All images are Copyright.
This page is designed to give people some tips and tricks for sports photography. Just some guidelines on what to capture in sport. These are things I've learned from talking to other sports photographers and from my own experiences. I've broken the information down in to 2 sections. So, read on -
How to capture images, how to gain access, what you need to think about - check here.
Otherwise -
Basically, you want to shoot in Shutter Priority (Tv) (or manual M), with a shutter speed greater than 1/400, and an aperture usually under f/5.6, which may require you boosting your ISO to levels you may not normally consider.
1. Capture the action.
You want to show the best of the action - a crunching tackle, someone scoring, celebrations, etc.
2. Shoot as tight to the action as you can.
You basically only want the main characters in the shot. Once you get a good tight shot, you can then crop in closer later in PP. With sport, it's not always easy to just capture the main characters in the frame, so cropping is useful.
3. Images should be pin sharp.
You want crisp sharp focus on the ball and/or the main characters in the frame. This will give a nice Bokeh in the background and even foreground. You also need to do all you can to ensure the image is sharp. This may include increasing the ISO to get a high shutter speed.
4. Get the ball or other sport object in the frame.
The ball will almost always be the focus of the players attention, and also should be the focus of your attention. This is normally where the action is.
Ok, maybe this shot is an exception, but if the ball was in frame, the image would be even more powerful.
5. Capture the subject's face.
Facial expressions are key. The show the passion, pain and other emotions.
6. Narrow depth of field to isolate the subjects.
Most sports photographers shoot at f/2.8 or f/4 (depending on lens). A narrow depth of field will help blur our those characters not key to the action.
7. Clean up your backgrounds (where possible).
You want to remove background clutter - cars, houses, banners, flags, stands, etc. Ideally you want to pick your own position so that you have the right background, and not end up with extra distractions in the image.
8. Properly expose and light your shots.
Light is key. You want to make sure the players are clearly visible. Use what light you can, and this may even include using flash, strobes, or picking a place where more light shines.
Here, the horse/fence is well lit and in focus, while the foreground character is poorly lit.
9. Use a fast shutter speed or artificial light (flash) to “freeze” the action, although flash may not be practical or allowed.
For some sporting events, you may be able to use a flash. For the majority, you won't! Hence a fast lens is vital. An f/2.8 lens is what you really want. You need to get a fast shutter speed to freeze that point of action. Shutter Priority (Tv) mode is generally best for this. You will want to use a speed greater than 1/(focal length) of your lens. Ideally, you want a speed greater than 1/400.
Bumping up your ISO may be the only way to get a fast enough shutter speed. These images are taken at ISO 1600.
So, how do you capture images like these ... well, try the next page for more info on how to.
For more examples of my sports work, please visit my sport gallery.