I’m a Sports Photographer and I Rarely Photograph My Son’s Games.

You might assume that, as a professional sports photographer, I have a camera at every one of my son’s soccer games. Every goal, every tackle, every celebration documented.

I don’t. I usually photograph one game a year.

It’s not because photography is my job and I’m tired of doing it. I loved sports photography before I had kids, back when it was a hobby and a side hustle. Photographing my own children helped rekindle that love.

But when my son plays, most days I want to be his dad on the sideline.

Getting the shot takes a different kind of attention

My son plays competitive soccer. I’m not there to coach him from the sideline, and he doesn’t need me watching his every move. But sometimes, even at practice, he’ll ask, “Hey Dad, did you see that?”

When I stick around, I want him to know I’m interested in what he’s doing. Those little exchanges are part of being there.

When I’m photographing a game, I’m watching closely. But my attention is different. I’m thinking about positioning, framing, and when to press the shutter. Through a telephoto lens, I might capture a great play without fully taking in everything that led to it.

Ask me afterward whether I saw a particular moment, and I might say, “Yeah, I got a photo of it.” But I can’t always talk about the play the way someone watching the whole game can.

Getting those photos also puts me somewhere different physically. The best angle usually isn’t where the other parents are sitting. So I miss some of the conversations, the shared reactions, and the experience of cheering our kids on together.

I come home with pictures. But there are things I’ve given up to get them.

I want to be a fan, too

When Sacramento Republic was preparing for its inaugural season, we bought season tickets. I was also offered an opportunity to photograph for the team.

It was tempting: a chance to be on the field, doing work I loved for a professional soccer team. But I turned it down. I wanted to spend that first season in the stands, enjoying every game as a fan.

This was before my son was even born. I already understood the value of watching a game simply because I wanted to be there, without thinking about the next frame.

I enjoy working a game. But being a photographer and being a fan are different experiences, and I wanted to make room for both.

Now that it’s my own kid out there, that choice means even more to me.

There isn’t an unlimited number of seasons

I understand why parents pick up a camera. These years move quickly, and we want something to hold onto.

I value those photographs, too. Someday, my kids might show them to their own children and say, “You know, I used to play, too.” There’s something fun about kids discovering that Mom or Dad once put on a uniform and did something pretty cool. Those old pictures don’t all have to be about questionable haircuts and fashion choices.

But the same limited time that makes me want to preserve these moments also makes me want to experience them.

My son is in sixth grade. If he plays through high school, that’s roughly six more years. He might choose something else sooner. I don’t know how many seasons we’ll have, and that’s part of why I already spend most games watching him as his dad.

I’m not suggesting parents stop photographing their kids. But I think it’s worth giving yourself some games where taking pictures isn’t part of the plan.

For me, photographing one game a year is the balance. If he ever plays in a major tournament and I have time to arrange it, I’d consider hiring another photographer. I’d want to be there as his dad, fully caught up in what was happening.

He already knows I’m a photographer

When my son’s friends come over, he makes a point of showing them the photos on my screensaver. He’s proud of my work. I don’t need to take more pictures of him to know that.

When he looks back on these years, I want him to remember me on the sideline, watching him play. And I want my own memories of those games—the conversations, the excitement, the things I saw without a viewfinder.

I’ll have photographs, too. Just not from every game.