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9 Tips for Better Action Photos Print E-mail
Use the Right Shutter Speed
When capturing anything fast moving (Kids, Sports, etc), using the right shutter speed is vital. High shutter speeds will freeze the moment, while using a slightly slower shutter speed can also add to the drama of the photo and give a sense of animation.
To get you started, set your camera on to Shutter Priority (or sports mode if your camera limits you too much), dial in a high shutter speed (say 1/500th of a second) and away you go. NB The faster the shutter speed, the brighter the (sun) light will need to be. If it's a dark day, you may find the images underexposing, or the camera no allowing you to set a high shutter speed.
With a bit of practice, you can also perfect a technique called "pannning". This is where you follow the subject (and so keeping them center frame) with a slightly slower shutter speed. At its best, this technique gets a sharp subject, and a blurred background, infusing a tremendous sense of speed/animation to the image.
Use a Long Lens
Simple as this sounds, the longer the lens the better. There are Ultra zoom compact cameras that have up to an 18x zoom built in, but for ease of use and superb quality of image, you can't go past a DSLR with a 300mm Lens on it.
Anticipation
Knowing what is going to happen before it happens is often the secret of good action shots. Understanding the subject (kids or sporting event) and being alert to what's going on enables the photographer to be prepared to capture that one in a million image.
High ISO ratings
One of the real benefits of digital cameras is the ability to change from a moderate ISO (eg.200 ISO) to 800 or 1600 ISO with the click of a button. Film Users need to plan ahead and have High Speed Film loaded and ready to go. NB make sure you change back to more "normal" ISO ratings when not shooting action as they can tend to show "noise" in lower light environments.
Position, Position, Position.
Yes, just like in real estate where you position yourself impacts you ability to get the best image. EG photos of racing cars taken "straight on" are less dynamic/appealing than those taken side on. At your local sporting venue, try being in different positions relative to the action and see which angles get you your best images.
Flash & Slow shutter speeds.
Some events DO allow you to use flash photography to capture images. If this is true for an event you want to shoot, try combinations of High Flash speed with slower shutter speed. This can also convey the idea of motion, while still highlighting the subject nicely.
Pre-Focus
Focusing is one of the hardest things to master in high speed sport. The Auto focus systems of DSLR's are pretty good, but if you're finding you miss your shot by the fraction of a second...this could be time you could save by overriding the auto focus systems and just manually focus on a spot that the subject is guaranteed to pass though. This way you can speed up the process of capturing the image by giving the camera one less thing to do.
Use "burst" mode
This enables the photographer to capture a sequence of images and increase their chances of getting a photo they really like.
More Memory, More Power.
Digital cameras allow us to "smother" an action sequence and increase our chances of getting the best image (see "burst mode". This consumes more space on the memory card, and power in the battery...we suggest you have plenty of backups of both cards and battery. Murphy's law states the best shot is the one you would have taken but couldn't...
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