5 Photo Tips

Tip 806 (Getting rid of the clutter through zoom): For shooting the action in soccer games, be prepared to zoom most of the time; this helps in getting rid of a lot of side items in the photo that you really never need. During a fast action play, it may make sense to keep the camera on zoom most of the time rather than zooming when you see some action, and in which you lose time.

Tip 807 (Learn to anticipate the action): Think about the following scenario – you see an action, see the forward heading the ball into the net, and press the button to open the shutter almost as soon as you see the action, and then you find the shot is a bit late. You need to practise about how to anticipate the action, and in some cases, you will find that the action did not happen, but you in many cases, you will find that the action was caught when you needed it.

Tip 808 (Using burst mode): When a fast play is happening, then getting the right photo at the right time can be a bit difficult. If you have a camera with a burst mode, then you should really be using it. The burst mode captures a number (3-5) photos with very little delay, increasing the chance that you will get a much better photo.

Tip 809 (Removing unwanted objects by shooting from a low angle): When you shoot from a low angle, it is easier to capture the actual action and avoid capturing a lot of the other objects that you really don’t want in your photo. It also gets a better photo of the players and the action, and seems to make them bigger in the photo.

Tip 810 (Shooting the ball when it is in the air): Seen those shots where the soccer ball is in the air ? Don’t they look great ? Try and shoot such photos more often (you will need a fast shutter speed though), and see how people start admiring your photos.

Book: Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera

July 10th, 2010 | Tags: Aperture, Article, Ball, Burst Mode, Camera, Clutter, Digital Camera, Equipment, Exposure, Fast, Football, ISO, Learn, Lens, Lesson, Low Angle, Photo, Photography, Setting, Shutter Speed, Soccer, Sports, Technique, Tips, Wide Angle, Zoom | Category: Burst Mode, Camera, Composition, Equipment, Motion, Movement, Photo, Photography, Soccer, Sports, Techniques, Tips, Zoom | Leave a comment

Tip 801 (Take lots of photos): Initially, after reviewing the photos I would take at occasions and events, I would be surprised and angry at how many of the photos would not come out well. Either the composition was wrong, or the photo was not sharp enough, or something similar. However, on speaking to other professionals, it became clear that only a fraction of the photos taken come out well enough to be used, and one of the benefits of digital is that you can take a huge number of photos. And for a fast paced game such as soccer, you should consider that a number of your photos will not come out right, and that is fine. Review the ones that you are discarding for what you could have done better, and you will end up learning from your mistakes.

Tip 802 (Using the Sports Scene / Setting): If you are doing this for fun, or have a point and shoot camera, then certainly use the sports setting / scene in your camera. This sets the shutter speed appropriately for capturing the fast action, and helps you in getting more such photos.

Tip 803 (Practise a lot for speed): You cannot just go for a match and start shooting all the action. This is going to be fast action, and you should be somewhat good in trying to capture such fast action. What can you do ? Shoot a lot more of action stuff such as your dog frisking around in the backyard, or fast moving vehicles on a freeway, anything that helps you with catching fast moving action.

Tip 804 (Getting the sun behind your back): if you have an option, then make sure that the sun is behind your back when you are shooting. This helps in ensuring that you are able to get the faces of the players clearly; if the sun is on the other side, then a lot of photos that you will get will not be able to capture the details of the faces.

Tip 805 (Keep in the ball in the frame): Unless you are getting a great shot of a player doing something great or stupid, always try and ensure that you have the football in your frame; this helps in keeping a proper context in the photos and makes them more interesting for other people.

Book: Talking Photography: Viewpoints on the Art, Craft and Business (by Frank Riper)

July 7th, 2010 | Tags: Aperture, Article, Camera, Digital Camera, Equipment, Exposure, Fast, Football, ISO, Learn, Lens, Lesson, Photo, Photography, Scene, Setting, Shutter Speed, Soccer, Sports, Sun, Technique, Tips, Wide Angle, Zoom | Category: Action, Camera, Motion, Movement, Photo, Photography, Soccer, Sports, Sun, Techniques, Tips | Leave a comment

Tip 796 (No shutter lag): For capturing a fast paced game such as soccer, you need to either have a camera that negligible shutter lag (the time delay between when you click the button, and then the photo is actually taken); or if you have a camera that has some shutter lag, then you better have learned the actual time lag, and practiced how to overcome by clicking the button a split-second earlier than the action.

