The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose
Ernie Banks, Former American professional baseball player
I’ve never been particularly good at sports, and I’m too competitive to enjoy the feeling of losing … or even coming second! But I do like to watch others excel at them. It’s exciting not to know what will happen next, and to cheer on a favourite individual or team to success.
The sports I most enjoy watching are football (soccer to US readers), notably ‘my’ team Newcastle United, plus tennis and athletics. I’m always happy when I manage to score tickets for the All England tennis championships at Wimbledon (which I’m fortunate to have done for this coming tournament). And when the Olympics came to London in 2012, we sampled a range of sports from cycling to table tennis, Taekwondo to volleyball.
As my photos below will attest, I’m no sports photographer! I don’t have the equipment to get great action shots very easily, and when I go to watch sports I prefer not to carry my larger camera, so often rely on my compact or phone. They’re fine for capturing memories but not ideal. However I do also like to photograph the scenes around me, including my fellow spectators. These sorts of shots provide context and help to create the sense of occasion that a big sporting event can generate.
So for Elke’s Monochrome Madness challenge I have a selection of photos taken at sporting events, only some of which are of the sport itself. I hope that together they build a picture of the excitement and even passion that sports can generate.
Editing these shots in black and white proved an interesting exercise. So much of sport is about colour: the team colours, the supporters dressed to show their allegiances. Something therefore is lost in these edits, but perhaps something is gained? It struck me that people stand out more as individuals, whether competitors or spectators. It’s more about personality and less about the team, or so it seemed to me. I’ll be interested in your thoughts.
My feature photo was taken at the parade to mark Newcastle United’s victory in the Carabao Cup last year, and like all the images below was edited with Nik Silver Efex Pro
Bayer Leverkusen stadium, Germany, before a Champions League match against Newcastle United
Canine Newcastle United fan at the Carabao Cup victory parade 2025
Cycling event at the London Olympics 2012
Cricket game in Galle, Sri Lanka
Brazilian fan at the volleyball, London Olympics 2012
Newcastle United fans gather in Lisbon ahead of a match
GB supporters at the London Olympics 2012
Winning US relay team at the World Athletics championships in London, 2017
Lorenzo Musetti playing at Wimbledon in 2024
Stefanos Tsitsipas playing at Wimbledon in 2023
Linesman at Wimbledon in 2024
Surfer in Hanga Roa, Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Surfers off Cape Weligama, Sri Lanka
46 Comments
leightontravels
Ha ha, the first thing I noticed on the cover shot was Dan Burn, towering far above everyone else. Sport and black and white is a fascinating proposition and one I hadn’t given much thought (or indeed any) to prior to reading this. The cricket and surfer shots really stands out for me, good stuff Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Oh yes, ‘big Dan Burn’ certainly stands out in a crowd 😀 Many thanks Leighton, and I’m glad you like the cricket and surfing shots – great travel memories there for me!
SoyBend
Great pictures of the surfers, Sarah! Lots of action in the first one.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 😀 I enjoy trying to capture surfers when I get the opportunity!
equinoxio21
Excellent again. I’m not a sports fan at all, but I enjoyed it.
And I love the idea of losing to prove you’re a good sport. That is peachy.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you – although all losing proves when I play is that I struggle to be a good sport!
equinoxio21
That’s another -true- perspective…
grandmisadventures
Great sport collection- I love how you can feel the energy from people
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Meg 🙂 I’m glad that energy came through in the photos!
the eternal traveller
We saw the cycling events at the Goodwill Games many years ago in Brisbane. It’s very exciting. You did well to get such a great shot. We call it soccer here in Australia too. For us football is AFL, Rugby League or Rubgy Union.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Carol 🙂 We loved the atmosphere in the Velodrome – of all the Olympic events we saw that year, the day at the cycling was easily the best!
Alison Hutt
I think they are great. Black and white makes you look more at the expressions of the competitors without the distraction of colour
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alison 😊 Yes, that’s how I felt about the B&W edits, I’m glad you saw that too!
Leanne Cole
Great approach Sarah, I would never have thought of the fans, love it.
