Seattle-based photographer Aaron Benson didn’t arrive at professional sports photography through a traditional route. He didn’t jump straight to major league sidelines or agency representation. Instead, his path developed gradually through high school sports, community events, and a steady commitment to learning how to photograph action consistently and well. Today, Benson covers more than 40 professional, minor league, amateur, and NCAA teams throughout Seattle, photographing everything from baseball and soccer to rugby, Ultimate Frisbee, and women’s professional hockey. Across all of it, his priorities are clear. “For sports photography,” he says, “being reliable is the key part of being able to produce the type of images that I’m producing.”
Seattle-based sports photographer Aaron Benson works field-side during a professional soccer match, shooting with LUMIX gear.
Building a Foundation in Sports Photography
At the center of Benson’s workflow is a LUMIX camera system. His experience has been shaped just as much by still photography, particularly in situations where autofocus accuracy, image stabilization, and speed matter. Benson never felt the need to look elsewhere. “It never crossed my mind to switch systems,” he says. “I was so happy with the image quality for video and photo that I was getting from my LUMIX cameras.” For him, consistency in real-world conditions mattered more than brand convention.
Like many photographers, Benson initially assumed his first camera would be either a Canon or Nikon. When he first walked into his local camera store, he had a Nikon DSLR in mind but a conversation with a knowledgeable salesperson shifted the direction entirely. At the time, he needed a camera that could handle both photo and video without compromise. The recommendation was the LUMIX G85.
A Seattle Mariners pitcher releases the ball mid-stride, captured by Benson from above during game action.
What stood out immediately was not just flexibility, but the still images themselves. “Although these LUMIX cameras take amazing video,” Benson explains, “the stills and the image quality that you get from the stills, that’s what really sets them apart for me.”
His entry into sports photography began close to home. Benson started taking his camera to his oldest child’s games, photographing his son and his teammates and sharing images with parents. “That’s kind of where my love for sports photography began,” he says. “I was just taking photos of him and his friends and giving them out to the parents.” Over time, his focus shifted from simply capturing action to understanding timing and anticipation. “One thing I know with any sport that involves a ball,” Benson says, “is just track the ball.”
Although these LUMIX cameras take amazing video, the stills and the image quality that you get from the stills, that’s what really sets them apart for me.
That foundation carried into his professional work with Circling Seattle Sports, an independent Seattle-based media outlet covering the city’s full sports landscape. Benson connected with the organization through the local photography community before earning the opportunity to contribute. “When I shot my first game with them, it was a Mariners game,” he says. “That was a very surreal moment.”
From there, he began covering a wide range of sports, many of which were new to him. “It’s mind-blowing and super fun to shoot,” Benson says, “but you also learn really quickly that you have to be ready all the time.” Whether photographing rugby, soccer, or baseball, the fundamentals stayed consistent.
Soccer’s constant pace demands precise timing, a skill Benson developed shooting both baseball and soccer.
Gear Choices and the Reality of Game Day
Today, Benson’s sports kit centers on three LUMIX bodies, with the LUMIX S1II as his primary camera supported by two LUMIX S5II bodies. The setup allows him to work efficiently without constant lens changes during live play. “The fewer things I have to think about during a game, the better,” he says. His core lenses, a Sigma 24–70mm f/2.8, a LUMIX 70–200mm f/2.8, and a Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3, cover everything from sideline action to long-distance shots from stadium upper levels. Benson keeps his exposure approach consistent and avoids dropping shutter speed below 1/1300. “I don’t go any lower than that,” he says. “Even if the lighting isn’t great, I’ll just bump up the ISO.”
Shooting both baseball and soccer has sharpened Benson’s understanding of pace and timing. Soccer is constant and fast, while baseball requires patience and focus. “With baseball, the speed of play is slower,” Benson explains, “but when the action happens, it happens very quickly.” One challenge he especially enjoys is freezing the baseball itself. “Trying to freeze a ball that’s traveling 80 to 100 miles an hour is not the easiest thing to do,” he says. “But when I do it and the ball is crisp and sharp, I won.
The split second of impact, frozen with a fast shutter speed.
Image stabilization plays a major role in those moments, particularly when Benson is working at longer focal lengths. There are times when he photographs from stadium upper levels at 600mm, often handheld. “I can shoot at 600mm handheld and still be stable,” he says. “That was literally mind-blowing.”
Workflow, Delivery, and Looking Ahead
Preparation is a key part of Benson’s workflow. The night before a game, he formats memory cards, charges batteries, and relies on saved camera presets in LUMIX’s Custom Mode to streamline setup. “I just turn the dial and it’s all set to go,” he says. “I show up, and I shoot.” During games, he rates images directly in-camera during breaks in play, allowing him to move quickly once the game ends. “I can send 20 to 40 pictures within 20 minutes,” Benson says. For major moments during live games, he sends images straight from camera to phone using LUMIX Lab. “The image is straight out of camera,” he explains. “There’s literally virtually no editing that needs to happen.
Using the LUMIX S1II’s Urban Sports autofocus mode, Benson tracks human subjects through fast, overlapping action.
Autofocus reliability has been one of the biggest shifts with his LUMIX S1II. Benson typically uses the 1-Area AF Mode while capturing images, and now relies on the new Urban Sports mode for detecting human subjects. “With that turned on,” he says, “I don’t have any doubts.” That confidence allows him to focus less on settings and more on timing and storytelling.
Looking ahead, Benson sees his career as a work in progress, with an increasing interest in sharing what he has learned. “I don’t want to keep all this information to myself,” he says. “If I can help someone take better pictures, that matters.” In an industry dominated by familiar brands, Benson has built his career on preparation, reliability, and trust in his tools.
From the stadium upper levels, Benson photographs handheld at long focal lengths, relying on image stabilization to keep shots sharp.
For more information on photographer Aaron Benson, visit his website at www.benvisual.com, or his Instagram @benvisualmultimediallc.
For information on Circling Seattle Sports, visit www.circlingseattlesports.com.
