Cricket is quite unique. It is a gentle sport, genteel even, but as sports go, it is a surprise packet to capture.
I have always assumed, more fool me, that it would be an easy sport to shoot, making summer the lazy season. I think I shot it a total of three times for the school, with mixed success.
Over the first two days of competiton this season, I began to realise, this may be one of the tougher sports.
On the first day, I shot a womens match and must admit, I only just got enough shots to make it work, but I was shadowed by the senior photorapher, so we netted plenty.
Day two and the mens match, I was on my own, but lessons learned, I had a better time of it.
The first challenge is selecting the right lens focal length. Longer is better, to a point, but thanks to the different dimensions of the grounds and the reality that the pitch in the centre shifts during the season as different strips are used, there is no perfect choice.
Angle and timing, oh and luck, tons of luck.
I shoot with a 600mm (FF equiv), which is too tight at some angles to get both the batsman and the up to the stumps, wicket keeper in the shot.
Only on some angles could this be taken. The wicket keeper is to me one of the most predictably dramatic and active characters in a game.
Paul, the senior photog at the paper uses a 400mm and crops, but I still also have to crop, so to me, the longer lens is more appealing.
The other option, but not one I have attempted yet, is to have a second shorter lens on a body for close action.
Quite a heavy crop from a 600mm file, but still plenty of quality for paper or internet use.
It is long enough for length-ways shots of the keeper.
The golden shot. It can be frustrating to keep an eye on the keeper, but just once in a while, it comes through (who missed by a mile).
Next is timing. I am still less than keen on high motor drive blitzing, but cricket is a game of short bursts of fast action, so I was open to it at first. I tried some 15fps technique, but did not see any great results. The fact is, the first shot is usually the one, timed well or not, otherwise you are just blazing away and relying on luck which will only give you a full card, hours in front of a screen and probably the same hit rate.
First frame, a result of timing, not saturation bombing.
Shooting with the intention of never seeing the ball is the secret. If you wait to see it, you are too late. Basically time your shot with the batsmans’ swing. I settled on a 5-7fps low rate, which allowed me a slightly faster follow-up series than single button pushes, but I can always limit it to one.
It is easy to get lost in trying to capture “the” image, but it is actually more important to tell a story, so mixing up angles and concentrating on different aspects of the game is important.
Is this bowler regularly getting the better of the batsman? Focus on the keeper.
I felt it was coming and got lucky, unfortunately from the back, so not perfect, but still.
Is the batsman getting the better of the bowler and favouring the off-side? Line up the batsman playing a stoke, but allow yourself the option of shooting past them to the fielders in the background. or ideally, get the batsman looking at the ball after it is hit on the other side.
The first rule of any sport is having the ball in shot, but it is not possible to rely on the batsman hitting at you every time, so sometimes the best shot is without a ball.
Bowlers offer several points of best action. I like the follow through, which is best shot facing straight on. This shot breaks the ball in shot rule, but Is still like it.
The more traditional bowler shot.
Once you have a clutch of the required batsman mid-stroke or bowler following through shots, it is time to look for something new. Tough turf for this, as there are limits and most roads have been taken, but there are still options.
The next hurdle is patience and time. If you have the time, you still need to be patient, but with a plan. Like a good hunter, you need to decide to get a shot or cover an angle and stick to it. This also means trying to predict the flow and momentum of the game.
Not a genuine game changing moment, but interesting in a mix of shots.
If you do not have much time, then you need to be creative and take what you can.
A good way of capturing faces that are either concealed behind helmets when batting or if they do not bowl, is the stalk them in the field.
What ever you do, don’t forget to keep an open mind.
Like football, cricket also has its flower friends. The Oly 300mm really does make a good super macro.
Ed. On arrival at work today, the sports editor cleared up a few things from his perspective. Story is king. He liked the shots, using the ones that showed the most about the game in one shot for print and a small gallery on line. Overall a win.
Back page and large. All drama and anyone with an eye for the game will know exactly what has happened.