Digital Sports Photography: Take Winning Shots Every Time

Chapter 2. From Shoot to Print: Workflow

© Amber Palmer

Whatever sport you may find yourself shooting, your success depends on more than just getting the shots. Of course, being able to take a good photograph is an essential skill you need to develop, but it's far from composing the entire picture (pardon the pun).

One of the greatest paradoxes of professional artistry, whether it be photography, writing, painting, music, or any other pursuit, is that the more you do it, the less you do it. In other words, the professional artist spends more time doing the business of his art than pursuing the art itself. As a pro photographer, I spend time traveling, selling, managing and editing photographs, talking with clients and subjects, administrating and managing finances, doing e-mail, working with my Web site, and finally taking photos. The business of photography takes as much time as (and sometimes more time than) taking the photographs.

Understanding the flow of how your images are created and processed until their ultimate destination is essential for being able to effectively keep them organized, safe, and retrievable over time. This is the basis for workflow, which helps bring you one step closer to the professional photographer's ability of replication and consistency This means that your photography overall improves, benefiting you, your audience, and the subjects you're shooting. ...