The national pastime - photographing community baseball game action

PSA Journal, April, 1992 by Thomas Moorhead

The origins of the game have, for a long time, been subject to a considerable amount of speculation. For years, the popular notion was that Abner Doubleday founded the game in 1839, apparently while still a cadet at West Point. Recent information, however, identifies Alexander Cartwright of New York City as having laid down many of the basis rules in 1845.

Today the game is quite popular, with some 400 millon people attending Major League games annually, with countless millions attending little league, high school and college contests. The game, at all levels< is widely covered by print and broadcast media, particularly by television, with its' use of multiple cameras.

For the still photographer, the game, although easy enough to follow, is not that easy to photograph. While it is easy to photograph a pitcher winding up, and throwing, it is hard to follow the flight of the ball, if it is hit by the batter.

Access to a profesional baseball field is limited largely to working newspeople, and this article will not delve into that area. We will deal only with local or high high shool games.

For the last 20 years, I have covered high school sports for the local newspapers. The season here begins in early April, with high school baseball/softball; and ending in late-July with American Legion-sponsored games and their tournaments. The majority of these games are played in the late afternoon or early evening. I normally use Tri-X at it's usual 400 speed, although I will occasionally push the film to 1000 or 1600 depending on cloud conditions. I have long disliked night games, until recently. Years ago, not having the fast lenses we have today, I would use a flash and hope for the best.

Last year I bought a 300mm f2.8 telephoto lens. The lens is massive, weighing almost 6 pounds, and requires a monopod for best results. The fast speed of the lens, coupled with 3200-ISO film enabled me to capture action previously unobtainable to me. Although I only shot two night games last year, the results were encouraging.

Access to a high school field, particularly if you are known to the coaches, is easy. It is very easy if you have a large lens, such as a 300mm. Very few people that I see at baseball games bring anything larger than an 80-200mm zoom. I have never been stopped by anyone, largely because of my knowing how to keep out of the way of the action, but also partly to my carrying a longish lens. In this state, if you have a 200mm lens, you can go just about anywhere, at least at a sports-related activity. It also helps, if you act like a professional, although you don't have to be one.

Although my better baseball/softball photos are obtained from ground level, (generally standing upright, or squatting on the sidline) if I am at a field that is surrounded by high hillsides, I will usually stay on or near the top of the hill above the field, perhaps not the ideal place to be, since wherever I go, it normally becomes an instand landing zone for foul balls. From a high vantage point, I can cover plays without having coaches or catchers running in front of me.

Generally, the worst place to be, with a camera, is between the plate and first base. On many plays, the catcher will run to the base to back up the baseman; also very few coaches stay within their assigned coaching boxes, an action that frustrates not only photographers, but opposing coaches as well. Many of my better action shots were taken between the plate and third base, usualy from within the dugout end near the plate. On plays involving second base, stealing attempts, etcetera I will venture to an area near first base, or into the foul area behind first base, along the right field line. Very rarely are camerapersons allowed to be in foul territory of the infield. I always try to stay in the out-of-play area, so as not to interfere with the players or the progress of the game.

My standard lens for basketball is a 300mm, although for softball games, the smaller lenses, such as the 135, 180, or 80-200 zoom are better, given the smaller size of the field, and the closer proximity of the players in relation to the plate and the camera, as well as the shorter amount of foul territory. Unfortunately, because of the shorter areas involved, the amount of suitable camera positions are limited.

For baseball, as well as softball, the zoom is the more versatile lens to use, because of the amount of action involved, such as players running to first or third, the pitchers winding up and throwing, or plays at the plate. The zoom is normally useless for baseball players sliding into second base, unless one wants a lot of extra space in the frame. For second base shots I rely on the 300mm. Occasionally I haved used a 500mm mirror lens, but the results are somewhat spotty, the lens being difficult to focus, as well as covering such a small area. The single f/8 aperture is also a drawback, particularly when the sun disappears behind a cloud.

Occasionally I have been caught using the wrong lens on an important play. My medal-winning print, "Stopping A Grounder," was taken using a Nikon 180mm telephoto, one of the few times that I have captured a sports figure in mid-flight; but I was near home plate at the time, and the resulting exhibition prints were considerably enlarged to crop out other figures running on the play.