Want to take amazing action sports photographs? Take these six easy steps
- Always have your camera ready to shoot, and in the fastest possible settings to achieve a sharp image
- Know your location, pre-visualise the shots, check the lighting in advance and where it will fall at different times of the day
Action and sports photography is one of the toughest photographic genres to master.
Many assume that you need ultra expensive gear to get those crisp and bold images, and yet with a little practice and knowledge you can improve your images hugely, even with just a mobile phone.
Shooting sporting events is fast and furious, and you generally have no real flexibility with lighting or with how the event plays out, and so you need to work with what you have and to cover all bases.
This means scouting the venue for your chosen shooting positions, and also having 2-3 plan B options, as spectators and other photographers will inevitably get in front of you at the crucial minute (take this on the chin and move on).
Always have your camera ready to shoot, and in the fastest possible settings (shutter speed 500+) to achieve a sharp image. If you have a circuit based event or an arena you can always play around with settings once you have a sharp shot in the bag.
Unless you are able to get very close to the action then step back and look for the bigger picture. Including the fans, the surroundings, and telling a greater story can be very impactful.
Wider and scenic shots are also more forgiving on non-pro gear, including mobile phones – which are great for this wider perspective.
