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Sports photography - part 9 of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

by Mike McNamee Published 01/08/2011

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In winter, cold is the greatest enemy, ably assisted by rain or wind, and in the worst case, all three together. A hat will save 35% of your body's heat loss, a neck gaiter will keep you snug in that area; lined trousers and walking boots should keep the lower limbs working. A flask of coffee for breaks and quiet spells can also be a life-saver (brandy optional).

We are well served by the clothing manufacturers of outdoor gear and there are a number of specialists for photography even though much hiking and climbing gear will double up. Your jacket must be long enough to protect you when sitting and some big pockets are usually what differentiates the photographers' products from normal outdoor gear.

Hands are the one body part that you have to keep going at all costs. You can put up with being wet and cold but if your hands stop working and you cannot change a CompactFlash card you are in trouble. I still wince at the thought of one match at which I had to seek the help of the team's physio to get my fingers working, she had some special chemical hand warmers - I never forgot my gloves ever again, it had seemed quite mild when I left home!

A number of specialist gloves are made with flaps to give fingers more dexterity when required.


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Bags and Packs

Big lenses are very heavy, two of them twice as much! I once recall assisting a photographer at Wimbledon. The steps down to courtside on the old Court One were suicidally steep. The poor girl was packing three massive telephoto lenses and a camera bag and, such was the weight, she was struggling to prevent herself from tumbling down the steps for an undignified entry.

If you have to carry a big lenses more than a few hundred yards, some form ofback-pack will ease the burden, theyain't cheap but neither are sessions at the physiotherapist!

Remote Control

There are many occasions in sport when the ability to remotely control a camera is desirable. It might enable you to position a camera at a location that is unsafe or out of bounds.

Typical locations are behind the goals at soccer matches or very close to fences at steeplechases. Permission from the organisers or controlling body is likely to be needed before you can set up rigs such as this; camera damage is an ever-present danger so check out your insurance policy as well.


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1st Published 01/08/2011
last update 18/07/2022 16:35:44

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Updated 18/07/2022 16:35:44 Last Modified: Tuesday, 08 November 2022