Sports Photography
Action and Sports
Photography
Action and sports photography is just what
it sounds like, although it doesn’t necessarily
mean your subject is engaging in some
type of sport. It can be any activity that
involves fast movement, such as your child
riding his bike down the street or someone
running across the beach. Shooting any type
of action can be tricky to even seasoned
pros because you need to be sure to shoot
at a fast-enough shutter speed to freeze the
movement of your subject.
Along with panning, I used Shutter Priority mode to control the shutter speed to freeze the motion of this car that was racing by at Memphis Motorsports Park while keeping the shutter speed slow enough to catch some motion blur. Shot on a monopod with a Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 lens zoomed to 200mm, ISO 100 at f/6.3 for 1/320 second.
Although the relatively speedy frame rate of
3 fps of the D60 comes in handy when
shooting action and sports, often the best
approach with shooting action is to get
familiar with the movement of the subject,
learn when the action is at its peak, and
then take your shot.
You can employ a number of different techniques
to decrease motion blur on your
subject. The most commonly used technique
is panning. Panning is following the
moving subject with your camera lens. With
this method, it is as if the subject is not
moving at all because your camera is moving
with it. When done correctly, the subject
should be in sharp focus while the motion
blurs the background. This effect is great for
creating the illusion of motion. While panning,
you can sometimes use a slower shutter
speed to exaggerate the effect of the
background blur. Panning can be a very difficult
technique to master and requires a lot
of practice, but the results are worth the
effort.
Using flash for action/sports photography is
not always necessary or advisable. Sometimes
you are so far away from the action
your flash won’t be effective or you may be
in a situation where flash is not allowed. In
these cases, just make sure you have a fastenough
shutter speed to freeze the motion.
You can either use a wider aperture or
higher ISO setting to be sure you get the
proper shutter speed.
Inspiration
When looking for action scenes to shoot, I
tend to gravitate toward the more exciting
and edgy events. You may find you favor
more low-key action events, but regardless
of what appeals to you, just keep your eyes
open. Nearly everywhere you look there is
some kind of action taking place.
Go to the local parks and sporting events.
Almost every weekend there is a soccer
tournament at the school across the street
from my studio. I often go there just to practice
getting action shots. Check your local
newspapers for sporting events. Often the
local skateboard shops and bike shops have
contests. I try to take pictures of people having
fun doing what they love to do.
King of Kombat Mixed Martial Arts tournament
Taking Action and Sports Pictures
Setup Practice Picture: was captured when I was photographing a
mixed martial arts tournament. I was always fascinated by the strength
and stamina of these fighters. I converted the shot to black and white
in Photoshop to give it a nostalgic feel similar to old boxing photos
from the 1950s.
On Your Own: Sporting events are a great place to find exciting action
shots. Securing an unobstructed view of the action is one of the hardest
parts when photographing sporting events. Try to show up early to
stake out the best spot.
Lighting Practice Picture: Because using flash was prohibited at this event, my
only source of light was the spotlights lighting up the ring.
On Your Own: When photographing an outdoor sporting event, if at all
possible, try to keep the sun at your back so that your subject is lit from
the front. When photographing indoors you may consider investing in a
lens with a wider aperture.
Lens Practice Picture: I used a Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 zoomed to 86mm.
On Your Own: Depending on how far you have to be from your
subject, you may want to use a telephoto lens in order to get closer to
the action. If you can get right up to the action, using a wide-angle lens
can also work.
Camera Settings Practice Picture: My camera was set to Aperture Priority mode. The
fights took place inside of a caged ring; I needed to be sure to use the
widest aperture possible to render the fence nearly invisible by having a
shallow depth of field.
On Your Own: When photographing action, setting your shutter speed
is usually the key to capturing the image properly. Whether you want to
stop motion by using a fast shutter speed or blur the background using
a slower shutter speed and panning with your subject, you want to be
able to control the shutter speed in Shutter Priority mode. In some
instances, such as this one it was necessary to switch to Aperture
Priority. Remember to be flexible because all shooting scenarios are not
equal.
Exposure Practice Picture: 1/500 at f/3.5, ISO 800. I used a relatively high ISO
to be sure to have a fast-enough shutter speed. I also set the camera to
Spot meter because the exposure on the fighters was all I was
concerned about.
