Sports Photography That Captures the Real Emotion of the Game
I specialise in photographing people — and sport is full of real people doing extraordinary things.
With over 26 years of experience, I bring a calm, professional approach to live events and thrive in environments where timing and instinct matter. I aim to produce images that are dynamic, honest, and full of life — whether for websites, marketing campaigns, or social media.
From college or university championships to local matches and training sessions, sport photography is about energy, emotion, and movement. Whether it’s a quiet moment before a race or the joy of winning, I aim to tell a story with every image.
Why I Love Photographing Sport:
- I love working with real people in real moments
- Sport is inspiring, exciting, and always unpredictable
- I enjoy the challenge of fast-paced environments
- Every sport has its own character, energy, and story
- I like capturing both the action and the emotion behind it
What I Offer:
- High-quality sport event coverage
- Action and behind-the-scenes imagery
- Photography tailored for education marketing, clubs, or community sport
- Options for video and motion clips alongside stills
- Fast turnaround and flexible delivery options
Champ of Champs
I shot these stills for an award winning documentary called 'The Champ of Champs'. Working alongside the film crew, I only had a small window to stage these portraits. They were later used to promote the film.
The world’s oldest professional boxer Steve Ward.
Story behind the shoot
What do you do when it is chucking it down with rain and you don't have the rest of football team?
Case study of American Football Sports Scholar and Masters student, Clarence Clark, University of Derby.
First we tried the changing rooms. This was okay for a portrait but maybe abit 'safe'. I felt I wanted to push it further, so we headed to the main sports hall.
Luckily there is a viewing gallery and I liked how the floor markers added a graphic element. I added studio lighting to make the subject stand out and then asked him to throw the ball towards the camera. This made the image more dynamic at the same time as relaxing the subject.
Capturing Loughborough College athletes at the AoC Sport National Championships 2025, explore further to see a flavour of the day.
Telling a story
Here is case study sports video, I was interested in capturing a story and a journey. I shot this early on in my pivot to video and now have much more experience and skill level in video production. Alex Dorr Scholarship Basketball Player filmed for the University of Derby Sports Scholar scheme.
Val's Gym a work in progress
Carol the pensioner squatting four plates, being encouraged and spotted by Val.
Val Lawrence the owner, showing off his moves on the bag.
Val's Gym is located in the centre of Heanor, Derbyshire. It is a traditional 'spit and sawdust' type gym, where everyone is welcome. This is a personal project, which I have been shooting since 2018. I also started training at the gym around the same time and now feel part of the community. Its members are from all ethnicities, genders and ages and its oldest member is a lady aged 84 years.
Thank you for taking the time to look at this page, I would love to chat further about possible opportunities.
Please get in touch
Tel: 07702 079412
Email: richard@richardrichards.co.uk
