02.08.12
Top 10 tips for shooting sport
It can be hard to capture the action and create a clear, compelling shot when you’re busy fussing with apertures and shutter speeds. Here are Photography Monthly’s top ten tips on how to prepare and shoot great sporting images.
1. Raise the ISO: Shooting at a higher ISO on your camera when the lighting isn’t perfect will raise the shutter speed, allowing for a faster capture of those all-important moments.
2. Go long: A telephoto lens is a great way of getting right in the action, even when you’re seated rows away.
3. Go short: It’s always worth considering going without your telephoto on occasions; shots of the stadium can really capture the atmosphere of the sporting action.
4. Experiment: Not all shots have to be up in the athlete’s face, zoomed in on the perspiration; sometimes it’s good to lower the ISO to allow for that blur, emphasising the speed of the race car or the spin of the bike wheel.
5. Eye on the prize: With sport photography it’s all too easy to check each frame to see if the perfect shot has been captured. Instead, just keep snapping then sift through the rubble later to find your gems.
6. Sport setting: Say the action springs upon you suddenly, and you’re fumbling with your camera to set the ISO or shutter speed; instead flick your camera to sport mode - if it has it – and allow the camera to auto focus and snap away for you.
7. Don’t miss a moment: Setting your camera to ‘burst’ mode can capture anything up to ten frames per second. Then just filter out the bad ones until you’re left with that one stunning shot of the perfect moment.
8. Think outside the box: You don’t want to end up with hundreds of pictures, identical to the ones taken by all the other photographers at the event. Experiment with getting down low to produce interesting and possibly unseen angles of the sport.
9. Get a pod: Using a tripod or monopod will make shooting sporting events easier, reducing the camera shake and producing a balanced image. A monopod is the best piece of equipment here as it is easily manoeuvred between crowds.
10. Don’t forget the face: A lot of sporting excitement comes from the glorious moment when the team scores, the finish line is crossed or a perfect routine is executed. For this reason it’s always good to get the facial expression of the athlete or sportsperson, giving emotion to your photo and capturing the atmosphere of the event.
Consider these tips when you’re next at a sporting event and you can’t go far wrong. Always remember to check whether cameras are permitted, as well as the use of flash.
Why not upload your snaps to our online gallery when you’re done?
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