A true test of sportsmanship, boxing is a fantastic event that can yield many conceptually amazing images. Boxing is an art form; just ask anyone who has trained extensively to climb in the ring. Therefore, just like photography, boxing can be a form of expression. Trying to capture one art form with another, however, it can also be incredibly difficult to photograph.

You snap what you think is going to be an awesome shot, but when you get home you see that it’s blurry, rendered poorly, and composed all wrong. How can you avoid some of these mistakes, especially since it was a once in a lifetime moment? The simple fact is that boxing, like any other sport, is unique in terms of photography. You cannot recreate the exact circumstances of the event, so if you miss a shot, you’ve missed it forever.

Even if you aren’t a fan of boxing, a photographer can still appreciate the complex nature of taking an awesome photo. Think of it as a challenge, a test of your photography skills. There are a lot of fluid elements that you need to consider before you start taking boxing photos, so it’s a great way to brush up on key skills. To help you, here are 8 tips for photographing boxing.

Get permission

You may not believe this right away, but not everyone wants to have their picture taken. Aside from that fundamental aspect of photography, a venue like a boxing match presents other challenges to consider when snapping someone’s photo.

The venue may be sponsored, or the boxers may have endorsements to consider. They may not want a photographer taking unauthorized pictures for legal reasons. So, to avoid legal trouble, contact the event organizer or the venue’s managers to get permission to use your camera during the bout even if it is a training gym.

Obviously small local venues are more likely to accommodate you than larger title fight events that will be near impossible to get into unless you have the credentials to back you up. Many younger boxers will also welcome the change to be photographed since it’s early in their respective careers. The point is to act professionally at all times, and that starts with getting permission from the right sources first and foremost.

Get there early

Even though you may have permission and a ticket in hand doesn’t mean that you’re going to get the vantage point you really want. If possible scout the venue in advance to plan where you want to take photos from and then get in as early as possible to secure your spot.

Ask to shoot ringside, if you can. This will not only give you great close-up shots, but it also sets up a buffer between you and other spectators who may bump you around during a prime moment. It would be terrible if you lose your fantastic shot because someone steps in front of you at a crucial moment.

Don’t move around

This is a prime rule for any kind of sports photography. With the action moving all over the ring, it could be easy to decide to pick up and move positions so that you’re closer to the fight. If you move around, you’re going to be in the way or seen as a distraction, not just by the other spectators, but by other professionals nearby.

Plan to pick your spot early and then stay there. Refrain from moving more than a few feet out of your designated area (whether it’s self-designated or you were assigned to an area). If you move to get closer to the action, it’s just as likely to change locations again anyway, which means you’ll just be moving all night and will never get a chance to actually set up for the shot you came to get.

Consider the different lighting conditions

Everything in the venue is more than likely bright and well-lit when you first arrive, but that will absolutely change. When the match is getting set to begin, the lights will surely dim and the music will start blasting. When the boxers get into the ring, the lights will come back up, but it can be tricky to get your settings right as the match starts and during.

You may think that you have a few rounds to get yourself settled but with boxing, you never know when the crucial moment will arise. It could be just as the bell rings at the start of the fight. If there are undercard matches leading up to the main event, use those to make sure you have your settings spot on. If not, then try to anticipate what your settings are likely to be and if needed compensate for the fact that you may be slightly wrong.

Fast Shutter Speed

The boxers are going to be moving really quickly. That means if you don’t have a shutter speed that can keep up with their quick movement and punches your final photo is going to be blurred.

Many boxing photographers prefer to use a shutter speed upwards of 1/500 sec, and you might think that you’ll still get a little blurry around the punches, but believe it or not, that’s okay.

Boxing is all about fast action, and while a perfectly frozen still at the right moment will look amazing, you want your image to look alive. That means using a shutter speed that will capture the movement but the key is having just the right amount of blur to show movement.

If you want to totally freeze the moment, then use a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 sec. The detail you’ll see will be incredible, from the contours of their movements to the beads of sweat dripping from their faces. But this will also mean you will need to raise your ISO.

Select the right depth of field

You do not want the background to overtake your subjects (i.e. the boxers), which means an out of focus background is not only acceptable but preferred. If you shoot using a depth of field around f/4, then you can rest assured that the background will be sufficiently blurred whilst the focus will be on your boxers. This will also allow more light to get into your lens, thereby giving you a faster shutter speed option.

Shoot in burst mode and continuous focus

It will impossible for any photography to capture the perfect boxing shot in just one photo. No one is quick enough to be able to react that fast. So set your camera to high-speed burst mode and continuous focus where your camera will track the subject for as long as the shutter button is held down halfway. Also, be prepared to shoot a lot of photos so needless to say that this means you will need a lot of memory cards. Try to get into the habit of changing your cards in between rounds to avoid running out midway through a round.

Practice first

If you are going to be photographing an actual fight, try to get some practice in before the big event. Find a local gym and see if they will allow you to go in and photograph the boxers training or even sparing. This will give you an opportunity to start getting a feel for the action and the settings that you will need.

Sports photography is incredibly difficult to master and boxing is one of the toughest sports to capture well. The fast-moving action will play havoc with focusing and your settings. You have to accept that you are likely to get a lot of blurred photos when you start. But the more you practice the better you will become at being able to capture great boxing photos.

Photo credits: Kav Dadfar – All rights reserved. No usage without permission. Dreamstime.