Photo Tips

Chris d'Aquin is a WeSay.com contributing writer.

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Many photographers love Fall, not for its cooler temperatures and beautiful color, but for America's favorite sport. Football! So much fun to shoot and so much potential for great photographs, but it can be harder work than you might think.

Here are a few things to consider when shooting a football game, whether it's in the backyard or the real deal:

Access. As they say, access is everything. You might not be able to get your hands on a press pass to photograph the National Football League, but that does mean you can't shoot some great action from the gridiron sidelines. Most high schools play sophomore games where attendance and attention are much lower, giving you an opportunity to photograph the games and learn the craft without the hassle of getting a credential. Plus, they usually play these games on Saturday afternoons when the lights is nice and bright!

Of course, if you want to photograph a high school or smaller college game, you might need to take some steps to get a pass. Call up the athletic director at the high school where a game is scheduled and simply ask. Explain yourself clearly and be ready to tell them what the images are going to be for. Most schools will grant permission as long as you give them a good reason, like, it's for WeSay.com a citizen photojournalism web site!

Equipment. Football has a lot of action, and it can go in nearly any direction at any time.  Therefore, a camera with a good auto focus will make things easier.  I recommend a DSLR with a fast frame rate and a long lens, just like what I mentioned in an earlier photo tip about baseball.  In fact, everything I said in that article about going long, shooting plenty, and having a high shutter speed also apply to football.

A camera that shoots at least three frames per second is going to help you freeze the action at the exact point you want. Many high end cameras shoot eight frames per second now, but don't get caught up in this. The ability to fire off two shots within a second or two will be good enough to get at least a few good frames. Unlike baseball, there are no 90 MPH pitches to try and capture.

Mix it up. Don't feel like you have to concentrate on whoever is holding the football.  There's a lot happening at once during a single play in football.  There are great shots to be made of every player on the field such as linemen blocking, linebackers rushing to the ball and defensive backs covering a receiver.

Too often, photographers fixate on quarterbacks or running backs and miss out on some very good action elsewhere. With that said, it's always nice to have the ball in a frame!

Concentrate on the eyes.  The best photos often show players' faces.  Football is an intense game, and there can be plenty of emotion, pain, and frustration out there.  Make sure you capture it by getting shots that show their eyes. This can be tricky because players wear helmets and shadows can sometimes hide player's faces, but a good shot with the intense look on an athlete's face is tough to beat.

Keep shooting.  When a play is over, opportunities for photos continue when shooting football.  Keep shooting after the whistle to capture moments like a lineman's celebration after a sack, a receiver's frustration over a dropped pass, or a running back flexing his biceps after getting a tough first down.