Photography and baseball go together like kids and mud. Baseball games provide photographers with everything they need for great picture taking. There’s fast action, colorful uniforms and exuberant fans. By and large, the pace is rhythmic and easy to follow, and there are predictable situations—like runners sliding into second base—so you can anticipate some shots and preset focus and exposure. Baseball is a great venue for sharpening composition, timing and other photographic skills, for beginners and seasoned veterans alike.

At major league games you’ll find famous players, energetic crowds and excitement everywhere. You’re guaranteed to go home with at least a few good shots. Even marginal photos can be treasures if they’re pictures of your favorite big league heroes.

But if you’re after a full immersion photo experience, visit a minor league stadium. The quality of play is close to major league, and there’s always a chance you’ll encounter players who’ll be famous superstars in the future. You can get closer to the action—much closer—and often times you can change your seat in the later innings (always ask the ticket office if this is allowed) and shoot from a different perspective. Minor league baseball is much less expensive (a box seat at beautiful Yogi Berra Stadium to watch my favorite New Jersey Jackals costs a skinny $11 and parking is free) and the crowds are thinner and very well mannered. In my book, minor league ball is a real home run.

There’s another reason why I like minor league baseball: I can bring a backpack full of lenses to the stadium without any hassle. Parking is always close by, and the ballparks are photographer friendly. In addition to one or two digital SLR cameras, you should pack several Tamron lenses. Here’s the rundown on which lenses to take and why they’re recommended.

My favorite lens for covering the diamond is the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8. I’ve used other lenses, including my older Tamron telephoto zooms, but this is my current lens of choice. Seated above the corner of the home team dugout, near third base, I can fill the frame when I zoom in on any of the bases, the batter or the pitcher. And I can quickly zoom in on any of the outfielders as they track a fly ball.

The fast f2.8 aperture is a must for night games, but it’s very useful during day games, too. I can shoot at faster shutter speeds on dull days and thereby stop more action. I can also limit the depth of field by shooting wide open or at f4, and that’s important in minor league parks where you’re more likely to find stray players, coaches and mascots milling around on the sidelines. Using a large aperture allows me to blur the area behind the player so that it’s not distracting.

The Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 is the sharpest fast telephoto zoom I’ve ever used. The color rendition is right on, and the lens delivers crisp, snappy images. It has an elegantly offset tripod collar that makes it quite easy to use a monopod (my favorite) or a tripod for additional steadiness. The collar is removable, but I’m betting you’ll leave it on all the time like I do—it provides additional support and a comfortable handle.

Last but not least, you can shift from autofocus to manual focus simply by pulling the focus ring toward or away from the camera body. AF is the way to go for most shots, but when there’s a runner on first and you’re setting up to capture the play at second, it’s often advisable to switch to manual and focus on the second base bag. That way you’ll save a few milliseconds and be ready when the runner slides into the second baseman.

I always bring a second camera body attached to a Tamron 18-270mm VC zoom. I appreciate the flexibility of being able to shoot tight on second base, then swing around for a medium shot inside the dugout, and finally zoom wide to take in the whole park (at 18mm, this zoom is the equivalent of a 28mm wideangle on my Nikon D300s or D90). Could I use this lens for everything? Yes, and on some days I do. It’s certainly sharp enough, and the 405mm (equivalent) focal length covers the whole park. But in my book, the 70-200mm f2.8 edges it out for the longer shots because I can control depth of field via the constant f2.8 aperture.

I sometimes set up a Tamron 180mm f3.5 on a tripod and leave it pointed toward the base opposite where I’m seated (first or third). It’s not a zoom, but through experience I’ve determined that I can fill the frame at this distance and be ready for any action. Like the 70-200mm f2.8, this lens has a collar that facilitates mounting it on a tripod. Zoom lenses are wonderful and versatile, but there is something to be said for a prime lens. A fixed focal length telephoto forces you to compose carefully by adjusting the distance between you and the subject. If you haven’t tried this approach, you should.

A Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC is always in my bag because I use it as my normal lens. I often survey the crowd during the game, and sometimes go for a location shot with the 17-50mm just to make sure that I’m not concentrating too narrowly on the infield. Needless to say, sometimes there’s more action in the stands than on the field, especially in a major league stadium. The constant f2.8 aperture is bright enough for dim days, and the built-in Vibration Control makes it easier to get great shots at night without the annoying fuzziness caused by camera shake.

Regardless which Tamron lenses you bring to the ballpark, you should always endeavor to make your pictures tell a story. It could be the short saga of a 5-4-3 double play, or an extended novella that chronicles the duel between a pitcher and a batter. Since baseball action follows a preset pattern (hit the ball, run to first, advance to second, etc.) you can build the storyline around a predetermined plot. Think in terms of the sequence of events and shoot fast to capture as much of the action as possible. Here is one place where you’ll appreciate the fast autofocusing speed of Tamron telephoto zoom lenses.

If you know baseball, you already know the hot spots, so be ready to aim and fire. Pitchers are always moving, even when they’re not throwing the ball. When there is a runner on first, watch for pick-off attempts and runners breaking for second. When the ball is in play, watch the umpires. These highly trained professionals know where to look and what to look for—they’re always anticipating where the critical action will be so that they’re in the right position to make a fair and accurate call. Don’t forget to occasionally peek at the crowd and into the dugout, too. You’ll often see more going on in these two places than you’ll ever see on the field.

To fans, baseball is said to be a game of inches. To photographers, baseball is a game of angles. The first base line and third base line converge at home plate to create a compositional vortex. Be ever mindful of the relative position of the batter, the catcher and the umpire within this construction. Human eyes follow lines, so use them to your advantage.

When composing, keep your storytelling responsibility in mind at all times. For example, you’ll seldom see a worthwhile image of just the batter. It’s more powerful to include the catcher and at least part of the umpire. Doing so provides context and authenticity. The catcher and ump are often watching the flight of the ball—which adds an additional element of suspense—whilst the batter is blindly running head-down toward first base.

There’s a reason why baseball has endured for more than a century. It’s methodical; still it delivers intense action. It’s colorful, even though it’s played against a grassy-green backdrop. It follows predictable rules, but provides once-in-a-lifetime events like triple plays and no-hit shutouts. Baseball games always begin with our National Anthem and never end until the box score is published in the newspaper the next day. Baseball provides rich and wonderful photographic opportunities for us all to enjoy.