Insurance Shots - Pitchers

When you are covering events photographically, especially for a news outlet, getting a decent photo is part of the job. Of course you want a great defining moment of the game or peak action, but you have to have something, so usually it is wise to get something quick and safe as 'Insurance' before trying crazy things that may not work out.

In baseball or softball, the simple shot is the pitcher. Even if the rest of the game gives you nothing, the pitcher shot is always there. If you happen to have great evening light, even better, just find a cleanish background and you have a photo. The trick here is to catch a nice moment in the pitching motion or expression of effort.




Layering in some other background players or something can work nicely as well...


Given harsh, boring or otherwise unhelpful lighting and background situations, framing the pitcher with the batter works well. It generally takes a lot of shots to get this right given the narrow window of space and everyone moving during the process.

Once the natural light goes away, look at how the lights are playing on the pitcher's face. If you are lucky it will get under the cap and make a unique look. Lights at high school baseball stadiums is spotty and difficult, but unique if you play around with it.


Finally, a fun shot is using manual focus for a spot between the pitcher and the batter, with a high enough shutter speed to catch the ball as the focal point. Again, it takes a lot of shots to get one good one.