Here are a few pictures from the Labor Day baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles played in Baltimore, MD. Instead of sitting on the preferred first base side, I sat right behind home plate (five rows to be exact). Although this was an amazing perspective to watch the game, this view will provide a photographer with a few limitations.

First, most of your photos will be of the players’ backs, and the umpire or even the catcher may obstruct your view of the batter. Obviously, a good photographer can still capture a quality picture overall, but some people, myself included, prefer to capture the entire body of the batter.

Second, you may need to bring a lens with a very large focal range to get a good snapshot of the action. Most baseball fields have a large backstop behind home plate, so there could be several feet between you and the field, even if you were sitting in the first row.

Last, sitting from this perspective can make it difficult to capture any action away from home plate without a lens that has a long focal range. I would highly recommend bringing a telephoto lens to the park in case you were to find yourself sitting right behind home plate. Unfortunately, some stadiums/ballparks might prohibit such a lens (Heinz Field is an example), so it is wise to check the stadium’s guidelines prior to attending the game.

Overall, when taking pictures of sporting events from a fan’s perspective, you must ask yourself two questions: Do I want to watch the game or do I want to capture quality pictures? Obviously, you can do both, but personal experience has shown me that at some point you might miss out on one intention or another. Anyway, good luck shooting and enjoy the pictures.

The following pictures are from an exhibition game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Norfolk Tides in Norfolk, VA. The Tides are the minor league affiliate of the Orioles. This was the last preseason game for the Orioles, and the first outing for the Tides.

Normally, when I photograph baseball games from the stands, I prefer to sit on the first base side of the field. This view gives you a great perspective of right-handed batters (the majority of players are right-handed), however you are exposed to the backs of the left-handed batters. The first base side can also give you a good perspective of the pitcher and better action shots at first base and home plate.

Although the game was rained out and ended in the 6th-inning, a large crowd came out to support both the Orioles and the Tides. Most of the fans stayed for the majority of the game. Hopefully, the powers that be can make this exhibition an annual meeting between these two teams.

The Orioles won 4-3.

Tips for Outdoor Sports Photography:

Shoot in either Manual or Shutter priority modes (Manual is ideal).
Use a shutter speed of 1/300 or faster to freeze the motion of the sport. However, understand that you must shoot much faster than 1/300 to stop the motion of the ball.
Expect to shoot at a high ISO to achieve a high shutter speed.
Use your high-speed continuous shooting mode.
If possible, use a telephoto lens to get closer to the action.
Try your best to anticipate the action of the sport to yield superior photographs.
When photographing a baseball game, try to sit/shoot on the first base side of the field. This will give you an ideal perspective of the game.

Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles at Norfolk Tides