With lower-resolution senors, it’s important that you’re able to compose scenes in-camera

The path to becoming a sports photographer isn’t easy. On a professional level, it demands fast telephoto lenses and top-end cameras, neither of which come cheap. And getting accreditation to shoot at professional games is a chicken-and-egg situation where you need a proven track record to get access to shoot and, realistically, you need to be working for a sports photo agency or a newspaper to get the gig in the first place.

But it’s not impossible and starting off small, perhaps by covering your local amateur team or smaller sporting events, can lead to bigger and better things. Hopefully, this advice will stand you in good stead, no matter what level or discipline of sport you want to shoot.

Start with what you are most comfortable with and where you can get closest to the action. If that’s your kid’s school team, then you will be near to the action and, of course, all the emotion of sport. Don’t just stand at the side of the pitch to shoot at head height; get down on your knees or lie down on the ground to get a range of different angles. If you have a spare camera body and wide-angle lens, equip it with a remote trigger and set it up just behind the goal or the finishing line, so you can capture action-packed point-of-view shots.

Contrary to common belief, a lot of the best shots aren’t taken at big events, as access is harder. Low-level events are better with access and you can get much more from your time there. Start with a sport you are familiar with and let the action unfold.

SPORTS KIT

There’s no getting away from the fact that good photographic gear is of the utmost importance in sports photography. You need to be able to capture split-second moments with pinpoint focusing accuracy, and so as a pro, I’m using Nikon’s top-flight cameras and big telephoto lenses. But, of course, these lenses come with a price tag that makes them difficult to justify if you