MPB Meets: Sports Photographer Lukas Mengeler

Sports photography isn’t just about capturing people in action, it’s about recreating the emotions of the athletes and the fans to tell a story. This storytelling is the magic touch that enables imagery to touch us and remain in our memories. There’s always a fair amount of excitement and urgency at sporting events, so it’s the photographer’s job to remain calm and press the shutter release button at the right moment. 

Sports and lifestyle photographer Lukas Mengeler, from Cologne, Germany, has shot many sporting events in his career—including the controversial 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he was able to try out the speedy Sony A1. Watch the video below, or read on to check out more of Lukas’ imagery. Over to you, Lukas.

I have been a sports and lifestyle photographer for six years now. I actually studied sports science, but after doing an internship in this field at FC Cologne, I decided that it wasn't for me. So, I concentrated on photography.

My photography has definitely changed over the years. Especially in the first projects, I always had the desire to be as close as possible. That's why I usually had a 24mm, a 28mm or a 35mm lens on my camera. Later, I added a 70-200mm lens and a 400mm telephoto lens for sports photography.

Storytelling is very important for me in my photography. I always try to find other angles, and other stories that I can tell, edit pictures in black and white or try things with a reflection in the picture. Over the years, I've tried out a lot of things and tried to somehow find my own way and combine these artistic demands with football and with sports photography.

I think my process for selecting images is always different, whether I'm shooting a game or whether it's a lifestyle or fashion shoot. 

I make the first rough selection in Bridge. I always include plenty of photos because I usually want to leave it up to the client to decide which pictures they like better. The working process also consists of using Bridge and Lightroom. And, if necessary, I also use Photoshop if something bothers me. But I always try to keep everything as close to reality as possible.

My equipment essentials are of course my cameras and my MacBook for image editing. For a long time, I used a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon24-70mm f/2.8 L USMand 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM for sports photography. 

Lately, especially during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, I have been shooting with a Sony A1 (Read the Sony A1 review), 24-70mm f/2.8 FE, 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS and a 400mm f/2.8 L FD. I also had theLeica SL2, 24-70mm f/2.8and 90-280mm f/2.8-4 APO-VESL.

Capturing the pace of the game is sometimes not so easy. When it comes to emotional pictures, like goal celebrations, you already know what's happening. But it's still a bit stressful during the game because if you don't have a perfect position, you have to sprint somewhere.

For me, there's also the fact that I edit the pictures during the game. That means I'm not always completely focused on the game. Over time, however, I have learned how to edit as quickly as possible.

I think it's normal, especially for young photographers, to have role models, to have people who inspire you. That is also very good and very important at the beginning. To learn techniques, it's also helpful to copy pictures that you like. And to learn how to get the result I want. But it's also important to do your own thing. Try things out for yourself and think “Who do I want to be and what do I want to stand for?”

Everyone finds their own way.

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.