7 Tips To Taking Great Sport Action Shots

Almost any day or night of the week, if you are driving or walking past a sports field or court, you are most likely going to see two teams competing against each other. And you can be sure that there will be a fairly good size crowd of parents and friends cheering the players on and taking lots of photographs of them. Some of these people are getting some great shots, but most of them could use some tips and advice to help them get better photos. In this article, I am going to give some tips to make sure you are part of the group that is getting great shots.

1. Have a basic knowledge of the sport you are going to photograph

If you know about or have played the sport you are going to photograph then you will know when to anticipate the action and what the players next move might be. I love and played all sports so it helped me to know what might be going to happen and to be ready when it did happen.

2. Have the right equipment

If you want to get really great shot, then it helps to have the right kind of photo equipment. You can get OK shots with a point and shoot digital camera, but will get much better shots if you have an SLR. Point and shoot cameras' usually have an electronic viewfinder, and because there is a small hesitation before the camera takes the shot, there is a good chance you will miss the shot.

SLRs' on the other hand fire instantly, and if equipped with a motor drive can take up to 7 shots in a second, so you will get many great shots. You will also want to have a good size telephoto or zoom lens in order to bring the action closer to you. If you can afford a fast telephoto or zoom lens (usually f-2.8 and at least 200mm) then you will be able to shoot at a higher shutter speed in low light conditions, like at dusk or under artificial lighting.

3. What settings will give you the best results

Your ISO setting, which is how sensitive your camera will be to light should usually be set to 400 if you are photographing during normal daylight. If you are photographing in low light situations such as dusk or under the lights then 1600 will usually give you good results, if your camera will go to 3200 or 6400, then go for it, but expect to get a certain degree of digital noise.

You want to set the camera mode to aperture priority-this way you select the f-stop (which in sports would usually be as wide open as exposure will allow 2.8 or 4) check exposure chart, and the camera will automatically select the fastest shutter speed available in order to freeze the action. With a telephoto or long zoom lens, this will also keep the subject sharp but the back ground out of focus, which is preferred in sports photography and keeps attention on the subject (this is called Bokeh in photographic terms).

4. Be Aware of the light.

It always surprises me when I watch other people photographing a sporting event and I see them shooting into the light or with flash from too far away. If possible always try and position yourself so that the light (sun) is behind you and is falling on the subjects. Unless you are trying to create a silhouette you should not shoot into the light. It is usually difficult to photograph sports with a flash because most falshes sync at 1/60 - 1/250 of a second, so aside from not being strong enough, you will a lot of the times get ghosting images around the subjects.

5. Position, Position, Position.

One of the most important aspects of photographing and getting great sports photos is where you position yourself, and it makes the job a lot easier also. If you are photographing soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, football, or any sport where they are playing on a large field then position is the key to great shots. You want to be where the action is going, so that is usually to the side or if you can behind the goal area. This way they are always coming to you and all the action will concentrate in that area. Also make a quick determination which is the dominant team and position yourself in their offensive zone, again if your here you will get to take more shots and the more shots you take the more good ones you will get.

6. Take photos during warmups.

Try and get to the games beforehand so that you can get the players warming up, this way you can get photos of all the players, including the ones that don't get to play. This will also help you get more comfortable being on the field and figuring out which angles are gooing to work best for the current lighting situation. You will also be able to insure that all your camera settings are correct and working properly before the game begins.

7. Watch for celebration shots.

Keep an eye open for celebration shots whenever there is a score or good play or at the end of the game. Some of the best shots you will get will be celebration shots after scores, good plays, or having won the game. Sometimes you get so caught up in the moment and start cheering and miss some really cool shots.

So those are some tips and secrets to keep in mind if you are looking to improve your sports photography. What you do with your images after can also make a big difference. I will post soon to show you examples of what you can do with the great sports photographs you are going to take from now on.