Discover what it takes to capture an MLS soccer match at the Seattle Sounders, featuring Sony’s flagship a9 III global shutter full-frame mirrorless camera and the PDT-FP1, an all-new mobile transmitter for creators.
I recently shot my first professional MLS soccer match at the Seattle Sounders, using Sony’s flagship camera equipped with a global shutter. a9 III and their powerful mobile data transmitters for broadcasters and photojournalists, PDT-FP1.
I was incredibly excited to be covering the Sounders’ 50th anniversary match, especially as it was a very special occasion and the realization of a long-standing goal that I have had since I began my career as a photographer.
As a former player and fan of the sport, it has been my lifelong goal to become a professional sports photographer and I am incredibly grateful that I finally have the opportunity to fulfill my dream of documenting a professional MLS soccer match.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated support of our team at Fstoppers (Alex), the Seattle Mayor’s office (Pedro), (Lori) and the team at Glazer’s Camera Rentals, and the dedicated media team at the Seattle Sounders (Kelly).
Thank you everyone for giving me the opportunity to express my love for football.
Needless to say, I had a great experience at this game, grew to love professional sports photography and have since gone from press coverage to becoming a certified professional sports photojournalist.
Stay tuned for more from me in the world of professional sports photography in the near future!
The story behind
I was inspired by my father to play and love the game of soccer at a young age. I grew up on the sidelines of soccer fields while he played NCAA soccer for the OSU Beavers and UW Huskies. My love and passion for the game only grew stronger as I matured, leading me to play competitively as a youth in the Netherlands, progressing to become a provincial champion as a teenager in Canada, and eventually playing on our championship base team in the United States Army.
I took many years off from the game due to age and numerous injuries, and then transitioned into becoming a full-time professional photographer and filmmaker.
I realize that I bring two very unique perspectives and strengths to photographing soccer and professional sports: my awareness of the game as a former player and the creative eye of a filmmaker and visual storyteller.
This knowledge gives me the ability to follow the game in action and the experience to creatively tell the visual story of the game.
My settings
With my first opportunity in MLS professional soccer, I knew I needed to have a versatile set-up to cover the entire game. Soccer moves incredibly fast and I needed a setup that could keep up with the action on the field. I tried to prioritize agility to move quickly across the field, while also having enough focal length and camera variety to tell a complete visual story from multiple angles.
I also wanted to showcase the power of real-time broadcast photojournalism using the Sony PDT-FP1, so I teamed up with my friends at Glazer’s Camera Rentals in Seattle to rent some extra gear and had them help me live-stream the images I captured with the PDT-FP1 during the game to our audience.
The gear I rented from Glazer included a second Sony a9 III body, 300mm f/2.8 GM lensSony 1.4 & 2X teleconverter and some extras Sony CF-Express Type A Tough memory card. Since my a9 III can shoot 120 frames per second, I need to make sure I have enough memory card space, especially since the a9 III’s pre-shooting and “Boost” functions can quickly fill up the memory card when I’m playing games in burst mode.
To complete the rest of the kit, I used my own Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II LensAnd 70-200 f/2.8 GM II lens to complement Glazer’s GM 300mm, along with Sony Xperia 1 MK V to capture some EVF recordings, a PDT-FP1 to upload real-time images to our team at Glazer’s, and a few extra action cameras that I used to shoot BTS footage.
I’ve used Insta360 X4 And GO 3 to record BTS footage while I was filming the game, iFootage Cobra Strike Monopod to support my camera and pack everything into my trusty camera Vanguard VEO Backpack Adapter R48.
Why I chose the Sony a9 III for gaming recording
There’s no doubt in my mind that the Sony a9 III is the reigning king of fast action photography. It introduces the world’s first full-frame mirrorless Global Shutter sensor, which has huge implications for the world of sports photography.
I’m glad I can finally say goodbye to warping or streaking caused by slow rolling shutter sensor readouts and say hello to sharp images with perfectly straight lines, beautiful colors, and balanced exposure.
