5 Composition Tips for Sports Photography - Lloyd Belcher Visuals

Composition is the cornerstone of taking a good photo. Whether for professional athletics or personal keepsakes, photography begins with the composition. Additionally, there isn't just one good way to find that composition, and it comes down to the photographer's preference and aesthetic.

Regardless of preference, photography has five essential pillars. Framing, narrative, symmetry (or lack thereof), angle, and leading lines. Over the next few weeks, we'll dive into each of these pillars and explain not just what it is, but how to find it in your photos.

Composition of Football Photography

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To illustrate the five pillars in action, we'll use this photo of Grove City College offensive linemen as our example.

#1 - Framing

To follow the rule of thirds, we have three levels of verticality. The arms of the linemen, the numbers on the jerseys, and the helmets. Each of those areas has their own vertical section to break the photo up into different lines to look at. This gives us our frame

#2 - Narrative

To tell a story, this picture was taken of the linemen during their pre-game prayer. The narrative told in this photo is the bond between the players. Not only does the context of the photo have evidence of their bond through prayer; but their physical bond as they bond arms around one another

#3 - Symmetry

Not all photos should be symmetrical, but there should be hints. Here in this photo, we have three linemen, with one in the middle and one on each side of him. It may not be perfect symmetrical, but there are hints of evenness on both sides.

#4 - Angle

Simply put, this photo was taken at a low angle. A low angle shot (or upward shot) of a subject makes them appear larger and grander, which highlights our subject of the linemen with importance. Different angles highlight different parts of our photos.

#5 - Leading Lines

We use leading lines to draw the attention of our viewers to a specific point in our photograph. These aren't actual lines, but theoretical or hidden lines. The line in this photo is the arms of our players. These draw your attention from one to the next with their arms as the line to follow