Travel
The New York City-based photographer gives tips on how to shoot high-energy scenes like this picture of a basketball tournament in the Big Apple, featured in the National Geographic Traveller (UK) November 2023 cover story.
Story and photographs byMatt Dutile
Published December 7, 2023
• 5 min read
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Tell us about this image.
This is a shot of a tournament game at a basketball court — colloquially known as ‘The Cage’ — in Greenwich Village neighbourhood. It’s a dynamic scene, and one I felt really captured the energy of the game. I showed up around mid-afternoon as I was meeting an art director for a dinner later that evening. It was pure luck a game was happening — I only intended to scout out the location for a little while. But the end-of-day light was great, and the hosts said I could take as many photos as I liked from inside the court. After moving around the back and sides of The Cage for a bit, I decided this was the shot I really wanted: the leading lines from directly behind the hoop were just too good to pass up.
How did you achieve the shot?
I captured this on my Nikon z9 and the sharp, flexible Z 24-70mm f/2.8 lens — I shoot 90% of my images on it. I used a fixed high shutter speed of 1/1600s and a relatively shallow f-stop (a camera’s light-gathering ability) of f/4.5 to semi-isolate one player. I set my focus for wide area and 3D tracking, too. The Z9 is great to follow a subject in fast-paced action.
I also set my ISO to floating as the clouds were coming in and out, changing up the exposure every 30 seconds. I didn’t want to worry about that and knew I could adjust it easily if it missed the mark.
What were the challenges at play?
There were only a few angles I could work around. Anywhere a foot or two behind the line at this end of the court was fair game, but I couldn’t work around to either side; the games can be physical, and the refs don’t want players crashing into you if it comes to that. I captured some frames behind the fence, but the tight chain-link meant I’d always get a bit of it in the shot. Great for a fun perspective, but I didn’t want every photograph to be about that.
What elements did you seek out on location to achieve this shot?
After moving around the back and sides of The Cage for a bit, I decided this was the shot I really wanted: the leading lines from directly behind the hoop were just too good to pass up. I pulled back to 24mm to get as much of the crowd on either side and just the top of the hoop, fixed myself at a kneeling height and simply waited for the right moment. I shot a number of great frames from this spot, but this is the one where the action felt perfect — each player mostly defined within their space, and the light coming in at a pleasing angle adding that glow of brightness. A little bit of the crowd at each edge helped give it a sense of place, but your focus is still drawn to that great jump shot.
What’s most rewarding about photographing a city like New York?
New York has so many different tales to tell. You could do 10 features on its high-end dining scene alone. And how about its cast-iron buildings, and the people keeping them alive? Or its artists, from emerging talent to established icons? The convergence of so many stories in this one city — that’s what makes it such a dynamic place to live and visit. It was the first question I asked when approached with this assignment: what New York story are we telling? I love the directions that was picked.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in travel photography?
Understand what you want to create. You need a point of view, something you want to express that has to be recognisable to a viewer. Whether that’s a singular idea, an aesthetic approach, a colour palette — there has to be an element that ties your photos together into a cohesive story. It’s what elevates a bunch of images taken on a trip to professional travel photography.
Published in the December 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : National Geographic – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/photographer-matt-dutile-on-capturing-new-york-citys-dynamic-spirit
