Shooting Martial Arts Photography in a New Light

Martial arts, the varying sports and skills originating as forms of attack or self defense, are full to the brim with unifying traditions. Like any other sport, competition, or spiritual journey, martial arts deserve to be photographed! Ben Bradley Photography is excited to announce we are actively shooting martial arts photography in Northern Colorado. This includes shooting photography for taekwondo, karate, jujitsu, kung fu, and aikido among the many others. 

 Shooting martial arts photography is unique in two distinct ways: the etiquette involved and the lighting that is used. The goal of this post is to show you how we can work around both to achieve your mission. 

Professional Lighting Techniques in Shooting Martial Arts

 Fast-moving subjects are more challenging to capture than those standing still, and someone kicking and punching at high speeds definitely qualifies as a fast-moving subject. In a typical scenario, lighting via flash or sunlight could aid in this predicament to help freeze the person in that moment in time. It’s common for a photographer of any brightly lit or outside action packed sports event to need to adjust spontaneously to movement. With martial arts, though, the location is usually indoors, and more often than not it is a calm, low-lit atmosphere. This requires specific equipment, a strong understanding of how light and certain cameras work, a quick eye, and a knowledge of the martial arts being shot. 

 As a professional photographer that knows how to get the most crisp, accurate image of the biggest moments in life, including sports and action shots, I know how to best adjust aperture and shutter speed to capture pictures that make it feel as though you are standing right next to the athlete. I have a keen sense of the emotions coursing through my subjects, and I use that to our advantage, paired with a proper lens and correct ISO. Shooting martial arts photography with these in mind yields far better photographs than those a cell phone could produce. 

Etiquette While Shooting Martial Arts Photography

While etiquette in each form of martial art varies slightly, all forms of martial arts—Korean Tae Kwon Do, Japanese Karate, Chinese Kung Fu, etc.—focus on a few big lessons: etiquette, rules, and discipline. This goes for not only the students, but the spectators as well. Proper etiquette is crucial in respecting a martial arts space, and we know photographing an event means acting appropriately, and are prepared to do just that. No one wants to be the obnoxious person with a bright flash when flash isn’t allowed or appropriate. I love photography because it can aid in capturing life’s highlight moments, the last thing I would want to do is perform this action disrespectfully. Pictures aren’t the only result of a photography session. A positive experience should be too. Photography is simply the lasting medium the memories live on through. Whether doing joint locks in aikido, high kicks in kung fu, or open-handed chops in karate, martial arts photography can help you reflect on your techniques and emotions and strengthen your agility. Photographs from these moments in your life allow you to reminisce on your resilience, balance, power, and concentration for decades to come. 

 Contact Ben Bradley Photography to shoot your next martial arts event!

 At Ben Bradley Photography, we only give you the most high-quality images. It would be my greatest honor to help you remember an amazing day or night.