Tip 797 (Using the tripod on the lens): For many people, who are not used to the lens with a good zoom, don’t realize how heavy a camera with a lens can become, and how the balance of the camera is now in the beginning of the lens rather than in the camera body. So, when you use a tripod, be very careful that you are setting the tripod on the tripod foot (if the lens does have a tripod foot).

Tip 798 (Careful for your equipment): When you have an interesting game going that is also popular with a number of fans, then the atmosphere can become boisterous. If you are not next to the field or in a special enclosure, then you need to be careful that your equipment does not get jostled, or some liquid falls on your equipment.

Tip 799 (Follow the game): The trick for getting a good shot is to be closely following the game, and also knowing the key players who can be explosive. It is only when you are able to anticipate the motion, and the action, that you get the best shots of all the action.

Tip 800 (Check whether you can move closer to the action): When you are not at a professional match, or say when you are watching a match that is not so popular, you could actually make a request for moving much closer to the field. If the administrators see that you are carrying some decent equipment, they can let you get closer to the action.

Book: Sports Photography: How to Capture Action and Emotion (Paperback)

July 6th, 2010 | Tags: Aperture, Article, Camera, Digital Camera, Equipment, Exposure, Fast, Football, ISO, Learn, Lens, Lesson, Photo, Photography, Safety, Shutter Lag, Shutter Speed, Soccer, Sports, Technique, Tips, Wide Angle, Zoom | Category: Action, Camera, Equipment, Lens, Motion, Movement, Photo, Photography, Shutter Lag, Shutter Speed, Soccer, Sports, Techniques, Tips | Leave a comment

Tip 791 (One place to be, behind the net and a bit to the side): If you are not able to move much during the game, then the one place to be would be behind one of the goals, but a bit to the side, so that you are not totally trapped by the net, and at the same time, are able to get a good photo of the action taking place near one of the nets.

Tip 792 (Using a camera with a low noise at high ISO): If you have the liberty of selecting a camera, then select a camera that enables good photos with low noise even at high ISO’s. In a fact paced game, you need to get fast shutter speeds, and thus need to have high ISO’s to ensure enough light levels in your photos (getting the proper exposure).

Tip 793 (The one lens): If you have a DSLR, but can only carry one lens, then it is a tough choice. You do need to get a good zoom, so maybe a lens like the Canon 70-300 will do good for you (this is considering that you are not actually on the side of the field, in which case a lens such as the 18-200 would work, but it does have some issues at the wide end).

Tip 794 (Apertures for your lens): Again, if you have the choice of what you equipment you should carry, then consider the use of a fast lens, with an aperture of f2.8 or even larger (mind, these can be expensive and heavy to carry around). However, given the need for a fast shutter speed, the more aperture you can get to balance exposure, the better.

Tip 795 (Shutter speeds); You should be comfortable with the idea that you will need a high shutter speed to capture the action. Consider the use of a shutter speed such as 1/250 or faster; on the other hand, if you want to capture more static positions or slower movement, such as when a player is arguing with a referee, then you can balance your own shutter speed (shutter speed need not be very fast).

Book: Digital Sports Photography (Paperback) (by G. Newman Lowrance)

July 5th, 2010 | Tags: Aperture, Article, Camera, Digital Camera, Equipment, Exposure, Fast, Football, ISO, Learn, Lens, Lesson, Photo, Photography, Shutter Speed, Soccer, Sports, Technique, Tips, Wide Angle, Zoom | Category: Action, Camera, Equipment, Exposure, Lens, Light, Motion, Movement, Photo, Photography, Soccer, Sports, Techniques, Tips, Zoom | Leave a comment