Press your shutter down halfway so that you'll already be in focus when the slam dunk happens.
Depending on your camera, it can take an entire second from the moment you press the shutter to when your
camera actually takes the picture. This gap in time is called "shutter lag," and it can be the difference
between getting action shots and missing them. Here's how to "trick" your camera into overcoming shutter lag:
Anticipate the action. As you watch the game, try to see where things are headed, so you can be ready
for an outstanding play or reaction.
Press the shutter down lightly, about halfway. This will lock the focus on the subject of your photo.
This lets you take the picture much faster because the focusing process will already be done.
Stack the odds: Take as many images as possible and keep the ones you like.
Freeze-frame an athlete in action with a technique called "panning"—moving the camera in the same
direction as your in-motion subject as you shoot. This approach produces a photo with a motion-blurred
background and a sharply focused subject. Here's how:
Begin to pan the camera before your subject enters your view.
Keep movement smooth and controlled.
Track the moving subject with your camera while turning your body to follow the action.
Take the picture, continue moving the camera, and follow through even after the shot has been taken.
Panning takes practice, but try it, the results can be extraordinary, so it's worth trying.
Video is an excellent way to capture a wake boarder in flight, a goal being scored, or the crossing of a finish
line. Select digital cameras also allow you to shoot video of athletes in action, and print still photos of
selected frames from the footage. Because photos taken from video have lower resolution, they look best as 4" x 6" prints.
Sometimes the most evocative close-ups aren't of faces.
Close-ups show the emotion of sports. Catch the intensity of a tennis player's focus as he serves, or, as in the
photo above, highlight a unique dimension of a sport. Your digital camera's zoom lens or macro shooting mode will
let you get in close. Learn more about
close-up photography.
Take a free online class
in digital photography! Explore the many features of your digital camera, find tips for cropping and editing your
images, and discover new ideas for sharing your photos in creative ways.
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