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Filming a water polo match
Almost nobody explains how to film a water polo match. The pool is nonetheless a good setting for a phone: the playing area is bounded and the stands give height. What remains is dealing with the water, the reflections and the humidity.
"How to film a water polo match?" The results mostly talk about the rules, the history of the sport or telephoto photography, and very little about the video a club coach can shoot themselves. Here is what works, with no special equipment.
From the stands or the poolside, in the middle
The pool is long, and the action goes from one goal to the other. The best spot is on the side, level with the halfway line, as high as possible: stands or walkway. From there, a wide shot keeps both goal areas and shows the defence moving up and back down. At water level, players mask each other and perspective flattens the playing area. The principle is the one in where to put the camera: height matters more than equipment.
The water, the reflections and the light
Water reflects the sky and the lighting: in an indoor pool, the lamps are reflected in the surface and the image loses contrast. Choosing a spot that does not face the large glass windows, and locking the focus and exposure on the centre of the pool, limits images whose brightness changes as the action goes on.
The caps are the identity
In water polo, players wear a numbered cap: it is the most legible marker on the image. A wide shot does not let you read each number live, but when reviewing, a zoom on a sequence is enough to know who did what. A sharp wide shot is better than a tight shot that misses half the game.
Protecting the phone
- Humidity: the air in a pool is warm and wet. A phone coming from a cold bag can fog up: take it out a few minutes before kick-off.
- Splashes: stay dry, away from the edge, or fix the phone to the stand rather than putting it on the floor.
- Battery: a plugged-in external battery avoids stopping in the middle of a period.
One question per sequence
A whole match takes a long time to review. You gain by looking at one question at a time: how the defence gets back into position after a turnover, where the counter-attacks start from. The method for the video session is described in running a video session players really listen to.
Frequently asked questions
Where should you put the camera to film a water polo match?
On the side, level with the halfway line, as high as possible: stand or walkway. A wide shot keeps both goal areas.
How do you avoid reflections from the water on the video?
By avoiding facing the glass windows and the floodlights, and by locking the focus and exposure on the centre of the pool.
Can you film a water polo match with a phone?
Yes. From the stands, a recent phone on a small tripod films the whole pool. The club's own equipment is enough.
How do you protect your phone in a swimming pool?
Stay away from the edge, avoid splashes and let the phone acclimatise before the match so that it does not fog up.
By sport: Water polo · Handball · Volleyball
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