SHOOTING SPORTS Everyone at some point has seen "that shot" that seems to relive the moment, capture a look or tell the story.
The fact is, shots like that happen all the time, it's catching them with your camera that is the hard part.
The pure sports shooter lives for the rush of watching every move being made just to get "that shot".
While that may seem a bit extreme for some, most people who have tried their hand at catching the action, have gotten caught up in that same frenzy.
For most, just watching their kids play sports and being able to capture the odd good shot is more than enough gratification.
For some, it becomes a challenge that brings new excitement to watching their kids play.
If you spent good money on a digital SLR and got good sales advice, you should have a camera that when used properly can get "that shot" more often than not.
Most "point and shoot" cameras offer the consumer very little control over capturing moments like that which is why most of the Commando Guide series is intended for Digital SLR users.
That doesn't mean that you can't use the guide to become a better photographer, it only means that you will be limited by the equipment you have.
HOW IS SHOOTING SPORTS DIFFERENT? Aside from the obvious "action" element to shooting sports, there are hundreds of dynamics involved in capturing good quality sports action photos.
Lighting, positioning, camera settings (numerous), crowd interference, watching out for flying balls and pucks, watching out for athletes moving VERY FAST, not interfering in game play...
and the list goes on! Shooting sports is like the "wild child" of photography.
Most professional sports shooters possess a true love of sports and do what they do because it allows them to witness unbelievable feats of physical skill while making a living.
For the average "Sports Mom or Dad" it is more about capturing moments in your child's growth.
Sports have a way of bringing out huge emotional swings, happiness, excitement, discouragement, fear, love, anger and more.
While we don't always "promote" certain emotions, kids will display them simply because they are in the growth mode.
As spectators, we are encouraged to be encouraging but when you are capturing the moment, sometimes, the best photo is the one nobody else is taking.
The little girl who hit into a double play to end the game, or the boy watching as his teammate scored the winning goal.
You will learn to look for and become almost second sighted as you get more exposure to shooting games and athletics.
While the satisfaction of taking a really nice portrait photo can be very fulfilling, telling a story with an action shot can be just as magical.
When you compose (and you will compose) your action photos, you can do so in numerous ways.
Each photo if taken by a different photographer will look infinitely different.
The angle, background, camera settings, the orientation (landscape - wide or portrait - tall) and many other factors all play a key role in composition.
You should always experiment with different dynamics during a shoot.
Keeping it fresh is the key to getting numerous shots that are equally as good but all different.
The fact is, shots like that happen all the time, it's catching them with your camera that is the hard part.
The pure sports shooter lives for the rush of watching every move being made just to get "that shot".
While that may seem a bit extreme for some, most people who have tried their hand at catching the action, have gotten caught up in that same frenzy.
For most, just watching their kids play sports and being able to capture the odd good shot is more than enough gratification.
For some, it becomes a challenge that brings new excitement to watching their kids play.
If you spent good money on a digital SLR and got good sales advice, you should have a camera that when used properly can get "that shot" more often than not.
Most "point and shoot" cameras offer the consumer very little control over capturing moments like that which is why most of the Commando Guide series is intended for Digital SLR users.
That doesn't mean that you can't use the guide to become a better photographer, it only means that you will be limited by the equipment you have.
HOW IS SHOOTING SPORTS DIFFERENT? Aside from the obvious "action" element to shooting sports, there are hundreds of dynamics involved in capturing good quality sports action photos.
Lighting, positioning, camera settings (numerous), crowd interference, watching out for flying balls and pucks, watching out for athletes moving VERY FAST, not interfering in game play...
and the list goes on! Shooting sports is like the "wild child" of photography.
Most professional sports shooters possess a true love of sports and do what they do because it allows them to witness unbelievable feats of physical skill while making a living.
For the average "Sports Mom or Dad" it is more about capturing moments in your child's growth.
Sports have a way of bringing out huge emotional swings, happiness, excitement, discouragement, fear, love, anger and more.
While we don't always "promote" certain emotions, kids will display them simply because they are in the growth mode.
As spectators, we are encouraged to be encouraging but when you are capturing the moment, sometimes, the best photo is the one nobody else is taking.
The little girl who hit into a double play to end the game, or the boy watching as his teammate scored the winning goal.
You will learn to look for and become almost second sighted as you get more exposure to shooting games and athletics.
While the satisfaction of taking a really nice portrait photo can be very fulfilling, telling a story with an action shot can be just as magical.
When you compose (and you will compose) your action photos, you can do so in numerous ways.
Each photo if taken by a different photographer will look infinitely different.
The angle, background, camera settings, the orientation (landscape - wide or portrait - tall) and many other factors all play a key role in composition.
You should always experiment with different dynamics during a shoot.
Keeping it fresh is the key to getting numerous shots that are equally as good but all different.