The 2026-27 soccer season is now in full swing, so for anyone looking to start shooting the beautiful game – or sharpening their skills – it's time to get inspired.
Chantelle Cook is studying photography at Edinburgh College in Scotland UK.
She only picked up a digital camera for the first time as recently as 2023, but has quickly built up her range of photographic skills.
With a particular interest in commercial photography, Chantelle is also keen to broaden her repertoire, so put her hat in the ring to shadow a pro soccer photographer for a day – to be the reader in a Digital Camera magazine Apprentice feature.
Her mentor was Raymond Davies, the club photographer of Motherwell FC, a team which plays in the Scottish Premiership, and Chantelle would get the chance to show her chops in a local clash with Falkirk football club.
Chantelle and Raymond are both Canon shooters, but while Raymond uses the pro-grade EOS R5 Mark II, Chantelle favors the EOS R50 – an entry level body with a 24.2 megapixel APS-C sensor.
So how did Chantelle fare on the day under Raymond's expert guidance? Let's find out – and get some of Raymond's insights for shooting soccer like a pro…
"I'm hoping to figure out how to approach different styles of shots. In particular, I'm keen to learn how to capture dramatic images of football," she says.
"I roughly know how it's done – I understand the basics – but I've never actually tried it before. So I'll enjoy learning more about the exact shutter speeds to choose and put them into practice!"
It's great that Chantelle understands the importance of knowing the game and that the required techniques will differ from one sport to another.
As her main photographic interests are in commercial imagery – fashion and portraiture, in particular – sport is quite a departure from her comfort zone. So why has she chosen to branch out?
"I am drawn to the excitement of sports photography; you never know exactly what's going to happen next.
"You're right in front of the action pitchside. It's the exact opposite of studio-based photography, where everything is planned," she says.
How Chantelle got her super shots – technique assessment
Set the subject
Modern cameras have myriad subject-detection AF modes, so make sure yours is set up for the correct subject.
For football images, this will probably be people or athletes, depending on the specific camera make and model that you are using.
Adjust AF sensitivity
Set Servo or Continuous AF mode so you don’t have to refocus for each shot.
Then, turn down the sensitivity of your camera to objects passing between the lens and subject, which is common during a match and can cause misfocusing.
Use lens function buttons
Use AF Stop buttons to pause autofocus during play. This is useful if there’s a risk of focus racking to the background or the subject is going to remain at the current focus distance, increasing your hit rate.
Read more from Digital Camera magazine
This content appeared in issue 308 of Digital Camera magazine.
Every issue of Digital Camera magazine is packed with tips, techniques, pro advice, reviews, news and inspiration.
Don’t forget that you can subscribe to Digital Camera magazine and get the magazine delivered to your door every month. Choose between a print or digital subscription, or a bundle of the two.
All subscribers to Digital Camera magazine can now access digital back issues dating from 2009 (when using iOS) or 2012 (when using the Pocketmags Magazine Newsstand app or the Pocketmags website).
You can buy limited back issues of Digital Camera magazine in print at our Magazines Direct secure store.
Alternatively, there is a range of different digital options available, including:
• Apple app (for iPad or iPhone)
• Zinio app (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)
• PocketMags (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)
• Readly (digital magazine subscription service)