The Global Shutter on the a9 III allowed me to perfectly freeze the action in the game in both stills and video. I had no issues with the flicker and color banding commonly seen in artificial lights on stadium billboards.
I also experienced the speed and accuracy of the a9 III’s excellent autofocus tracking at a professional level, which really validated for me why the Sony a9 III is such an important camera for the future of sports journalism photography.
This was the perfect camera to capture my first professional soccer match thanks to the Global Shutter and countless other invaluable features that allowed me to capture decisive moments like never before. I captured both goals scored by the Sounders, and it was all thanks to the a9 III’s amazing features like pre-capture, 120fps burst shooting, AI-based subject detection autofocus, Dynamic Active Image Stabilization, etc.
The a9 III also pairs perfectly with all the latest Sony G Master lenses I have in my kit, delivering 120fps continuous shooting performance, accurate autofocus and tracking, and maximum image stabilization when shooting handheld at longer focal lengths.
There are many reasons why the a9 III is the ideal camera for professional sports photographers and I’ve only scratched the surface of its capabilities in this article.
Personally, I will continue to use the a9 III as my primary camera for professional sports photography, especially as I prepare to attend the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
Why the Sony PDT-FP1 is a breakthrough product in the field of sports broadcasting and photography
The combination of the a9 III and PDT-FP1 is an ideal setup for shooting as a professional sports photographer covering a match. I now have a much better understanding of how quickly things move on the field and how all my creative and technical skills need to keep up with changing conditions throughout the match.
The PDT-FP1 has a lot of great technology built in that makes editorial and broadcast sports photography workflows like this a breeze. The powerful antenna design surrounds the PDT-FP1, intelligently searching for the strongest signal to transmit your images.
The device also includes cellular signal redundancy with multiple SIM card slots, allowing you to back up your 5G signal on two different cellular networks, so if one network is stronger than the other in a particular location, the PDT-FP1 can prioritize the best signal.
Powerful networking capabilities, combined with direct integration into Sony Alpha cameras, make the PDT-FP1 an extremely useful device for real-time sports broadcasting and journalism.
Unlike other photographers on the pitch who have to take photos off the camera, put them on a computer, tag them, organize them, and then upload them over an overloaded WiFi signal to waiting editors, I can easily tag my photos with IPTC metadata templates on the PDT-FP1 using Sony’s Transfer & Tagging app, upload them to the team at Glazer in real time, and share everything happening during the game as it’s happening.
Our team is sifting through, sending updates to the audience, and sharing highlights right at halftime, while everyone else on the field is running back to the computer in the photo booth to download, tag, and upload their images.
The importance of being able to upload live FTP footage in real time to a dedicated mobile data transmitter with IPTC tags while gaming is hard to understate. Sony has given Alpha sports photographers a huge advantage with the PDT-FP1, and I look forward to pushing its limits even further when I attend the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
My Key Takeaways and Advice for Aspiring Sports Photojournalists
I learned a lot during my first stint as a professional sports photographer. I also found that understanding the game of football, how the action unfolds, and how to anticipate key moments is incredibly useful.
For anyone interested in becoming a sports photojournalist, I would recommend thoroughly researching the sport you want to specialize in. It’s hard to get really good at something when you’re not familiar with it, but if you have a strong passion for learning about the sport and put in the time to hone your craft, you can become really great at whatever you set your mind to.
You will certainly face many challenges as you begin your journey to becoming a professional sports photojournalist, but you should expect those challenges because learning from adversity will make you better.
In my opinion, the key to success is research, preparation, having the right equipment, and practicing creative and technical storytelling skills.
Having everything ready in advance will ensure that you’re ready to focus on capturing decisive moments and avoid getting bogged down with the wrong tools or lack of knowledge.
Personally, I am excited to continue my journey as a professional sports photojournalist and follow my beloved hometown team the Seattle Sounders on their journey to their next MLS championship!
Learn more about Seattle Sounders are hereand hope to see you on the pitch next game!
Image used with permission of Reza L Malayeri & Seattle Sounders FC.
