It’s not a surprise that in the year 2016, a picture of “Usain Bolt” in an Olympic track got the award of the most influential image. The fastest man on the track was seen to smile while crossing his opponent. Cameron Spencer was the creator of this amazing shot. It was an iconic click indeed.
But not every shot is iconic. The good news is there are tools which can enhance your capture- off course in a positive way. Though many people argue that this process is right or wrong, but as to me, I only see these tools which can bring me better results- nothing else.
When my skill level of photography grows, my curiosity for better images grows also. And sometimes it’s really tough to get an artistic shot straight from the camera. That’s the reason why many photographers are using photo editing skills to take the art to next level, so did I.
Getting the perfect snap is a dream but true post-processing will allow sports photographers to excel the ability. A proper plan is enough to minimize the gap between a sports person and digital photography.
That’s why I’m sharing top 5 reasons why a sports photo-taker must incorporate photo editing skills to get the best out of your action shots.
1. You can transform your click whenever you need it and how you want it:
To me, this is exactly what it should be. When your passion is to create artwork through your camera skill, always you can mix some of your imagination to execute your masterpiece. As long as your capture looks realistic there is actually no boundary to transform your art. The interesting thing is that you can do it anytime.
Say you have captured an athlete’s image who is throwing a spear on the track. And you wanted the expression of the sportsman when she was throwing the javelin. But unfortunately, you captured just after few microseconds she delivered the javelin. Back at home you can edit the image and turn it in the form that you wanted to be.
2. Photoshop action can save money:
Yes, Photoshop can save you from spending a lot of time and will be beneficial for saving cash. In any business, the owners need to focus on reinvestment and in you also. New and new technological invention will force to adopt with modern devices. And I don’t have to mention the costs here!
If you contribute in post-processing, you don’t have to spend an extra penny. Besides, every month photography manufacturers are introducing a new camera, lenses, light accessories, tripods, and backdrops. These new tools will help you to cope up with new challenges. Devices are always a great investment for anyone.
So when I can save few bucks, I always expand my accessories lists and purchase modern and time savvy sports photography gears.
3. Plan for the extra time:
It’s true that mastering photo editing skills requires a long time. Here is the other side of the coin- you can plan to use your spare time, how? As soon as I learn the post-processing, I made some spaces and invested in learning complicated sports photo-taking techniques. And that gives me the competitive edge.
Where other photographers are struggling to adopt new methods, you’ll be always ahead with some unique effects.
Previously I spend at least 3 to 4 sessions or days per week and two days for retouching. But now I broke down the post-processing time and add 1 to 2 hours for each session. This way I don’t have to spend more than a day for editing images. So now I can wrap up the same number of works in fewer days.
Capturing athlete’s image is one of the challenging jobs in photography. Traveling to different locations to cover different games require lots of physical and mental strength. When you have an extra day, you can take some extra shots or can spend fun time with your family. Definitely, it’ll beneficial for relationship and health.
4. You’ll understand what makes an image aesthetically better than another:
After completing so many sports sessions, now I understand how I should capture the moments to get a better final shot. Picking up colors, contrast, correction and lightening effects helped me to become a better photographer.
Have you ever counted the number that how many clicks you have pressed to get the perfect shot? Maybe hundreds or thousands. Let me elaborate it.
You probably know soccer is a challenging sport, especially for photographers. The challenge increase to double if you want to capture a great tifo display which is made by die-hard soccer fans. Capturing perfect choreographies which are displayed over fan seats is now a trendy topic. In my first few seasons, every time I clicked I had to reject almost all. And for the rests, I did lots of post-processing. I faced exactly same difficulties in some following seasons.
Finally, my hard work pays off. In the match between Spartak Moscow and Liverpool on September 2017, I captured something extraordinary!
Still, I remember I had to swap few positions to get the perfect spot. Though I did a little edit, but previous photo manipulation inspired me to capture the banner with such details. To some of my photography buddies, it is one of my best snap.
5. The possibilities are actually limitless:
Though it’s somewhat debatable that whether Photoshop is expensive or not when you don’t get your art in the desired shape, the real cost will increase a lot. Unless the click doesn’t convert into an actionable benefit, your hard works will never pay off.
After all, representation matters. Photographs allow us to share and to communicate. It speaks best. Your presentation will tell the story behind the captures.
Post processing will solidify your clicks. Actually, when you’ll understand what you like, it’ll help you to get some masterpiece through your camera work. This performance will help you to become a better photographer.
The audience always hunts for new looks, so after taking snaps of a sportsman or crowd, often you can change the visual style. Personally, I’ve noticed fan wants “fresh” look.
I know, capturing perfect moments that represent joy on the players’ faces after historic victory or gloom of defeat, is really a tough job. But sports photographers can do it better than others. Always this isn’t a game of posh camera and megapixels. It’s something beyond capturing sports images.
In summery you need more than a good eye. You need to learn how to capture perfect images and how to do after works that transfer your image into a great art.
Finally, if you experienced any other reasons which I did not cover here then please mention those in the comment box and let’s have a fruitful discussion.