Behind the Scenes: Photographing Running

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• Gear List – see what I used to get the shot!
• Image Gallery – see the final results of the BTS video!
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Running, in my opinion, is one of the most difficult sports to photograph simply because there is so much going on and your timing has to be pretty perfect to catch the right moment. Everybody has a slightly different running style and syncing their eyes, arms, hands, stride, feet, and placement in the frame takes a heroic amount of concentration on the part of the photographer. After doing it enough times, I decided to make a “How-To” video on photographing running using some Behind the Scenes footage from one of my recent running photoshoots.

The assignment was to photograph coach, runner, and local running studio owner Jeff Douse in his studio on one of the treadmills. The beauty was that I had him stationary in the frame for these images and could really speak to the body position you want for photographing running, but the setting created for some cool lighting challenges as well. The mirrors you often find in a studio can be maddening for trying to hide lights and reflections, and the dark atmosphere can be a help or a hinderance depending on how you want to embrace the shoot. I chose to use it to my advantage and light the image in a way that reflected the cool cloud lighting that is found in the studio. Want to see how I fully lit this image and get some more insights on how to photograph running beyond the video? Check out the full Lighting Diagram and Pro Tips available with this class!