MPB Meets: Getty Sports Photographer Elsa Garrison

What does it take to nail a winning shot at every single prime-time moment? Pro sports photographer Elsa Garrison deep-dives into her robust portfolio to show us exactly that. From seconds-to-buzzer moments to swarms of team members rushing to congratulate each other, Elsa knows exactly where to be, and when to be there, so she doesn’t miss any exciting action.

Knowing the game is only part of it—you’ve got to know your kit, your unique strengths, and be confident to act or move fast. In the video, Elsa shares tips, her favourite moments captured in time, and the arsenal of photography kit she uses to nail pro-level sports photography in the New York City area and beyond.

On the difference between Canon DSLR and mirrorless:

“I find that when shooting at a slower shutter speed, it is easier to do the pan pictures with a DSLR than it is the mirrorless. I think more so because of the timing sort of thing of it. You're looking through the viewfinder that's looking through a mirror, and so you're seeing what the actual frame is, whereas the mirrorless, it's about an approximation, even just that little millisecond of time. It makes it a little more difficult to do sort of a pan picture with a mirrorless. At least I found that's kind of a learning curve that I'm running into with switching between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera.”

On submitting her work for the World’s Sports Photography Awards:

“For the World Sports Photography Awards, I chose a variety of images to enter based on the look and feel of them, and the different techniques used. The first picture I want to talk about is a velodrome picture. It was from the 2016 Olympics in Rio. I had never shot velodrome before and it was the craziest thing I'd seen I used a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II and a 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM. I shot this at a quarter of a second and as they were rounding the corner, I would start my pan as it was coming up. And then as soon as they come by and try and mimic the speed of the cyclist so I could keep at least the helmet sharp.”

MPB is partnering with WSPA to encourage sports photographers to get recognized for their amazing work. This partnership enables us to celebrate Pro sports photographers and the power of visual storytelling, the values and essence of sport to make us think differently, look again, transform and ultimately change. The content created through the MPB X World Sports Photography Awards partnership will help fledgling photographers interested in improving their sports photography. This content will enable visual storytellers around the world to gain a further understanding of the equipment and techniques required for pro sports photography.

The partnership will also include the launch of a dedicated amateur sports photographer award. The Amateur Category of World Sports Photography Awards will be opening for the general public in July, we encourage everyone to take what they have learned from the pros and enter this year's amateur awards.

Thanks, Elsa.

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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.