On Your Own: Try to use the fastest shutter speed you can to stop
motion. If the light is dim, you may need to bump up your ISO in order
to achieve a fast shutter speed.
Accessories Using a monopod can help keep your images sharp when shooting
action shots.
Action and sports
photography tips
✦ Practice panning. Panning can be
a difficult technique to master, but
practice makes perfect. The more
time you spend practicing this, the
better you (and your images) will
get.
✦ Pay attention to your surroundings.
Often when concentrating on
getting the shot, you can forget
that there are things going on
around you. When photographing
sporting events, be sure to remember
that there may be balls flying
around or athletes on the move.
It’s better to miss a shot than to
get hurt in the process of trying to
get the shot.
✦ Know the sport. In order to be
able to effectively capture a definitive
shot, you need to be familiar
with the sport, its rules, and the
ebb and flow of the action. Being
able to predict where the action
will peak gets you better shots
than hoping that you will luck into
a shot.
142 Part II ✦ Capturing Great Images with the Nikon D60
Table 7.2 (continued)
Camera Settings Practice Picture: My camera was set to Aperture Priority mode. The
fights took place inside of a caged ring; I needed to be sure to use the
widest aperture possible to render the fence nearly invisible by having a
shallow depth of field.
On Your Own: When photographing action, setting your shutter speed
is usually the key to capturing the image properly. Whether you want to
stop motion by using a fast shutter speed or blur the background using
a slower shutter speed and panning with your subject, you want to be
able to control the shutter speed in Shutter Priority mode. In some
instances, such as this one it was necessary to switch to Aperture
Priority. Remember to be flexible because all shooting scenarios are not
equal.
Exposure Practice Picture: 1/500 at f/3.5, ISO 800. I used a relatively high ISO
to be sure to have a fast-enough shutter speed. I also set the camera to
Spot meter because the exposure on the fighters was all I was
concerned about.
On Your Own: Try to use the fastest shutter speed you can to stop
motion. If the light is dim, you may need to bump up your ISO in order
to achieve a fast shutter speed.
Accessories Using a monopod can help keep your images sharp when shooting
action shots.
Photography
Action and sports photography is just what
it sounds like, although it doesn’t necessarily
mean your subject is engaging in some
type of sport. It can be any activity that
involves fast movement, such as your child
riding his bike down the street or someone
running across the beach. Shooting any type
of action can be tricky to even seasoned
pros because you need to be sure to shoot
at a fast-enough shutter speed to freeze the
movement of your subject.
Along with panning, I used Shutter Priority mode to control the shutter speed to freeze the motion of this car that was racing by at Memphis Motorsports Park while keeping the shutter speed slow enough to catch some motion blur. Shot on a monopod with a Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 lens zoomed to 200mm, ISO 100 at f/6.3 for 1/320 second.
Although the relatively speedy frame rate of
3 fps of the D60 comes in handy when
shooting action and sports, often the best
approach with shooting action is to get
familiar with the movement of the subject,
learn when the action is at its peak, and
then take your shot.
You can employ a number of different techniques
to decrease motion blur on your
subject. The most commonly used technique
is panning. Panning is following the
moving subject with your camera lens. With
this method, it is as if the subject is not
moving at all because your camera is moving
with it. When done correctly, the subject
should be in sharp focus while the motion
blurs the background. This effect is great for
creating the illusion of motion. While panning,
you can sometimes use a slower shutter
speed to exaggerate the effect of the
background blur. Panning can be a very difficult
technique to master and requires a lot
of practice, but the results are worth the
effort.
Using flash for action/sports photography is
not always necessary or advisable. Sometimes
you are so far away from the action
your flash won’t be effective or you may be
in a situation where flash is not allowed. In
these cases, just make sure you have a fastenough
shutter speed to freeze the motion.
You can either use a wider aperture or
higher ISO setting to be sure you get the
proper shutter speed.
Inspiration
When looking for action scenes to shoot, I
tend to gravitate toward the more exciting
and edgy events. You may find you favor
more low-key action events, but regardless
of what appeals to you, just keep your eyes
open. Nearly everywhere you look there is
some kind of action taking place.
Go to the local parks and sporting events.
