Football Photography 101

Football, the world’s most popular sport, has thousands of amateur and professional photographers covering every angle of the game. So, just how do football photographers shoot thousands of games every season? And which cameras and lenses do they use? If you’re interested in giving it a go yourself, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll tell you everything you need to know to get started with football photography.

Contents:

• How to Get into Football Photography

• Charlotte Wilson and Eddie Keough’s 5 Tips for Football Photographers

• The Best Camera Setup for Football Photography

• The Best Accessories for Sports Photography

• FAQs

How to Get into Football Photography

You have the kit, but how do you actually break into football photography? Here’s our advice. 

1. Start with local teams and school football

Reach out to local teams and see if they want photos of them playing. Many local teams and schools have limited budgets for sports photography, so they may welcome the opportunity to have a dedicated photographer to capture their pictures while playing.

2. Contact local publications

Reach out to local newspapers, magazines or websites to see if they need coverage of local sports events. 

3. Offer services to smaller clubs

Research smaller local football clubs or semi-professional teams in your area. Offer to cover football games at a reasonable rate or propose a profit-sharing arrangement where you can sell prints or digital downloads to players and families.

4. Network with players and teams

Attend local football matches and introduce yourself to players, coaches and managers. Building personal connections can lead to future opportunities or referrals. 

5. Build a portfolio

As you work with local teams and clubs, constantly work on improving your skills and building a strong portfolio to showcase to potential agencies. 

6. Market yourself

Consider using social media to build a network/following that is interested in your football photography. You can also connect with local teams, players and fans this way. 

7. Be persistent and patient

Breaking into football photography can be challenging, as it’s a competitive field. Stay persistent, continue improving your skills and be patient as you build your portfolio and connections.

5 Expert Tips for Football Photography

Charlotte Wilson is a professional football photographer, and Eddie Keogh is the official photographer for the England men’s football team. Here they both share their expert tips for capturing the beautiful game.

1. Be Prepared 

Eddie Keogh: As a sports photographer, there are some factors you can’t control on game days, such as the weather, lighting, or even the spot you’re allocated on the side-lines of the pitch—I often don’t get the choice. But there are several things you can prepare to help get the best football photographs possible on the day. 

Have you charged all your batteries? Have you packed your wet weather gear? Do you need something to sit on? Are all your cards formatted and ready to go? These are the basics, but making sure you’ve packed the right kit to deal with the conditions you’re up against is a good place to start.

2. Do Your Homework

Eddie Keough: Whatever event you’re covering, do you know the back story? It’s too late to read about it after the game, so don’t be shy. Talk to people in the know, before the event, to find out if anything special is happening.

This could also be a good time to start a conversation about your pictures too. If you’re just beginning, and keen to do more photography at a local club, offer them your pictures to keep them sweet. Please use some discretion if they already have a club photographer though. You don’t want to upset people.

Charlotte Wilson: Knowing the game you’re shooting definitely helps you anticipate certain things. I’ve found that over my ten years of photographing the sport, I’ve become a lot better at getting a feel for the game. You learn how players move, how they typically like to celebrate, the way certain teams play and how certain football fans and fanbases act. But there can always be something surprising, which is why I love shooting football.

3. Get Low, Find Angles and Move Around

Eddie Keough: If you’re still learning, don’t just sit in the same spot. Move around. It’s amazing how different things look as you work from different positions. A nice clean grass background can also look cool. Talking of backgrounds, I can’t stress how important it is to think about what your background looks like. Walk around the pitch, football stadium or event beforehand and work out which backgrounds are best avoided. If it’s a small ground, why not go into the crowd behind a goal and shoot some goalmouth action with some fans in the foreground to give the picture some atmosphere? 

The England players were always curious as to why I wore waterproof leggings on sunny days. So, I explained that the groundskeepers always water the pitch before training—and I spend all my time either crouching down on my knees or on my stomach to get the best angle. The lower you get to the ground, the better the sense of drama. This is true for almost every sport, as at this angle you can see the athlete’s feet are off the ground and that portrays a sense of movement and speed. It might feel a bit odd, but next time you’re photographing a sport, lay on the grass, court, or track and you will notice that everything looks more dramatic.

Charlotte Wilson: If you can, move! Stand behind the net or just outside the post for a penalty. Line yourself up for a free-kick so you can see the free-kick taker, defensive wall and a bit of the net in case the goalkeeper dives. Try and anticipate how something might line up, or where the peak action or something interesting could happen, and get in that spot. If you are shooting something like a trophy lift and the subsequent victory lap, it’s easy to get sucked into chasing the crowd and coming away with nothing. If the layout of the ground permits, I like to sit tight into the goal, on the 18-yard line or closer in. We often aren’t able to move position. But if I’m shooting a particular player, a free-kick is given just outside the box, or there’s a penalty at the other end, I’ll do my best to move. I’ll find a spot that gives me a more dynamic view of that moment.

4. Tell a Story

Some of the best photos of football players and matches tell a story immediately. The most common—and usually essential—type of story/photo is the goal celebration. But think about how the composition can affect how the audience can perceive it, and contribute to the story of the match you are covering.

