team is more dominant than the other. That also dictates where I place myself around the field.

Hi Jerry, grate videos, I take photos at Womens football leagues an some of pewee leagues here in México, I still have some weak points but with your tutorials I hope to become better every week. Looking forward for the season to begin to put all what I've learnt here into practice.

Hi Jerry, I have watched several of your videos today. Thank you for taking the time to help so many people. I am shooting the 2022 Outback Bowl Jan 1st. I picked up several tips that will be useful to me.

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad to help! It has been a while since I've posted a new video, but one is coming soon! Have fun shooting the Outback Bowl!

I am basically a 59 year old, intern photographer, shooting for a major college fan site. It took me two or three years to learn the stuff that you talk about in this video. I wish I had seen it earlier :-).

@JerryTLai

10 ай бұрын

Wish I made this earlier! ;-)

Amaizing tips!! Thanks for sharing:D

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Glad this can help! Thanks for watching!

Another one! I’ve got 2 more CFL games to cover and this really help. Thx

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Kevin! Good luck, have a couple of great shoots!

hey Jerry - great video. I've got a 150-600 Tamron on a crop sensor, so I feel I can shoot just about anywhere. I need a short lense though for those close endzone scores. I do also go up into the stands and feel getting the green field as a background is better than blurred stands at field level. With my zoom, I can get quite tight shots from an elevated position.

Amazing Video thank you!

@JerryTLai

11 ай бұрын

Thanks! Have a great football season!

Hi Jerry. Thank you for taking the time to make this post. Your info was very informative and helpful. I'm just starting to shoot again and want to focus on sports photography. I never shot a football game before. After watching your entire video. I immediately went out and tried shooting a High School football match. I used all the information / advise I could remember in your video. Let me just say, shooting a football game is very difficult. I shot for 15 - 20 min and got maby 5-6 ok shots. Your positioning advise was spot on and very helpful. The 2 biggest challenges were 1- auto focusing when while players, refs, etc keep running in front of your view while your shooting. 2ND- Carrying all my equipment in my shoulder bag while changing field position. I missed a lot of plays because I was not in position fast enough. This was a great learning experience and huge eye opener. May I ask how do keep track of the players when everyone keeps running in front of your subject and what shooting mode do you use? I prefer M mode but think TV mode would be beneficial. Thanks once again.

Excellent video!!

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Thank you

I was hoping for football but it was about American Football. But still it was good video with quite a few useful tops! Really appreciate! Looking forward for volleyball and tennis! ;-)

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

I unfortunately haven’t shot enough volleyball to put together a video for this series, but certainly tennis and football (soccer) I can get something together eventually :-)

Hi Jerry, thanks for all your great videos on this channel 👍 Would be fantastic if you could do one about "best photo positions in tennis (your favorite sport 😉)"

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate that! Thanks for watching! Yes I will have to do one one tennis 🎾

Nice video, Jerry. Just crossed my KZread feed. Hope all is well.

Hello Jerry this is the first time I’ve discovered this video, which is very helpful. I’m highly interested in sports photography, just not sure on how to begin.

@JerryTLai

10 ай бұрын

I'm glad you found this helpful!

Great content as always Jerry. I live in the UK so unfortunately not much football going on over here. well, not what you call football anyway But it’s great to hear about photo strategies of all sports as there will be many things in common with other sports. Im just starting out as a sports photographer and my goal is to make it to Paris 2024. Fingers crossed I’ll see you there 🤞🏻

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Well, if you ask the NFL, they would love to establish a team in London. Logistically I don't see it happening but they can keep dreaming. I'll do a video on football (soccer) for you all across the pond sometime!

@grahamshellswell4513

2 жыл бұрын

@@JerryTLai every so often we get a season NFL game at Wembley, and tickets are like gold dust! Great! Your soccer episode should be a good watch. At the moment I’ve just managed to do some badminton and ultimate frisbee (which is incredible photogenic if you catch the action right). Beach volleyball this weekend so high hopes there for a few good images there. I live right next to a large soccer stadium so I’m hoping I can convince them to let me shoot a match or two. Thanks again for the great content. It’s super helpful.

just one thing you forgot to mention. Got to get the coaches on the sidelines, they make some great dramatic faces. Also, a great shot is the sideline after an interception or touchdown.

@JerryTLai

11 ай бұрын

You're right, don't forget the coaches on the sidelines for their expression - not to mention there's usually fewer photos of them compared to players so you'll tend to get more play of them.

Your videos are always great. We have our 3rd high school game tomorrow night, and my new to me Nikon D780 and Sigma 120-300mm lens have been working quite well. I really should learn how to use a monopod correctly, since the lens is quite heavy. It has stabilazation built into it which helps, but by the 4th quarter, my arms are starting to ache a bit. Anyway, thanks for uploading this video!!!

