Sports Photography Notes

Sports
Location:
• Get as close as you can to what you are shooting
• Be familiar with the sport→ know where to position yourself for the best action
• Position yourself where the background is most pleasing
The Decisive Moment:
• Sports and action photography is all about timing
• Each sport has predictable and unpredictable moments→ understand this timing to capture the peak moment
• By knowing the predictable moments, you can anticipate the action→ helps with focus and helps you snap the shutter at the right time
Required Equipment:
• Having the wrong equipment means not getting the shots you want/need
• Most sports photographers use 35mm cameras
• For a 35mm camera, each 100mm in lens focal length gets you about 10 yards
• Lens speed is a critical factor
• Auto focus helps
• You may need a flash with a high output
• Remote triggers allow you to mount a camera where you cannot be during a game
Depth of Field- Isolating the Subject:
• Most all dramatic sports photos are shot with the lens wide open or one stop from with open because you need all the shutter speed you can get and it has to do with isolating the subject
• If you use a long lens, the subject will stand out and the background will have a smaller impact on the subject