Capturing athletes in motion with the Z 9 and Z 8
20fps burst speed, primes with wide apertures and 3D Tracking are the key to capturing athletes in motion, says sports photographer Lukas Schulze, ahead of an electrifying summer of sport
In between the European Championship and Germany’s football league Bundesliga, it’s no wonder that sports photographer Lukas Schulze has any time at all to sit down with Nikon magazine. The Cologne-based photographer, who regularly photographs for Getty Images and Adidas, likes a more stripped-back approach to photography, focusing on the action, emotions and atmosphere through a targeted use of focal length and aperture. Read on to uncover how to capture athletes in motion so you never miss a beat.
Use primes for wider aperture
“A sports photographer who doesn’t use zoom lenses?” laughs Lukas. “It’s unusual, isn’t it?” And while some might claim that using only prime lenses makes for a less flexible shoot, Lukas prefers the wider apertures primes afford. “I’d also rather take a step forward or backwards than zoom,” he explains. “In most cases, I also take photos with fixed focal lengths that fill the frame as much as possible so that the effect of the wide aperture – such as f/2.8 or 1/8 – is also more apparent.”
Kit up: Lukas uses the NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S on the Z 9, the NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena or the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S on his second Z 9 and the NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 S on the Nikon Z 8. He also brings to matches the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S and NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S.