Sports photography tips and advice please

[grayhaire]

I have never shot sports before (I took a few shots of a scrimmage a couple of weeks ago) and want to try my hand at it. I'd greatly appreciate any tips or advice that I could get.

[AjP]

I'm still learning and experimenting myself, one thing for sure, depending what you shoot, light condition, place size... one thing depending on actions, you need play and find yourself, the setting that fits you the best, make sure shutter speed is fast enough to stop the action, I usually use 1/300-1/500 and higher (manual mode) sometimes need to bump iso all the way to get shutter speed even to iso 1600, as fat as apereture, it again depends on light condition, distance to the object, most of the time I use 2.8-3.5 and big events like football, you need few lenses 70-200 2.8L IS, 120-300 2.8, or similar sigma or tamron, sometimes primes 300 2.8,400 2.8 and even bigger lens are needed, there are no rules or certain setting, you need to find it your self, get to use to feel the light and know what setting you need to achieve best result, since you can't use flash, if you shoot car race or bike race there are could be slightly different settings

practice, practice and practice

IMHO

[cmalana]

I freelance as a sports photographer every so often (it helps keep up my reflexes...much faster pace than my usual fare of portraits and events) and some of my lessons:

1.) Use a monopod if you're using a long lens. Amazing how much sharper your images get when you're not handholding at 200mm+ focal lengths

2.) Resist the urge to machine gun pictures. While this approach works once in a while, i find that trying to get the timing down gets more keepers. You can still burst for a short duration, but even at 5 fps, you'll be surprised what you'll miss if you don't time that first shot right.

3.) Don't forget the basics - like 'fill the frame' and 'get the eyes'. Figure out what you're trying to capture so you can capture it...so if its the expression as the running back tries to dodge the linebacker...try and capture it. If it's athleticism, figure out how to show that. If it's something special about the particular event, capture that too.

4.) AjP already mentioned using a fast enough shutter speed...unless you want to try panning or some other effect.

5.) Have lots of memory...unless you're shooting in JPG...

6.) Remember that sports photography will place a high demand on your equipment - if you really want to do it right, you may need to allocate funds for fast lenses.

and last one..

7.) Have fun!

[grayhaire]

Thanks. Unfortunately, funds are not available at this time

[hotled]

I just cant figure out how you guys shoot at shutter speeds of 500. If I drop below 700 my images are always blurred no matter what lighting.
I even set it as high as 2000 when shooting pitchers during baseball games and capturing r/c planes.
I'm beginning to think I should have my body checked out.

[Justin]

Maybe ease off the coffee ?

Just as I'm pounding down my first cup of the day...

[Joe_Lorenzini]

I spent some time talking to a friend who's been shooting High School football for years and he said he never hesitates to use flash during the games. Granted this is only for High School football but I was still curious since I've always heard no flash for sports no matter what.

But his shots don't lie. I'm a little hesitant but I'm bringing one to the next game I shoot anyway...

_/oe

[Outlaw]

To add to the great advice above, study everything Dave Black shoots (http://www.daveblackphotography.com/).

Admiring his work, seeing him speak at conferences and speaking to him in person has done more for all aspects of my photography than anything else, save experience. His mantra of always being where everybody else isn't and getting shots that nobody else is making is something I keep in my mind on every shoot.

[hotled]

Originally Posted by Justin

Maybe ease off the coffee ?

Just as I'm pounding down my first cup of the day...

LOL could be, also shoot with a monopod with the same results though.

[morastm]

I have been doing some here and there. The key is to learn the sport. When you know the sport you can anticipate the action. The experience of watch and knowing will allow you to see the little keys to things. I completely agree with cmalana's points.

Shutter speeds...hum. Guess depends on sport and lighting. I love a little blur in some of mine. I have to find the one I have of a Round Rock Express pitcher where the body is sharp, but the arm is blurred. I find that around 1/500 is pretty decent to stop most action, but may need higher if they are really fast.

One thing that helped me besides learning to anticipate the action was to prefocus for where I thought the action would occur if possible. Saves only a small sliver of lag time, even with fast focus drive, but can mean getting the football on the fingertips of receiver almost getting tackled, or getting getting him being tackled.

Monte

[engstrom]

One other thing to mention that works - at least for me. I keep both eyes open. One looking through the viewfinder and the other looking at action outside the frame. It works especially well for baseball when you want to take a picture of the batter but are able to look at the pitcher with the other eye. Also it seems like it would work for football when you're following the receiver in the frame and looking at the quarterback with your other eye.

[AjP]

Originally Posted by engstrom

One other thing to mention that works - at least for me. I keep both eyes open. One looking through the viewfinder and the other looking at action outside the frame. It works especially well for baseball when you want to take a picture of the batter but are able to look at the pitcher with the other eye. Also it seems like it would work for football when you're following the receiver in the frame and looking at the quarterback with your other eye.

Gosh, I keep trying and going like this 2-11111-2-11-2-1111 LOL bad freaking habit and it will take time to get to use to keep both eyes open,
and I agree its helps alot!!!!!

[hotled]

Ok in your opinion, say for soccer and baseball..I know these sports by heart, what is the best method for a pre focus....set a custom function for it or what?
I havent set any custom functions before, and the manual sure didnt help much lol.

[gpgyo]

In baseball/softball I use manual focus a lot. For example, if I want a picture of the batter, I'll focus on the batter then switch to MF so it doesn't change. I'll also prefocus on second base if I think the runner on first will try to steal or on home if there's a runner on third. This has worked for me.

I find it difficult to use manual focus in soccer and football because where the action will take place is far less predictable. What I do instead is constantly half press and release the shutter button as I follow the action through the lens. That way when I do fully press the shutter the focus can lock more quickly than if I had not refocused since the last shot.

This is what works for me. Hats off to you guys who can take pictures with both eyes open. I've tried it and I can't do it.

Have fun,
Greg

[morastm]

I have used a custom function on my 20D that works great. It sets the exposure lock button to perform a focus. This I believe is custom function 4 setting 2. What this does is allow me to press the EL button to focus, and then press the shutter as much as I want. It will auto facus again when I press the EL button. This took some getting used to, but I love it for sports. Why? I can pre-focus for an area of action, and not worry about shutter button messing up the focus or having to reach for the manual focus button. This also for me provided me with more keepers as I can pre-focus on an area in football and basketball that I expect the action to be at, and refocus as needed. This refocus is usually faster as the focus mechanism does not usually have travel as far, usually....

Not sure what other cameras have this custom function. Think the 350D and higher Canons, but not sure about Nikons. Do not think any non-slr have this type feature.


I forgot about the keeping two eyes open. That helped alot too. I got that though from shooting guns!

Monte