Eddie Keough: Do you know the story? Is it a player’s hundredth game? Is there a special rivalry between the managers? Is there lots of talk about a young star coming through?

Charlotte Wilson: The 2024 Champions League Final was played at Wembley. Going into it, all the photographers knew the lap of honour was going to be difficult due to Wembley’s layout. There’s not much space. So, if you were late getting to a moment, you would mostly be shooting the back of your colleague’s heads. Just after the final whistle, I noticed Vinicius Junior jumping over the ad boards and heading for the crowd. As I managed to get over there quite quickly, I was able to capture some chaotic action shots of the player and the fans close-up. And that was despite being squashed between stewards and the metal barriers. When I turned back, other photographers were bottle-necked into a crowd due to the lack of space. If I hadn’t got there when I did, my photos probably wouldn’t have been worth sending!

5. Use the Right Camera Gear

Charlotte Wilson: If I were starting now, I’d go for a Canon EOS 1DX Mark II and Canon135mm f/2 L USM or Canon 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM. I currently use the Canon EOS R3, Canon EOS 1DX Mark III, Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon 400mm f/2.8 L IS II USM, Canon 16-35mm f/4 L IS USM, Canon 50mm f/1.2 L USM, Canon 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM and the Canon 135mm f/2 L USM. I like having multiple cameras, in case something happens up close. But there have been games where I’ve been shooting a particular player and have tried to stick on one body with the 400mm. It can produce some interesting shots when they fill the entire frame. Sometimes, having only the one camera forces you to be creative and really think about your photography. 

Eddie Keough: The Canon EOS 1DX Mark III is my go-to camera. What’s not to like? Incredible autofocus, wonderful colours and image quality, 12 frames a second, top-of-the-range comms for sending pictures from the camera, and tough enough to take the knocks of daily use.

The Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L III USM lens is so handy when you just need to get super wide. Sharp all the way through. I’m never without the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM, it’s always around my neck when I head to sporting events. And the sports photographers’ workhorse, the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS III USM. When the action is not too far away and the subject is in your point of focus, this lens will nail it. Plus, a dream of a lens, the Canon 400mm f/2.8 L IS III USM. At f/2.8, the background disappears and the subject jumps out of the screen. And the autofocus is a joy. Most pro sports photographers work with one of these and use a monopod to work with it. The Canon 85mm f/1.4 L IS USM is beautiful for portrait work, with such a narrow depth of field it loses the background to perfection.

For most games, I will set up a Canon remote camera with a Canon 20mm f/2.8 USM behind the goal on a mini tripod. I use a PocketWizard to trigger that camera and will set the speed to 1000th and the aperture to around f/5.6, depending on how good the light is.

What’s the Best Camera Setup for Football Photography? 

The best camera for football photography will depend a lot on where you are at in your journey. Some people might want to know the best budget options to take photos of their own kid's football matches, and some people will be on a journey to becoming professional sports photographers.

The Canon EOS R7, paired with the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS, is an excellent choice for football photography overall. 

Check out our top Setups for Sports Photography for our best recommendations. 

Accessories for Sports Photography

As you gain experience as a sports photographer, you will naturally start accumulating useful accessories. The most used accessories for sports photographers are teleconverters, file transmitter, flashguns, Monopods, Remote triggers, and battery grip.

Check out our sports photography equipment guide for more recommended accessories.

FAQs 

What are the best camera settings for football photography?

• Shooting Mode: Aperture Priority (with minimum shutter speed set to 1/1000) 

• Aperture: f/2.8 or minimum available

• Shutter Speed: Minimum 1/1000 a second, or between 1/250 - 1/500 to add body movement. 

• ISO: 100 (in full sun), 200 (overcast) or Auto ISO (at night)

• White Balance: Auto (adjust as needed for indoor or unusual lighting)

• Focus Mode: Continuous (AI Servo on Canon)

• AF Area: Expanded AF point (surrounding points active)

• Drive Mode: High-speed continuous (burst)

• File Format: JPEG

Which shutter speed should I use for football?

A minimum shutter speed of 1/500 will help freeze the action and eliminate most motion blur from your football photography.

Which lens do I need for football?

A 400mm lens works well for football photography, and pros Charlotte Wilson and Eddie Keough recommend using it. 

Which f-stop or aperture should I use for football? 

Generally speaking, any aperture between f/2.8 to f/4.0 is ideal for football photography. 

What autofocus mode should I use for football?

The autofocus mode you use will depend on your camera. However, for the best autofocus results, we recommend using your camera's continuous subject tracking mode.

How many frames per second do I need for football? 

You should shoot at a minimum of 5fps for football photography. 

Is 70mm enough for football photography?

The 70mm focal length is useful in football photography if the action moves closer to where you are. However, you will probably need a 24-70mm lens on a separate camera body to make this work and be able to quickly switch to it. 

Why are my football photos blurry?

If your shots are too blurry, try increasing the shutter speed to at least 1/500 to ‘freeze the action’. You can also check your camera's autofocus settings to see if it has a dedicated sports mode.

Looking for more sports photography content?

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.