Catching the sport

Knowing the sport that you are photographing is a key component. Read, study, and learn about the sport that you want to photograph. By knowing what you are trying to capture it will help you be in the right place to get important shots at the correct time. Knowing the rules and actions of the sport will help you be in better positions to get better photographs. By understanding the action you will be able to anticipate the next great play and position yourself there to get it. By researching the postilions of the players on the team you know who should be doing what and when. Knowing the reputation and attitude of certain players will allow you to anticipate there actions before they do them. When certain players are to be in certain positions and that player has a tendency to make exciting move you can think in advance and be focused and ready for the shot.

Having the proper gear on the job is mandatory to getting great shots. Digital SLR's are definitely a necessity for sports action shots. You need to take lots of fast shots to get a couple of great pics using film would get very costly in this instance. Using a digital point and shoot does not have the flexibility and options needed to get great shots here. Don't get me wrong you can get good shots, but not the great ones. Depending on the sport will vary on which lens is needed. Some sports let you get closer in on the action than others. If you can get up front and personal then you wont need quite the zoom that is needed for something like football. To get the action shot at the precise moment you have to have a fast shutter speed. Using a lens that is "fast" will increase your chances of getting crisp and clear action shots. Some type of vibration control or a tripod will also help get great focus for these pictures. Using aperture priority (AW) mode on your dslr and setting the aperture to its widest setting like a f 2.8, the lower the f stop the wider the aperture. By doing this more light can get through the lens allowing for a higher shutter speed to stop the action. Setting your ISO to its highest setting that will allow for low noise shots decreases the need for light allowing faster shutter speeds. Getting low and shooting low increases the drama for the shot. Low angle shots will give the athletes a larger than life look making them look extra important. Pay attention of anything distracting in the background of your shot and if needed just pan a little farther forward. Using these tips will increase the quality of your photographs to improve photos of your children and there friends or the next sporting event for that new photo for your wall.