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You are in: Home > Black's Photo Tutorials

Photographing Action

Sports and physical activity are great ways to bring together friends and family. A lot can happen at sporting events, both on and off the field, and there are plenty of opportunities to take great pictures full of drama, excitement and fun.

Digital cameras have several features that make action photography easier than ever. One of these features is action (or sports) mode, which allows you to photograph people and objects in motion. Another is optical zoom, which allows you to get close to the action without actually being in the way. Finally, because you're not shooting on film, you can take as many pictures as you want and simply delete the ones you don't like.

The more pictures you take, the more likely you are to get that one spectacular photograph that you'll treasure for years to come, just like the pros.

You'll probably get lots of pictures you won't like when you're photographing sports and other physical activities. Don't be discouraged. It's not easy to take great pictures of people and objects in motion. Even the pros don't get it right every single time.

In January of 2004, Sports Illustrated assigned 11 photographers to take pictures at Superbowl XXXVIII. Combined, they took 16,183 photographs, of which only 86 were considered for publication in the magazine. That's roughly 1 out of every 188 photographs.

The more pictures you take, the more likely you are to get that one spectacular photograph that you'll treasure for years to come; just like the pros.

Another thing you can learn from professional photographers is to take pictures both on and off the field. The Sports Illustrated photographers didn't just take pictures of the action on the gridiron. They took pictures of fans in the stands, cheerleaders on the sidelines, players on the benches, coaches, and even of the halftime entertainment. There's more to a game than simply the players. Your photographs should reflect that.

Although there's so much going on during a sporting event-and so many elements beyond your control-you can put the odds in your favour and take great pictures simply by knowing how to set your camera and by learning to anticipate the action.

  Action Photography Continued: [1] [2] [3]


  
Resources:
Inside Action Photography:

This action photography tutorial teaches you how to take great action shots and other sports related photographs. You'll learn how to set your camera to action mode to best capture motion, how to use sleep mode to reduce the wait time between pictures and how to use your zoom lens to get close to the action. You'll also learn about capturing what's going on off the playing field and how to take team portraits.


To make the most of your action photography, Black's recommends:

Compact Cameras
8x - 10x optical zoom to get really close to the action from the sidelines. Water/weather-resistant camera for bad weather, aquatic and winter sports.

Digital SLRs
High speed memory for faster shooting speed. Zoom Lens to get close to the action.

Accessories
Tripod to keep your camera steady.

Processing
Black's VividPrints Express to get your prints on game day. 8 x 10 enlargement of that winning moment.


Other Photo Tutorials:


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