254 GQ.COM.AU SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
FIT
THE
PRE-GAME
CHECKLISTSKILLSSHORT ANSWER – VERY. WHEN
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE GIANTS
ARSENAL FC WERE IN SYDNEY, GQ
WENT PITCH SIDE BEHIND THE LENS.Photos, like
this one, that
stick in our
minds, are
the result of
countless
hours research
and meticulous
preparation.- Make sure your batteries
are charged and you have
ample memory cards. - Research the players
so you know who to
photograph. And be in the
best position for the game,
to capture the best angles
and the best action. - For an evening match,
where flood lights mean
the light remains constant,
set the camera to the
following settings:
ISO 5000
APERTURE F4
SHUTTER SPEED 1/1000
NIKON ‘D7500’, FROM
$1999; NIKON ‘AF-S
NIKKOR 70-200MM F/2.8E
FL ED VR’ TELEPHOTO
LENS, FROM $3399
HOW HARD
IS IT TO BE
A SPORTS
PHOTOGRAPHER?
W
hen it comes to sport, nothing
compares to watching it live.
The action, the drama, the
passion, it’s unrivalled. Enjoyed
from further away than you’d
ordinarily do so on TV, it
doesn’t matter because you can relive the winning
strike or controversial sending off online or in the
paper the next day. But have you ever wondered what
it’s like to be the person behind the lens?
After an end-to-end 90 minutes of fast-flowing
football, watching some of the best players in the
world, we can safely say we’d never appreciated how
hard capturing the perfect photo in sport is.
Post game, and 5324-odd shots later (three of which
were deemed print worthy), we spoke to legendary
sports photographer Delly Carr about his beloved
profession, and how we can improve our skillset.GQ: What skills are
necessary to be a good
sports photographer?
Delly Carr: A true sports
professional understands
light, timing, exposure,
composition and
forethought. An athlete
forecasts their moments in
which they will anticipate,
react to, and live when the
set day of competition
arrives. The same momentsthat a sports photographer
must try to anticipate,
react to, and live when they
are presented to us.
A photograph ‘fixes the
moment’ of an event. In
that moment, the
photograph preserves
what the eye might
otherwise not capture.
GQ: The secret to a good
photo? What are you
looking to capture?DC: My world is about
moments – quick and
fleeting moments that are
otherwise missed – but
brought into existence by
the physical photograph.
GQ: How do you best follow
the game?
DC: It is a ballet between my
lens and those bright
baby-blue eyes of mine.
I look at the action bold and
tight. I invariably shoot with
my ‘Nikkor 80-400mm’,
‘Nikkor 300mm F2.8’, or
‘Nikkor 600mm F4’ lens.
I feel like I am in another
suburb when I put on
a wider lens. So, then I
have my left eye kept open
and watching what’s
happening outside the
border of what my right eye
views in the viewfinder at
that moment.
GQ: What are the biggest
mistakes of a sports
photographer?
DC: Sports photographers
do not make mistakes. They
make judgment calls, which
at times may not payoff in
full. But other times you hitthe gold seam and strike it
rich. Sports photography
is about experience, vision
and good proper mental
preparation. The quality
of imagery can be judged
and valued when these
factors of the equation
are calculated. The final
value of the image
increases numerically
as these factors increase
with age and maturity.
GQ: And the greatest
misconceptions?
DC: That once we get
access on the field, and
have the right equipment,
then it’s easy. That’s bull.
It requires a lot in a world
of sport that is defined and
restricted by sponsors,
sporting bodies,
organisers, security, TV,
intellectual property of
athletes and sporting
organisations. Try being
creative in an environment
constrained by touch lines,
walls, stadiums, signage
and concrete. It is a highly
skilled profession, more
than you can imagine.HE
GAMEPHOTOGRAPHY: DELLY CARR, RICHARD BULLEY, AND EDWARD URRATIA.