How I Became a Baseball Photographer for a Day!
Vanessa Joy is a wedding photographer and educator helping photographers grow profitable businesses. While I spend most of my days capturing love stories and teaching photographers how to build thriving careers, sometimes I step into completely different worlds - like baseball.
Who This Post Is For
This post is for photographers who’ve ever wondered what it’s like to step outside their usual niche and try something totally new. It’s also for anyone curious about what goes into photographing a live sporting event, and what lessons from sports photography can carry over into other genres—like weddings, portraits, or even branding sessions.
The problem it solves: Many photographers feel stuck in their lane and don’t realize how much they can learn by experimenting in other areas. By seeing how I approached a baseball game, you’ll walk away with new ideas you can apply to your own work.
Trading Aisles for a Dugout
As a wedding photographer, I’m used to aisle runners, flower girls, and tearful vows—not fastballs and dugouts. But when I had the chance to photograph a baseball game, I knew it was going to challenge me in the best way. Unlike weddings, where you have moments unfolding with some predictability, baseball is all about speed, timing, and anticipating the action before it happens.
Gear That Works Beyond Weddings
I didn’t go out and buy a whole new kit for this. I brought along the same Canon gear I use at weddings, proving you don’t need a specialized sports setup to get incredible shots. Fast lenses, quick autofocus, and knowing how to work with light gave me everything I needed to capture those split-second moments on the field.
What Baseball Taught Me About Photography
Photographing baseball reminded me of three things every photographer should remember:
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Anticipate the moment. Just like waiting for the first kiss at a wedding, you’ve got to be ready before the action happens.
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Tell the story. Sports isn’t just about the ball—it’s about the players, the crowd, the emotion. The same is true in weddings.
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Push yourself outside your comfort zone. Every time you try something new, your photography toolkit grows.
Why You Should Try Something New
Even if you never plan to shoot sports professionally, stepping into another type of photography sharpens your skills and gives you a fresh perspective on your usual work. The pace of baseball pushed me to be quicker, more intentional, and more creative - all lessons I’ll carry back into weddings and teaching.
