1. Use a quick shutter speed. I mean, really quick. Faster. One two-hundred-fiftieth of a second (1/250) is good for freezing someone who is walking. People playing sports are generally running; I recommend 1/400 or faster.
2. Use focus tracking (continuous focus/AI servo/AF servo). Manual tracking is tricky. Manual focus is more accessible, but you spend a lot of time waiting for someone to come into your depth of field. Many cameras have good autofocus systems for shooting players that aren't moving closer to and further from your shooting position. You might compensate for that disadvantage of regular ol' autofocusing by adjusting to a greater depth of field (say f/5.6-80 to f/22 to switch from a player to the court or field they're playing on), but then you might have dark pictures. Exposure is key; watch your metre.
3. Speaking of, light metering is especially important outdoors. The earth spins as it moves around the sun, and light is a constantly independent variable. Even a field with lights is subject to the fluctuations in a photographer's position and focal length.
4. So you may want a monopod or tripod to support your camera. You might. Tripods are more trouble than they're worth if you're moving around a lot. Bring the one-footer and leave the time-consumer at the studio.
5. Anticipate the action. You've got to at least learn the rules of the game if you're going to shoot sports. Shooting baseball, anticipate the speed of the pitch and the batter's swing. The line drive and the midair catch-over-the-fence. For soccer, anticipate the jump to head the ball, the keeper's dive, PKs, intercepts, etc. This might mean staying for the entire game. That's extra time to get each player in a photo, and your finger on the shutter release when the best photograph is taken.
You need to know the rules so you can catch the reactions as well: players getting red cards, coaches yelling at the ump from the dugout, fans screaming for blood, skating to the penalty box without a stick, getting up on the wrong side of a pass interference, or even losing a rally because the birdie hit the ceiling.
6. You also need to consider your background, specifically what looks good out of focus and what doesn't. You'll find murals, fences, people standing, people sitting, doing things that generally take away from the picture.
7. Lenses. For most sports photography, you'll need a long lens. If you're sitting, standing, or crouching somewhere near the action, a shorter lens is appropriate. A football field requires a telephoto lens. I hear digital SLR cameras are key for multiple shots per second.
8. Don't overcompensate. If one team or player is doing exceptionally well and you're taking a stellar number of captures of them, make up for it a little bit. Watch out you don't end up with 80 pictures of the team with no power hitters watching the strikes go by.
9. Yes, sometimes the spectators are great to shoot. They tell you about the players, laugh, cry, cheer and wear their team colours. It's not illegal to take pictures of people in public places in Canada, but it's unethical not to ask first, in my opinion. If you have commercial aspirations, get a release form or you won't get published. If you take a picture of someone without their foreknowledge, let them know. Simple, right? Injuries are another matter. I don't take pictures of people who are hurt. I miss a lot of great photos. It's possible that people would like to have those photographs. Your call.
Links . . .
If you want to learn about photos and copyright, check this blog by Caroline E. Wright, Esq. and the section of Canada's Copyright Act relevant to photography. Related conversations:
- Feminists discussing "stalker mentality" street photographers on Flickr. See also this piece on the boudoir style and a blurb about the lecherous GWC (guy or girl with camera - derogatory term for amateur trophy photographers). More acronyms and model lingo here. Someday I'll have a non-digital camera and I won't be able to call myself a GWC. Or a proam.
- Photographers discussing shooting strangers and street shooting on Photoblogs
- Comprehensive guide on photo law in Canada on AmbientLight. Focus on Ontario includes comparative section on Quebec's Human Rights Code.
- Tips from veteran/virtuoso sports photog David Bergman, article by Charlotte K. Lowrie.
- Bob Martin. What a guy.
- Links of stock photo sports sites on freephotogallery.info.
Lots of talking about pictures. Next time, pictures.
One to tide you over?
photo: justFRED.ca/Mae Whyte
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