Photographing Action

Sports and physical activity are great ways to bring together friends and family. A lot can happen at sporting events, both on and off the field, and there are plenty of opportunities to take great pictures full of drama, excitement and fun.

Digital cameras have several features that make action photography easier than ever. One of these features is action (or sports) mode, which allows you to photograph people and objects in motion. Another is optical zoom, which allows you to get close to the action without actually being in the way. Finally, because you're not shooting on film, you can take as many pictures as you want and simply delete the ones you don't like.

You'll probably get lots of pictures you won't like when you're photographing sports and other physical activities. Don't be discouraged. It's not easy to take great pictures of people and objects in motion. Even the pros don't get it right every single time.

In January of 2004, Sports Illustrated assigned 11 photographers to take pictures at Superbowl XXXVIII. Combined, they took 16,183 photographs, of which only 86 were considered for publication in the magazine. That's roughly 1 out of every 188 photographs.

The more pictures you take, the more likely you are to get that one spectacular photograph that you'll treasure for years to come; just like the pros.

Another thing you can learn from professional photographers is to take pictures both on and off the field. The Sports Illustrated photographers didn't just take pictures of the action on the gridiron. They took pictures of fans in the stands, cheerleaders on the sidelines, players on the benches, coaches, and even of the halftime entertainment. There's more to a game than simply the players. Your photographs should reflect that.

Although there's so much going on during a sporting event-and so many elements beyond your control-you can put the odds in your favour and take great pictures simply by knowing how to set your camera and by learning to anticipate the action.

Set your camera to action mode

Set your camera to action mode to get the best results when photographing people in motion. Action mode increases the aperture to let in more light and lowers exposure time to capture a moving subject. Just remember that your camera needs time to focus and that there is a slight delay when you do press the shutter. With a bit of practice, you'll be able to time your shots to minimize the impact of such delays.

Use your camera's sleep mode

You can extend your camera's battery life and miss fewer photo opportunities by using sleep mode. Compact digital cameras take several seconds to power up after you turn them on. This means having to wait before you can take a picture. If a spectacular play is taking place during this time, you're out of luck. Turning your camera on and off repeatedly also wastes energy because of the power required to extend and retract your zoom lens. But the biggest energy hog of all is one of your camera's most useful features: the LCD viewfinder. Sleep mode saves energy two ways: first, it shuts off your camera's power-consuming features without shutting the camera down completely; secondly, it turns off the LCD finder when you're not taking pictures. Not only do you save energy, but when you're ready to take your next shot, your camera is ready a lot quicker and you're less likely to miss a shot.

Use the optical viewfinder to track fast action

Use the optical (or glass) viewfinder instead of the LCD when you're photographing really fast motion. When people or objects move too fast, the LCD viewfinder can't redraw what the camera sees fast enough, and you'll see a blur rather than a clearly defined person or thing. This makes it difficult for you to follow what's going on. Use the optical viewfinder instead and track your subject. Tracking means keeping your camera fixed on your subject as it moves against the background.

Tracking can result in spectacular pictures with your subject sharply in focus against a blurred background, thus creating an impression of tremendous speed and explosive action.

Anticipate the action

Another way to get an excellent shot is to anticipate your subject's next move, point your camera to where you think it'll be and then snap your picture once you can see the player in your viewfinder. This is also an excellent way to counter some of the lag you might experience after you press your camera's shutter.

Use your zoom lens to get close to the action

The best way to get close to the action, without getting in the way, is to use your camera's optical zoom. Most digital cameras come with 3x time optical zoom. Certain models have more. The more optical zoom you have, the farther away from the action you can be. If you plan to take a lot of pictures of your family engaged in physical activity, you may want to invest in a camera with 8x to 12x optical zoom.

Move around

The athletes on the playing field are constantly moving and so should you. When you watch a game on television, the camera angle and distance are always changing. Sometimes you'll see faraway overhead shots, at other times you'll see the action unfolding before you at eye-level, as if you were sitting in the stands. With so much going on during a game, television coverage ensures that you see everything from multiple angles.

You can use this approach when photographing a family sporting event. You can take pictures from high in the stands, or stand right next to the line of scrimmage. Walk around the perimeter of the playing field. Kneel down for yet another perspective. Try shooting from different angles and places to get a variety of shots and to capture the action in as many ways as you can. Just remember to be polite. Do not obstruct the view of other spectators and stay off the field so that you don't get in the way of participants.

Capture emotion

Sports events are full of dramatic moments: turnaround goals, last minute victories. To capture such moments, don't just focus on the action, pay close attention to reactions as well. Think of the explosion of joy that follows a winning touchdown. But victory is only half of the story. What about the team that goes down in defeat? The reactions of players on both sides provide excellent opportunities for highly dramatic photographs.

Capture the action off the field

Spectators are as much a part of the game as the players. A lot goes on in the stands. Families and friends cheer and jeer as the action on the playing field unfolds. Emotions run rampant when goals are scored. Fans have strong reactions to referees' calls. And once the final whistle has blown, there are so many special moments as friends, family and teammates gather together to celebrate a game well played.

And you don't have to limit yourself to team sports. There are many dramatic occasions that don't involve any competition at all and focus on individual achievement. Your everyday life offers many such occasions, including your child learning to ride a bicycle, your teenage son trying a new skateboard trip, your six-year old daughter's first leap off the diving board, your wife's first time at the driving range, or a father and son enjoying a day on the lake, canoeing or fishing.

Take a team portrait

Another great way to commemorate a special sporting event or other group physical activity is to take a team or group portrait.

Whether it's your son's soccer team, your Tuesday night bowling league, or the family gathered together for a friendly afternoon at the water park, a team or group portrait is a great way to commemorate the event or the day.

Arrange your group

You can do more than lump your people together and have them say cheese. Arrange your group into orderly rows to create a visually appealing photograph.

Depending on the size of your group or team, you may want to have two or three rows, or more. Divide your group into rows based on height, with the tallest people in the back row and shorter people in the front rows. You may want the people in the frontmost row seated or kneeling. You can even take pictures of your group sitting in or standing on several rows in the stands or bleachers.

Arrange each row to create a V, with the tallest people on the ends of the rows and the shortest in the middle. You may also want to try an inverted V, with the shortest at the end, or even a slope, with the shortest at one end and the tallest at the other.

Have your subjects stand at an angle to the camera. This is especially appealing if you have a large group of people. Split the group in two down the middle, visually. Have the people on your right facing to your left and those on your left facing right.

Remember that photography, like sports, takes practice. And just like sports, the ultimate aim of photography is to have fun.

Tip 1:

If you want to take pictures at a professional sporting event, call ahead to ensure that cameras are allowed. Some venues forbid the use of cameras entirely or only allow you to take in compact cameras with limited features.

Tip 2:

Batteries don't last as long in the cold so take along extra batteries when photographing winter sports.