Golf has got to be one of the most photogenic sports out there. While you do get the occasional picture of a ball being volleyed amazingly in football, unfortunately such games tend to look much of a muchness and mostly be located in the same square pitches where it’s often wet and muddy.

With golf however you tend to play almost as much for the sake of the view as you do for the competition. Many golf courses are set in amazing landscapes with lots of fantastic terrain that only serves to add to the challenge and beautiful sea views acting as a backdrop. In such a situation, it would be a waste not to take photos. Here we will look at how to get the very best ones.

The Device

If you want to get the best golf photos then you are going to need the best camera you can find. This means it should be HD, it should have a good zoom and it should be good at picking up light and crisp details. Megapixels aren’t everything, so before you buy a camera in store try taking a couple of pictures to see what it looks like. These days a preview screen is also a must and a great way to get more from your photos.

You should also look for as many different features as you think you might use. While many are somewhat superfluous, things like rapid shutter for taking shots of the swing are very useful, as are things like panorama modes for taking sweeping shots of the whole scene that really captures the beauty of your location (and the length of your better shots).

Positioning
You also need to think about your positioning and how you intend to get the shots. Of course you want to capture the courses themselves, but you also need to get some of the action or it will be a waste. To do this you should try standing back from a distance when you take your shots so that you can get a sense of scale while at the same time seeing your full profile. Not every shot has to be ‘action’ as such though, getting some pictures just walking around, sizing up the shots or talking can be a great way to get across the atmosphere of the day better.

To try and get more depth in your pictures think about the framing and how you are going to lay them out. Contours that draw the eye into the centre can create a deeper visual field, while using elements in the foreground can similarly make the distance objects more impactful.

Of course taking photos will be easier when you are taking them of someone else so if you want to be in on the action you’ll have to direct a friend unless you’re willing to use a stand and a rapid shutter/timer.

Editing
You can also get more out of your pictures by doing a little editing and if you have Photo Shop or Gimp then using the enhance feature to turn up the brightness and contrast, or bring out the greens can be a great way to give your pictures an almost ‘hyper-real’ quality that will make everyone on Facebook jealous.

Attached Images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source

Kimberly Mitchell is a sports blogger and writes about all sports activities. She says that most golfers prefer to use Callaway Golf Balls as it is high on performance.