Sarah Wilkie
Many thanks Leanne 😊 I find the fans tend to make for more interesting photographic subjects a lot of the time!
Cath Moore
what do you mean…you’re not a sports photographer?!!! these shots are AMAZING!
Sarah Wilkie
You’re very kind, but I know that several of them could be sharper – and very many were left on the cutting room floor, so to speak!
Cath Moore
🤫
Egídio
Sarah, these are outstanding shots. You captured the action and faces so well.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Egidio 😊 I’m pleased you like the shots!
Marsha
You go to quite a few events to get this many action shots. I think action shots are fabulous, but I’m not patient or great at taking them. I love the lineman. He’s a bundle of enthusiasm. 🙂 xxx
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Marsha 🙂 We do enjoy live sport, although these were taken over a number of years so we don’t really go that often. Haha, I know what you mean about the linesman!
Marsha
Yes, he cracked me up. All the other shots were fabulous active sports shots – excellent and such sharp pictures compared to most pictures I see, including the ones in my archives. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
I have loads of unsharp ones – I had to choose carefully for this post!
Marsha
That’s the part that takes hours. LOL
Sue
The Sri Lankan cricket action, the tennis players an that little dachshund in Newcastle strip are my favourites! Well done for these sports images taken with non-specialist equipment!
Sarah Wilkie
Many thanks Sue 😊 I enjoyed watching those youngsters playing cricket and of course the dachshund is a cutie!
Sue
Excellent!
restlessjo
Action shots really are hard, unless you like blurring, but you have some really good ones here, Sarah. And I really like your little doggy shot too xx
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Jo 😊 That dog was very cute, all dressed up for the victory celebrations!
Jane Lurie
Excellent set of sport images, Sarah! I must highlight the USA Relay Team…what a fabulous shot. 👏🏻
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Jane 😊 We had a perfect view of that team as they did their lap of honour!
wetanddustyroads
Ha, it’s also called soccer in SA 😉. When we were younger, we didn’t miss a rugby match – whether it was a live game in the stadium or on television. But nowadays we only watch rugby if it’s the World Cup tournament. I must admit, I wouldn’t mind tickets to Wimbledon. I like your tennis photos the most – Wimbledon works in black & white!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Corna 🙂 I wonder when the rest of the world will catch on to the ‘proper’ name for football? 😆 Going to Wimbledon is a special experience – not only for the tennis but for the tradition!
Easymalc
Photographing in B&W must come easy to a ‘Magpies’ fan
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Well, the Magpies were made for black and white! I love your header and the dog is so cute.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Malcolm and Anabel – you both make a good point! But actually I never do photograph in black and white 🙂 I much prefer to shoot in colour and edit afterwards, even if I know from the start that the image will work better in monochrome. It gives me much more flexibility.
Monkey's Tale
I’m the opposite. I’ve played sports all my life, but I’m a horrible spectator, I’d rather play than watch. Love the Rapa Nui surfer. By the way it’s soccer in Canada too 😊 Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Maggie 🙂 That Rapa Nui shot is from some years ago – I’m glad you like it. I hadn’t realised you called it soccer too, I thought that was a US thing only!
Anne Sandler
Great action shots that capture the moment and excitement. Wonderful black and white edits. I found I was less distracted by color and paid more attention to the details and action of the photographs.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Anne 😊 It’s interesting to hear that you felt much as I did about the absence of colour.
margaret21
Your tennis shots are great, particularly the one of Stefanos Tsitsipas. Oh – the surfer’s pretty damn’ good too.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret 🙂 We were lucky with our tickets that year, we had great views. But it was an outside court and rain interrupted play unfortunately. Last year we didn’t manage to get tickets but I’m very happy to have got some for Court One this year, which is covered!
margaret21
Hooray! Enjoy. As a London schoolgirl, this was one time we really didn’t mind wearing uniform when taken to Wimbledon (entry 2/6d, I seem to recall), as hanging round near Centre Court in the late afternoon would often result in early-leavers giving us their tickets. No 12 and a half p entry tickets for you, eh?
Sarah Wilkie
I used to do exactly the same on school visits and that fuelled my enthusiasm for the championships 🙂
margaret21
👍