The 8 Best Sports Photographers in San Jose

The Bay Area is home to some of the best photographers in the world, regardless of the genre. So it can be a challenge to find the best San Jose sports photographers when everyone is so talented!

That’s why we at Peerspace have put together this list, to make things easier for you. Are you looking for someone to document the Olympics? Or hoping to tell the story of youth athletes? There is a sports photographer on this list for whatever game you have in mind!

1. Xtreme Sports Photos

Xtreme Sports Photos was founded by Scott and Carolyn Dinn, two San Jose sports photographers who have been in the genre since 2009. The Dinns started out photographing their own children during sporting events while sharing additional photos with the other parents present. The positive response was so massive that Scott and Carol decided to found their own company.

Xtreme Sports Photos provides both live sports and sports portraits for athletes of all ages in the Bay Area. All sporting events are covered, from water polo to youth football. And you don’t have to be satisfied with simple images since Xtreme Sports Photos also creates albums, calendars, and other paraphernalia. That way, you can celebrate the success of your kids in an endless variety of ways!

2. MTB Fastpitch Photography

MTB Fastpitch Photography was founded by a mother with a love for softball and documenting her daughter’s journey on the field. This gives her a distinct advantage over other San Jose sports photographers as MTB is sensitive to the emotional qualities that parents are looking for. As she shares with you: “With a mother’s eye, I look for moments big and small. Jubilance. Grit. Dedication. Togetherness. Tears. Fears. And ‘fight’.”

The style favored by MTB Fastpitch Photography is colorful, with rich contrast and hues that uplift and excite viewers. She is a master of finding moments that best express the grace and energy of young athletes, like peak extensions in a swing, youthful expressions of joy, and so on.

3. High Orbit Media

Weddings, engagements, and sports are the favored genres of High Orbit Media’s John Ruddock. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he provides a local’s perspective of life milestones and live events. If you were present at events like the 2021 Little League World Series West Regionals, then you may have seen John working along the sidelines. He uses his camera and a well-honed sense of composition to capture images that convey the narrative and flow of the game.

John’s methods of telling sports stories are more diverse than that of many San Jose sports photographers. He brings artistic elements like motion blur, isolation, and emphasis using background elements, all of which affect how we see his subjects and what we feel about them. John is also a master of the decisive moment; photographing instants that best express the character of a particular sport!

4. Meredith Williams Photography

​​Meredith Williams has been a wedding, portrait, and San Jose sports photographer for about two decades now. She happens to be a graduate of San Jose State University and holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography. Meredith blends her collegiate training with her innate love of artistry to great effect. We especially love how she finds the in-between moments that truly make each game unique. The conversations, embraces, focus, and emotions change from day to day.

Some of the organizations that count Meredith as a past or present partner include the NHL San Jose Sharks, the City College of San Francisco, and the San Jose State Football Creative Team.

5. Jose Moreno Photography

Jose Moreno is a sports and action photographer active throughout the Bay Region. His work explores not only human sports but also dog sports, live events where well-trained K9s run obstacle courses and demonstrate their athleticism alongside their handlers. His dog sports portraits are timed to demonstrate the enthusiasm and grace of dogs, not to mention the playfulness of the man-dog bond that often manifests in between field runs.

Jose is also the San Jose sports photographer who clients reach out to when they need an exclusive creative who can handle all of their visual media. For example, he was one of just two photographers hired to shoot the NCAA National water polo championships at Pacific and the BIG ten playoffs for UC Davis men’s soccer.

6. Nhat V. Meyer

Nhat V. Meyer has been a staff photographer for the Bay Area News Group since 2000, with a focus on his partnership with San Jose Mercury News. Before then, he worked as a photographer for The Virginian-Pilot. As a photojournalism major, Nhat is a master of storytelling through the visual medium but sports photography has always played a huge role in his portfolio.

Nhat’s work takes us not only locally but to international destinations during the Summer and Winter Olympics. The emphasis on emotional elements is what makes Nhat one of the top San Jose sports photographers. The crushing defeats, victorious shots, and record-breaking moments he captures are the very epitome of sports photography!

7. Brad Mangin Photography

Brad Mangin is a freelance San Jose sports photographer who has been active since 1987. He counts publications like Sports Illustrated and The Associated Press as partners of his, working to tell the stories of Major and Minor League Baseball events.

Brad’s skill is such that he often works as a judge for photojournalism and sports photography contests while still working as a regular contributor for several sports publications. Brad is often called upon to document the Olympics, Super Bowls, and World Series games as well!

8. HomeTeam Sports Photography

Founded in 1994, HomeTeam Sports Photography is a family-owned business that offers sports pictures, banners, plaques, and other documentation of gameday events. Youth sports are their specialty, making HomeTeam the partner of choice for Campolindo High School, the Monte Vista Mustangs, and other Bay Area clients. Bold off-camera flash highlights each subject along with background blur, while active poses and expressive faces strike just the right mood for family heirloom sportraits!

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