Canon Explorer of Light and pro American sports photographer Kevin Jairaj shares his kit bag essentials

If you want to photograph American sports you'll never be short of excitement with unexpected fast paced thrills packed into the half of every game whether it's American football, basketball, baseball or even ice hockey!

Based in the USA, Kevin is an internationally recognized Canon Explorer of Light, specializing in weddings and American sports. He holds prestigious titles such as the WPPI Triple Master and PPA Master of Photography and came first in a previous World Sports Photography Awards. He covered major sporting events like the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang for USA Today. He also covers Super Bowls, Final Fours, the World Series, and National Championship.

Here he gives us an insight into his work, and reveals the essential kit he needs on shoots. Be sure to check out his Instagram and website for more inspiration.

"Photography started as a hobby and then I got serious when folks told me that my photos were better than the photographers they were using regularly for their portraits and weddings. I already had a very successful wedding and portrait business, but I have always been a huge sports fan!  I had also photographed portraits and weddings of some athletes and they invited me to go photograph some games for them which got the ball rolling on my sports career and, as they say, the rest is history!

"Canon contacted me a couple of years ago and invited me to be an official Canon Explorer of Light, and this was a dream come true. I’ve only ever used Canon products in my professional career and I’m honoured and blessed to represent them.

"There are too many sporting events throughout the year that it’s hard to pick out a favourite. Though a few that stand out are the CFP National Championships, NFL Playoffs, and NCAA March Madness games.

"One thing I do on every high-profile photoshoot is try to learn something about the subject that we both might have in common. When they first walk in, I can bring that up so it’s easy to break the ice and the shoot goes much smoother!

"In my professional career I’ve been fortunate enough to have won the WPPI Triple Master and PPA Master of Photography titles as well as winning the World Sports Photography Awards in 2022 for the Basketball category."

Kevin's pro kit for sports shots

1. Canon EOS R3

The Canon EOS R3 is simply the best camera I have ever used. I use two EOS R3 bodies, as a pro you always need a backup, and I find the precision focus to be incredible. Combine this with the subject tracking and it’s now possible to capture photos of athletes intertwined or even behind other athletes while competing in their respective sports. It just opens up a new realm of creativity while keeping the main focus tack sharp!

2. Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8L IS USM

My 100-300mm F2.8L IS USM has become my main go-to lens due to its flexibility and constant maximum f/2.8 aperture. If I find that I need a bit more reach on a football field, for example, I will simply add my 1.4x converter and that gives me a 140-420mm focal length and the maximum aperture effectively becomes f/4, which is still more than fast enough. It’s also one of the sharpest lenses I have ever used!

3. Canon RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM

The Canon 10-20mm F4L is my wide-angle zoom lens of choice as I can get that extra wide shot without the overused fisheye or bowing effect. It’s a true rectilinear lens that means I can shoot at a super-wide 10mm on my full-frame bodies without getting the typical distorted fisheye look. It’s fantastic for getting up close and capturing images in a crowd at a stadium or post-match interviews.

4. Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM

I use my Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM zoom lens quite a bit in conjunction with the telephoto 100-300mm F2.8L. The 24-105mm is a very light zoom lens that fills in the gaps when I am looking to carry just two camera bodies on me at a sporting event, so I’m covered on everything from 24mm wide-angle, all the way up to 300mm, or 420mm with my 1.4x extender. It’s also razor sharp and a brilliant all-rounder.

5. Canon EL-1 Speedlite

The Canon EL-1 is a total workhorse and a beast of a Speedlite! I’ve found the EL-1 to have super-fast recycling times, so I can get shooting straightaway with no lag. It has amazing power and the quality of its light allows me to create pro-level photos in even the worst conditions. Rather than run off AA batteries, the EL-1 uses an LP-EL Lithium-Ion battery with a huge 1920mAh capacity which goes the distance on long shoots.

6. Canon RF 1.4x & 2x Extenders

I don’t go anywhere without Canon’s latest RF 1.4x Extender and RF 2x Extender . Canon has done an amazing job of creating these where, to my eyes, the images are just as sharp as without using them. The flexibility these teleconverters provide, allows me to achieve further reach on subjects which makes my life so much easier. It also helps that the Extenders are small and don’t take up much space in my travel bag!

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