MPB Meets: World Cup Photographer Daniela Porcelli

Sports photographer Daniela Porcelli has enjoyed a meteoric rise in her photography career. From starting photography in 2018, Daniela quickly went on to shoot the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France as well as the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Now one of the leading women in sports photography, MPB spoke with Daniela to discuss what kit she uses, her inspirations and aspirations for the future.

MPB: How did you break into the industry as a professional sports photographer?

DP: At the beginning of 2018, I started to photograph sports as a hobby. A colleague lent me his second camera to photograph an Arsenal Women’s football game, from the sidelines instead of from the stands. After many months of doing this as a hobby, my first client hired me for a tournament, which I will never forget, in the USA. More and more assignments came through. At the end of 2019, my friend Richard Callis created his own agency Sports Press Photo, which shared the same vision I had in sports photography in connection to the women’s game, and I joined him in our mission. Since then, I can say I do it professionally. 

MPB: What’s the most enjoyable event you’ve photographed so far?

DP: That is difficult to say, as every game or event I cover is special to me. The top two events would be the Women’s World Cup 2019 in France. It was one of the best experiences ever in my life, being there on the sidelines at so many games and covering this huge tournament. I remember when I started to photograph in 2018 as a hobby, I had a dream to be on the sidelines at the Women's World Cup in France. A year later, I was there. Dreams come true. I still have goosebumps thinking about how I felt at the opening game in Paris. Being there for nearly a month and focusing on daily football, it felt like living in a bubble. The second top event for me is this year’s Olympics in Tokyo. It was the first Olympics in my career, and with Covid-19 a huge challenge, but while being there I managed to fully focus on my jobs and my passion. I will always remember the moment when the Canadian Women's football team won their gold medal, and I was honoured to cover their full tournament until their victory. 

MPB: What is your go-to kit set-up for sports events?

DP: My standard kit is the Sony A7 III and Sony A9 and a few lenses like the 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS, 70-200mm f/4 G OSS, 24-70mm f/2.8 GM and 50mm f/1.8. I love the Sony equipment as I can trust it fully and I am always happy with the quality and incredible performance. My goal is to add a wide lens and another camera to my kit. 

MPB: As a woman in sports photography, do you feel that you face any particular challenges?

DP: It is difficult to say that I have more challenges because I am a woman, but I feel because there are fewer females in this business and the network is really low in comparison to the men’s world, we have fewer chances to be successful or get client assignments. I can only quote a male photographer friend who even told me that he noticed that women have more difficulties getting into this business, as a man is preferred. I also feel that I have to show more than my quality and performance is amazing until my work gets approved and I can get more assignments. On the other hand, it is nice to see sometimes—but rarely—women get great job opportunities too. I hope to see more of it in the future.

MPB: There are a lot of discussions online about women not having equal opportunities to men in photography, what are your opinions on the subject? 

DP: As I have personal experiences that this happened to me, I can say, yes I also feel that we have fewer chances in this business than men. But I think that this is because men have created a huge network in the last decades, and we women don’t really have a network yet. The goal is to create a network and support each other worldwide to create opportunities with and for each other. It is also important to show more “role models” in this business, to have younger girls/women look up to us, and to get into this business. 

MPB: You have captured some amazing sports moments. What is the secret to capturing a great sports moment?

DP: My quote is 'Capturing the emotion of the moment'. I always say you have to be 'in' the game and 'feel' the game. Sounds poetic, but it is this simple.

MPB: Are there any tips you would like to share with aspiring female sports photographers?

DP: Show up. What I mean by this, is go to every event possible and cover as many games as you can and like. When you are passionate about something it is all about showing that you put the effort into it.

Learning by doing. You can’t be a master at the first game, it is all about learning by doing, step by step. Try to be open to learning new things at every opportunity. Many photographers are kind and are happy to share their tips.

Sharing is caring. Someday you will do the same with new talents who approach you. Don’t give up. Many doors with great opportunities will open up if you put your effort into it and try your best, but also many doors can close. But never give up, keep going even when the hurdles get more and higher. Most important: Take it step by step and enjoy the game.

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This article is part of the MPB Guide to Sports Photography, our comprehensive look at how to create sports photography, with camera recommendations, advice and interviews with experts.