My First Steps in Sports Photography: Capturing Passion on the Field
Photography has always fascinated me, but lately I’ve been trying something new — sports photography. I’m just starting out, and I know I still have a lot to learn, but this weekend I decided to give it a go and capture some action shots at the place where I work on weekends.
I took these photos during a youth soccer game, using my Canon Powershot SX130 IS in its automatic mode. It's a simple camera, far from professional equipment, but I think it's not about the equipment, it's about learning, observing and improving with each shot. Later, I edited the photos in Lightroom, working mostly on contrast, sharpness and color tones to bring out the emotion and energy of the scene.
In this post, I’m sharing some photos that I personally feel connected to. They represent different aspects of the match — from determination and teamwork to pure focus. What I love most about photographing children in sports is how genuine their expressions are. Every run, pass, or missed goal reflects a mix of excitement, effort, and joy.
One of the biggest challenges I faced was timing. Sports move fast, and my camera’s limitations made it hard to freeze the perfect moment, but with a bit of patience (and a lot of trial and error), I managed to catch a few frames that I’m proud of.
This is just the beginning for me in sports photography. I’m aware of the long road ahead — learning about autofocus tracking, better composition, and post-processing techniques — but every match, every photo is a step forward. I’d love to hear your feedback and any tips you might have to help me improve!
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into my journey behind the lens.
Resources Used
Camera: Canon Powershot sx130 is
Image Editing Software: Lightroom Classic
Translator: Deepl
Todas las fotos son de mi propiedad - All photos are my property
Great start in sports photography! Love how you capture emotion and movement with a beginner-friendly setup. Keep shooting—each frame teaches something new! 📸⚽
Thank you very much for your kind comment. I feel that my camera helps me in these first steps of photography, later maybe I will evolve to some other, but for the moment, I love what I am achieving. If you have any advice, don't hesitate to give it to me. Thanks for visiting my content.
The only real difference between a good and bad photographer is what they show you!
With sports photography, the most compelling images I've ever seen have the compositions of renaissance paintings.
This is a composition where the person with the ball, or the centre of attention has all the stress and attention of the figures around them focused on them. They're often more brightly lit in the frame as well.
Don't be afraid to crop in closer in lightoom to make a more dramatic shot.
In sports, burst is your friend (also in live music!) But being able to anticipate the play is another skill. Don't just look through the lens, be aware of what's going on outside your field of view.
It is also okay to take advantage of slower shutter speeds while panning the camera to emphasise motion.
Thank you so much for each one of these tips that I value so much. I'm going to experiment a bit more with Lightroom and try those framings you mention.
My camera has a burst but I still don't master it well, my photos come out a bit blurry, I have to practice a bit more with it.
Thank you very much for your words, I really appreciate them.
Not a problem! Feel free to ask questions anytime!