Beginner’s Guide to Taking Good Race Photos

We got to watch Greg run a half marathon and a 5k this month and it reminded me how much I love spectating races. The energy, athleticism, enthusiasm and effort are contagious. It’s an amazing place to be.

I also love it when I get a good photo of Greg running. Most of my photos aren’t great, but I’ve started to notice what makes the good ones better.

Here are the photography tips I’ve found easiest to adopt as a beginner and how they’ve improved my race-day photos.

Scout your spot

• Find a place where you can see your runner coming from a distance so you have time to get in position and set up the shot.
•  Which way is the sun facing? Try to have it at your back if possible.
• Think about what side of the race course will offer the best angle and unobstructed shot. Is the road closed, or will there be cars possibly crossing your view of the course?
• Consider what the background of the photo will look like

Prioritize

• It’s hard to cheer and take a photo. Cheer while they’re in the distance or after they pass out of your camera frame. Sometimes I tell my kids it’s their job to cheer extra loud because I’ll be getting the photo. You can also recruit fellow spectators to cheer for your runner. (Seriously. They’ll do it. Give them a name and a cue and I guarantee they’ll make some noise.)
• Pick a shot to go for – if you’re wildly trying to snap photos of them head on, side view, and their back you’ll probably end up with blurry shots. Of the bushes. Not your runner.

Spotting your runner

• Know when to look for your runner so you don’t miss them.
• Big race? Look at the course map in advance and tell them where you plan to be so they can make their way to the correct side of the crowd and keep an eye out for you.
• Start line photos are crowded. The further you are from the start the better chance you have of finding and capturing your runner as the field thins out. Knowing what side of the crowd they’re on will help.

Other considerations

• Taking a finish line photo? Keep in mind the time on the clock might be different from their chip time and that you’ll probably be photographing their back. But it can be a great way to capture the memory if they made an “under x” time goal.
• There with family or friends supporting the same runner? It’s amazing to have them in the photo. I’ve even crossed the road from family members to catch both Greg and the faces of family members cheering him on.
• Have friends who are running? Getting a good photo of them (and their spectating family!) and e-mail it to them. It feels great to capture a moment and send it to someone. If you’ve got your big camera out anyway, make some use of it!
• Consider capturing some other race-time moments like great signs, the crowds and the vibe of the venue.

And remember, don’t let the good be the enemy of the perfect. You’re trying to capture a moving object in a crowded setting without knowing exactly when they’ll arrive.  Blurry shots are inevitable but some of those will still capture a memory and appreciate in value. And if you keep at it, one of these days you’ll capture a spectacular shot.

Want more photography tips? I learned a lot from a book my sister-in-law gave me, Mamarazzi, Every Mom’s Guide to Photographing Kids. It was accessible and helped me think more carefully about lighting and background. It’s got all the aperture stuff, too, I just haven’t gotten there yet!