The term ‘sports photographer’ is very broad and can mean different things in different situations. However, there are 2 main types of sports photographers, the ones that you hire for a media day, and the ones on the sidelines taking photos at games. Both are beneficial, but create a very different end result.
The first type of sports photographers, the ones for media days, create posed photos. At a session like this, it's the athlete, and there are often elaborate light setups, fog or smoke, and other creative effects. These are more photoshoot-like, and while the athlete may be in uniform, everything is very staged and put together. Media day shoots can be good for marketing, team building, and promoting events.
The second type of sports photographers are the people you see on-field at games. These photos are very candid as the photographer has no control over the content in the shots, as that is fully determined by the game play. While there may be some more posed photos before or after, the majority of the photos that are taken will be from the game. These include a wide range of shots, such as gameplay, celebration shots, coaches/players on the sidelines, and sometimes even the spectators. However, all of these photos seek to capture or freeze the moment and convey the emotions that the athletes are feeling. These types of photos are good for advertising, promotional content, and storytelling.
Media Day Examples:
(not my work)
Game Day Examples:
(my photos!)
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