Photography Blur Motion
Action Photography Tips And Tricks
Getting great photographs of the world in motion is a difficult task. More than any other kind of photography, action photography demands lightning-quick reflexes, a solid foundation in photo composition and other photo elements, and a little bit of luck. However, anyone can learn to take great action photos if you're willing to invest the time and effort needed to understand the methods. Here's a breakdown on how to get started.
Know Your Subject Matter
Because of the critical impact timing has on action photography, it is important that you understand what you are shooting. For example, with basketball, if you're not near the basket, you won't get a good picture of the next dunk. Take the time before your shoot to learn about how the activity you are documenting works so that you'll be able to anticipate what happens next and position yourself accordingly.
Get the Subject in Action
You want to always try to get the subject at the time when the action is at its maximum impact. For example if you're photographing snowboarders jumping off a ramp, know what type of shot you want. Do you want the launch, the landing or the highest part in the jump? Action photography can be captivating if you compose the picture to include the most interesting part of the action. So, always be thinking of the best way to compose your picture.
Focus Beforehand
Many professional photographers will focus their cameras on an empty space where they expect something to happen. This is an easy thing to do if you know the activity you're shooting, and will save you valuable time when someone is flying through the air in your frame and you have milliseconds to react.
Pan with the Subject
With action photography, you always want the image to convey motion. While some subjects will have obvious motion, such as a basketball player frozen mid-dunk, others may require a bit of work on your part. Panning is moving the camera with your subject as they pass by. This will give you an image with a blurry backkground and the subject in focus.
Having the Right Film and Using a Flash
High-speed film (800 or above) is usually best for action photography. High speed film will let you use faster shutter speeds in more varied light situations and help you to freeze actions perfectly. For ultra fast movements, a flash can also be helpful however most consumer level camera flashes won't work well beyond 10 feet.
Action Continuation
If possible, try to avoid stopping the action of a subject in your picture. While freezing an action in progress is a good goal for an action shot, allow the viewer room to follow the action to a possible conclusion. For instance, if you have a person in your photograph jumping down a flight of stairs, try to put the subject near the top of the frame and leave some stairs for the viewer to follow the course of the action.
Best to Go Digital
Action photography takes an enormous amount of patience and practice, and up until recently also required an enormous amount of film. Thanks to digital technology, now you can practice shooting without going through a lot of film and spending a lot of money refining your skill. And even better, many digital SLRs have continuous shooting modes that allow you to shoot 10-50 images in rapid succession so you can have more opportunities for the perfect shot.
The most important things in action photography are having fun and staying safe. You never want to get in a position where you could put yourself or someone else in harms way so try to only shoot in areas where photographers are expected and allowed. Beyond that, the more you shoot, the better you'll get!
Iphone Photography Tips and Tricks - Adding Motion Blur - Vook, Inc.