There’s a special feeling to photographing sports action that hooks you from day one. Listen in as we talk sports with Sony Artisan of Imagery Jean Fruth, and longtime Sports Illustrated Director of Photography Steve Fine. In 2019, Fruth co-founded Grassroots Baseball to celebrate the amateur game at the youngest levels. In her latest book Grassroots Baseball: Route 66, Fruth photographs young players in the same heroic manner as the pros. When it comes to equipment, she recommends the best gear to fit your budget, while singing the praises of fast lenses,

As Fruth’s longtime editor, Fine weighs in on the three pillars of sports photography and the vital importance of cropping. In Fine’s view, great pictures are a shared accomplishment between a photographer and an athlete in a moment that cannot be repeated. Please join us for this spirited discussion about Grassroots Baseball and learn how the aforementioned three pillars can be woven into Sports Photography gold.

Episode Timeline:

4:30: Jean Fruth’s start in sports photography

11:40: Synopsis of Fruth’s Grassroots Baseball nonprofit

14:24: Capturing golden hour light and the love of the game

22:08: Steve Fine discusses the three pillars of sports photography

29:22: Neil Leifer’s advice to shoot for the double truck

31:34: Sports is messy, hence the importance of cropping

34:29: Rules for retouching and manipulation in sports photography

37:00: Episode break

37:51: Key attributes of a great sports photographer

40:46: What’s preferable: trigger happy photographers or more selective shooters?

43:42: What separates football from other sports?

45:00: There are two kinds of hocky pictures: Great and awful

46:40: Sports photography don’ts from the editor’s desk—less is more

52:02: Tips for parents when photographing their kids’ sporting events

56:08: Gear recommendations for the aspirational sports photographer

1:01:00: Fruth’s new project about women in baseball.

1:04:00: Grassroots Baseball: Route 66 book tour and gallery exhibits

For further details about our guests, their gear, and for a Grassroots Baseball: Route 66 photo gallery, check out this episode on the B&H Explora blog.

Photograph © Jean Fruth