@kreso4188

2 жыл бұрын

Hey, can u tell is D780 good, i have 750 so i don't know is worth to switch to 780

@stevepuddlejumperpilot6062

2 жыл бұрын

@@kreso4188 For me, it was a good switch. I shoot mainly high school football, and as we all know, for the most part, the lighting is pretty bad. So, the D780 has better high ISO performance, better auto while balance, bigger buffer, and it shoots a smidge faster as well. But if you aren't pushing your camera like that, I would say no. I still have my D750 and it has been a solid performer for me.

Great advice. Been shooting HS Football for 3yrs now, hate to leave the corners to get the quarterback shot, but you got to have one…

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Yup same, but you gotta do what you gotta do!

While American Football is comparatively rare in the UK, I think the same shot positions largely apply to rugby and field hockey, and to a slightly lesser extent soccer. Anything more than 20 yards away from the end/touch lines and its just player's backs. Beautifully filling the frame - but still, no faces. The corners are always pretty safe. The 10 yards/100mm guide is very interesting. I've always had a terrible keeper rate for anything beyond 60 yards or so, even on my 400 2.8. I put it down to the lens being ancient (which it is), but maybe I'm just expecting too much anyway at that range. I shoot soccer at semi-pro level, and field hockey at elite club level, so the play moves pretty quickly. Too quick for the autofocus at that distance? This weekend, I'll try limiting my shots to a 40 yard range, and see if the overall keeper rate goes up.

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Soccer is hard because the pitch is so big. And unlike American football you can't effectively just get up and down to follow the play since it moves so erratically. There's not a whole lot you can do if all the action is on the other end. Shoot it and hope you have enough reach and megapixels left if the goals all go the other direction.

Is it possible you could do a video and show in detail how you clean your lenses, especially at Fenway when dirt and or clay gets on the glass?. Thank you!

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Ah yes, a pretty basic but essential task whenever you get mud, dirt, rain, grime, etc. I've been planning an "accessories" video and this would fit well in there. Thanks for the suggestion.

Jerry - very good video. I shoot HS sports, which is predominately at night under the lights. What are your lens recommendations for using two body's. I use a 400mm f2.8 on my primary body.

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

I shot two bodies at football for a long time (and often still do). I think a 400 2.8 and a 70-200 is a good one-two combo. The only situation where you can get a little bit burned with that combo is if there is a touchdown thrown right to your corner or right where you are situated, bc you won’t get the feet or legs in photo or full body celebration. But otherwise you should be able to get most anything else that happens.

Hi Jerry, I like your videos. They are very helpful for hobbyists like me. Do you have any experience shooting soccer? It would be good if you could do a video on it.

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Tim! Thanks for the comment and for watching. My soccer experience is a bit more limited than other sports, but I certainly have shot plenty of it in my career. I will eventually do a soccer positioning video, so stay tuned!

@TKJC2011

2 жыл бұрын

@@JerryTLai Thanks Jerry. Looking forward to it.

When shooting at a NFL stadium, do you normally shoot manual? Any suggestions for shutter speed?

Thanks for your comments; very helpful; how do I capture and make interesting all the "pile-ups" that happen in a Div. 3 football game and I can't get closer than the 20 yard line anywhere (rules) and I have70-200 Gmaster lens? Any thoughts would be helpful. Thank you!

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Hello and thanks for watching! Unfortunately, that is difficult to follow up, no matter what level of sport and what lens/gear you have. Pile ups just don't make for great photos - you need someone to go over the top (like in my thumbnail photo) or bounce around the outside. Even in my case, if there's a run up the middle a lot of times I won't shoot it or if I do, there's not really a frame I can make out of it. Just stay patient, and wait for a play to break free or around the outside - then you can capture it.

Hello Jerry how is panning shots suitable in sports photography. Like in football or something which has motion/ action of players. Can you suggest some tips and settings for same to!

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Just like with any photography trick I think the key is to use it in moderation. It’s a nice gimmick to pull out and mix into your take but you can’t use it for every game and every picture or it gets old fast. It also has to be done reasonably well. You can’t just slow shutter pan for the sake of it, there needs to be something sharp in the frame. Experiment with different speeds to try to achieve the look you want. Perhaps somewhere between 1/25 and 1/100 may yield interesting results.

can you please help me about new lense I will buy it. for sport photos it's a Sigma 300 mm 2.8 old ...did you agree with me .because I don't have enough money for new another lenses.. many thanks.

@JerryTLai

2 жыл бұрын

Truth be told, almost all my lenses that I purchased back when I freelanced were used or older lenses. They usually functioned just as well and were much cheaper than new. The 300 2.8 was my first really big lens and it's a good all rounder if you need long reach in all lighting conditions.

Anyone have any tips on knowing where the ball is going for passes? I’m having a hard time getting any decent shots of receivers catching the ball unless I just pick a player and track them, but that’s only giving me about a 10% chance the ball is going to them

@oddmanout4256

Жыл бұрын

Watch the ball. Keep an eye on the center and quarterback positions, if he chooses to throw, I have both eyes open when shooting to track the ball.

ok so we can move during the game.