Almost every weekend there is a soccer
tournament at the school across the street
from my studio. I often go there just to practice
getting action shots. Check your local
newspapers for sporting events. Often the
local skateboard shops and bike shops have
contests. I try to take pictures of people having
fun doing what they love to do.
King of Kombat Mixed Martial Arts tournament
Taking Action and Sports Pictures
Setup Practice Picture: was captured when I was photographing a
mixed martial arts tournament. I was always fascinated by the strength
and stamina of these fighters. I converted the shot to black and white
in Photoshop to give it a nostalgic feel similar to old boxing photos
from the 1950s.
On Your Own: Sporting events are a great place to find exciting action
shots. Securing an unobstructed view of the action is one of the hardest
parts when photographing sporting events. Try to show up early to
stake out the best spot.
Lighting Practice Picture: Because using flash was prohibited at this event, my
only source of light was the spotlights lighting up the ring.
On Your Own: When photographing an outdoor sporting event, if at all
possible, try to keep the sun at your back so that your subject is lit from
the front. When photographing indoors you may consider investing in a
lens with a wider aperture.
Lens Practice Picture: I used a Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 zoomed to 86mm.
On Your Own: Depending on how far you have to be from your
subject, you may want to use a telephoto lens in order to get closer to
the action. If you can get right up to the action, using a wide-angle lens
can also work.
Camera Settings Practice Picture: My camera was set to Aperture Priority mode. The
fights took place inside of a caged ring; I needed to be sure to use the
widest aperture possible to render the fence nearly invisible by having a
shallow depth of field.
On Your Own: When photographing action, setting your shutter speed
is usually the key to capturing the image properly. Whether you want to
stop motion by using a fast shutter speed or blur the background using
a slower shutter speed and panning with your subject, you want to be
able to control the shutter speed in Shutter Priority mode. In some
instances, such as this one it was necessary to switch to Aperture
Priority. Remember to be flexible because all shooting scenarios are not
equal.
Exposure Practice Picture: 1/500 at f/3.5, ISO 800. I used a relatively high ISO
to be sure to have a fast-enough shutter speed. I also set the camera to
Spot meter because the exposure on the fighters was all I was
concerned about.
On Your Own: Try to use the fastest shutter speed you can to stop
motion. If the light is dim, you may need to bump up your ISO in order
to achieve a fast shutter speed.
Accessories Using a monopod can help keep your images sharp when shooting
action shots.
Action and sports
photography tips
✦ Practice panning. Panning can be
a difficult technique to master, but
practice makes perfect. The more
time you spend practicing this, the
better you (and your images) will
get.
✦ Pay attention to your surroundings.
Often when concentrating on
getting the shot, you can forget
that there are things going on
around you. When photographing
sporting events, be sure to remember
that there may be balls flying
around or athletes on the move.
It’s better to miss a shot than to
get hurt in the process of trying to
get the shot.
✦ Know the sport. In order to be
able to effectively capture a definitive
shot, you need to be familiar
with the sport, its rules, and the
ebb and flow of the action. Being
able to predict where the action
will peak gets you better shots
than hoping that you will luck into
a shot.
142 Part II ✦ Capturing Great Images with the Nikon D60
Table 7.2 (continued)
Camera Settings Practice Picture: My camera was set to Aperture Priority mode. The
fights took place inside of a caged ring; I needed to be sure to use the
widest aperture possible to render the fence nearly invisible by having a
shallow depth of field.
On Your Own: When photographing action, setting your shutter speed
is usually the key to capturing the image properly. Whether you want to
stop motion by using a fast shutter speed or blur the background using
a slower shutter speed and panning with your subject, you want to be
able to control the shutter speed in Shutter Priority mode. In some
instances, such as this one it was necessary to switch to Aperture
Priority. Remember to be flexible because all shooting scenarios are not
equal.
Exposure Practice Picture: 1/500 at f/3.5, ISO 800. I used a relatively high ISO
to be sure to have a fast-enough shutter speed. I also set the camera to
Spot meter because the exposure on the fighters was all I was
concerned about.
On Your Own: Try to use the fastest shutter speed you can to stop
motion. If the light is dim, you may need to bump up your ISO in order
to achieve a fast shutter speed.
Accessories Using a monopod can help keep your images sharp when shooting
action shots.
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