Golf is a boring game. Golf is a quirky game. Golf is an exciting game. Golf is a frustrating game. Golf is difficult to shoot. Golf yields spectacular photos. All true and sometimes all at the same time for both golfer and photographer. I want to get back to the Positioned For Success series and do a few posts on shooting the game of golf. Since everyone reading this can pick up a camera and shoot pictures of a person swinging the club, lets look at the quirky side of the game and see how to shoot it, or at least how to make quirky pictures that are out of the ordinary golf coverage.

First of all, I have never shot anything bigger than the Spirit of America golf tournament in Decatur or a Hooters Tour Event. The Spirit tournament draws some of the best amateur golfers from around the southeast while the Hooters is a pro tour that is a couple of notches below the venerable PGA Tour. At least a few of the players in both of these tournaments will one day play on the PGA Tour and some have played and are working their way back. That said, the vast majority of our golf coverage comes from the high school and country club events and charity events that proliferate through the Spring and Summer.

This leaves us with the probability of shooting a whole bunch of golf that has no impact beyond the event itself and often it is a charity tournament that is more of a fun event than a no holds barred competition so making pictures that are not repetitive becomes a challenge. Enter the quirky element. A quirky photo can happen anywhere from the club house to the driving range to the 18th green so you have to be ready and actually be searching for something beyond the ordinary because if there were ever a sport that is very easy to be ordinary at photographing it is golf.

That is the secret. Don’t settle for anything ordinary. At least go out having the mindset that you are not going to settle for anything ordinary. You have to shoot the guys, or gals, swinging the club but look for different ways to do the shot. Can you climb a tree? Ahh, there is one I have never tried. Maybe this year. Can you do something with lights and shadows? Can you find a golfer doing something out of the ordinary like a golfer clowning around driving the cart? Who knows, some guy a little tanked up may put a golf cart in the drink. Now that would be a photo!

There are no real technical secrets to this post. You can improve your chances of getting a quirky photo by following someone around who has some personality. Look for them on the driving range or watch a few groups tee off and see who you think might yield the best chance at something a little off beat. Just a hint here, but the guy who has his Tiger face on is probably not your guy for a quirky photo. That is the guy you will just tick off by following him around. Find the guy who is all loose on the range or on the tee and hang with him for a few holes. Don’t make a nuisance out of yourself. Just hang back and watch. Golfers are a sensitive bunch when it comes to photography which will be the subject of a later post. For now, keep your eyes peeled for the offbeat and hang in there until you get something off the beaten path.

About The Photos: The top photo was shot on the driving range during a Hooter’s Tour Event. The golfer was using a portable mirror to check his swing on the range just as many people now use video cameras. It was odd, off the beaten path and made me happy. The only thing that was difficult was keeping my reflection out of the mirror and not getting hit in the head by the follow through. The second photo is from a charity tournament. These guys were sitting between the 9th and 18th greens heckling the golfers after they would putt out. Not exactly good golf etiquette but it was a heck of a lot of fun.

Photos copyright The Decatur Daily, Gary Cosby Jr. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.

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