One of the most important aspects of sports photography is capturing the decisive moment. This means anticipating the action and being ready to capture that split-second moment when a player makes a great play or scores a goal. This requires a fast camera, a quick trigger finger, and an understanding of the sport you’re photographing.
But this is not the only type. Posed sports photography has been around for quite some time and is used to convey the subjects personality and give the viewer a glimpse into their reality. I believe that both types go hand in hand because both types of shots are just different aspects of the player’s reality.
As a portrait guy, I love the posed shots because its the perfect mix of both aspects of the players reality if its done correctly. It allows the player to wear the uniform and feel part of the team while concentrating specifically on how they look at the moment.