Sports Photography Inspiration

Robert Seale is a commerical photographer that specializes in advertising, annual reports, and magazines.  He also a sport shooter that contributes a lot of advice on the forums over at http://www.sportsshooter.com.  While I find Robert’s images inspiring in themselves, one the most important things I think he does is advocate for photographers getting paid the fees that their expertise deserves.  I have learned a lot about the business side of photography just from reading his SportsShooter.com forum posts on the need to diversify your photographic offerings beyond just shooting sports action and into the commercial realm, which is exactly what I am trying to do now in my own business.

(Source: shawnmknox.com)

Robert Beck is a staff photographer for Sports Illustrated and is perhaps one the most creative sports photographers in the business today. Although Beck does excel at shooting the standard great football, baseball, basketball, et. al, sports he often supplies a very creative twist in his artistic vision.  This is one of the main reasons I find his sports photography so inspiring.  I’ve also gleaned a number of sports-related portrait ideas from studying his work.  I highly recommend that you follow the inspiring work of this great sports photographer.

(Source: shawnmknox.com)

Peter Read Miller is yet another of the many awe-inspiring sports photographers that work with Sports Illustrated.  I have always admired Peter’s work and also the insights he has shared in a number of interviews I listened to in the past.  It was listening to Peter’s advice that I started early on shooting a low angle for sports while most of those around me in my area were satisfied to do it the easy way and stand while shooting.  In addition to his SI work Peter also has does commercial work for a number of Fortune 500 Companies.  I’ve been particularly inspired by his wide angle football images that I can never seem to emulate, although those images do force me to look for unique perspectives at each sporting event I shoot.  I am also intrigued by Peter’s sports portraiture work, which is an area that I am personally striving to improve in.  Peter has teaches an annual sports photography workshop each spring in Denver, Colorado.  I’ve yet to make the workshop but hope to in the near future.  I’m sure if would be an exhilarating experience.  

(Source: shawnmknox.com)

Blair Bunting is a very talented commercial photographer whose work includes sports-related subjects.  His work, in my opinion, has a very unique stylized quality to it.  I gain a lot of inspiration looking at Blair’s work for this very reason.  I think it is very important to seek out and study the work of those photographers that have developed a very noticeable style to their work.  Since I aspire to be as much an artist as a photographer, I find the work of great photographic artists like Blair Bunting very inspirational and worthy of emulation in my personal question to develop my unique artistic vision.

(Source: shawnmknox.com)

Ron Vesely is the team photographer for the Chicago White Sox and also has a long list of commercial client credits on his resume.  One thing that intrigues me about Ron is the interesting story of how he received his big break in professional photography (read the “About” section of his blog for the details).  Ron is another one of my favorite baseball photographers that I like to turn to for inspiration.  He is another great sports photography resource for those of us trying to steadily improve our craft.

(Source: shawnmknox.com)

Mark J. Rebilas is perhaps best known for his motorsports images but he aslo shoots a variety of other sports like football, basketball and baseball.  Mark is another inspiring sports photographer whose creative work is worth studying for ideas on how to take your sports and commercial photography to the next level.  

(Source: shawnmknox.com)