The Life of a Professional Sports Photographer

BY STEVE HALE

The everyday life of a photographer specializing in sport, like myself, can be a very mixed one.

Steve Hale: Italian Javelin Thrower

One day you are at home, and, in my case, helping my wife with the garden, getting on with the seemingly endless list of house repairs, or just doing the essential admin and paperwork you are required to do if you want to get paid for the work you do. Then the phone will ring and you are busy booking flights and hotels for your next commission to cover anything from a European Football Match to a Tennis Tournament, practically anywhere in the world. It's from that point that your professional hat goes on and your thoughts are, firstly, how to provide your client with exactly what they require. You come to know your regular clients and the standards they demand. So that's fine. New clients can be more daunting because today the standards are being pushed further all the time, and of course there are many more photographers queuing up for the available work, and there are some very talented individuals out there producing some quite stunning work.

Steve Hale: Gymnast

Then the practical bit kicks in and you start to sort your kit out for the coming job. I'm a Canon user and a late convert to digital. I have a full range of lenses to cover most things from 17mm to 600mm. If I need something a bit special, I simply hire it. I have kept one film camera, a Canon EOS 1V plus attached Motor Drive, because one or two of my clients still insist on an original high quality transparency (50 or 100 ASA), and for my own passion and love of film, particularly black and white. I make, nor give, any excuses for this. I started with film over 36 years ago and worked with it until 18 months ago. Old habits do die hard, and why not? Providing they are good ones! I've given up talking on the debate of film or digital. There is no point, because the digital format is just going to get better and even better. Believe me when I say, you have seen nothing yet. The only time I take every single piece of my kit with me is when I'm asked to cover the Olympic Games or the Football World Cup. Other times I take what I need. It is essential to try and travel light because you have to hump it. Experience teaches you, and I usually get it just right.

Steve Hale: Goalkeeper

Equipment wise, everybody has there favourite lens. My 'standard' lens is a 300mm; my favourite lens is a 500mm. They’re big lenses, I know, but essential in the field I work in. The 500mm is one of the least talked about lenses outside of sports photography. The one I use, made by Canon, has a maximum aperture of F.4 and is very light for its size and simply wonderful to use. I can hand-hold it without a problem in the most extreme conditions and it produces simply beautiful quality images time after time. If I can leave you with one tip, given to me by an old timer at the start of my career and that still stands today: Always go for the best quality lens possible.

Thank you for your time, and always try to remember--Photography is a continual learning process.

Steve Hale is an Honorary Member of the SLPS.

Please send any comments to Steve