FANS AND SPECTATORS AT WOLVERINE GAMES this year might grab a camera to record lasting memories of the team and individual players. Then, please share your best shots with this blog to be posted here by emailing photos to WesleySoftball@gmail.com.
Guest article
Digital photography SPORTS TIPS
for capturing the very best pictures
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| Alan Hutchins |
from the Practical Photography Tips website.
CLICK HERE to read the expanded article
in greater detail.
Anticipate the action...The more you understand about the sport the better able you will be to anticipate the action. This will help you not only find the best vantage point to shoot from but also can help you be pre-focused on a player or a point on the court or field.
Some sports like baseball are more unpredictable than others and therefore harder to know where the ball will be hit. But if you see that the majority of hitters are hitting the ball to the left side of the field, you can focus on the shortstop or third baseman in order to anticipate them fielding a ball and making the play.
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(Middletown,
DE) and
junior #6
MI
Breanna
Hartman
(Red Bank, NJ),
who also can be seen in upper left corner.
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Other examples from baseball include: anticipating the catcher throwing to second base to try and throw a base runner out. Focusing on the first baseman or runner in anticipation of a pitcher trying to pick the runner off.
Of course with each different sport you can apply similar scenarios to try to anticipate the action and help capture the highlight moments of the game.
Get the money shots...What does that mean?…it means to be sure and take photos when and where you know the action will take place. In baseball or softball that means taking pictures of each batter when they bat, as well as the pitcher and catcher as they are involved in every pitch. It also means to take pictures during warm-ups, etc. That is an ideal time to get a fielder just as he fields a ball or makes a throw or a basketball player as he shoots the ball.
When shooting warm-ups look for those opportunities to get a picture of the player without other teammates in the background. When done properly a great “warm up” photo is hard to tell from one that is captured in the height of action and they are much easier to get.
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|
In
background, left-to-right, junior #2
OF
Sarah
Saunders
(Wayne, NJ) and junior #22
C/UT
Morgan
Seymour
(Smyrna, DE).
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Look for unusual angles...Experiment with different angles and viewpoints. Look for those overlooked photo opportunities.
Capture the emotions of the game and more than just the on field action. Take photos of the fan’s reactions, the umpires as they make a close call, the coaches and players on the bench.
Take advantage of the light...Change your location as the light changes. Know how different light conditions will affect your photos and adjust for them.
Use a fast shutter speed...For most sports such as soccer, baseball, basketball, etc. you need a shutter speed of at least 1/250th of a second and even at that you could easily have some motion blur. Remember the faster the shutter speed the better. Having a shutter speed of 1/500 or 1/1000 of a second or faster is ideal. How fast your shutter speed will need to be will also depend on the level of the athletes you are photographing. Everything is much slower in T-ball or youth leagues than in a high school or college game.
 |
|
(Middletown,
DE) and
sophomore #17
OF
Casey
Beall
(Severn, MD).
In background, senior #11 OF Brook Creighton (Rock Hall, MD). |
Have your camera set to continuous focus mode so that you can track your subjects and be prepared to capture the action.
Learn to hold your camera steady. As many sports require using a telephoto lens it is important that you avoid any camera shake when zoomed in on a subject. Monopods are great for sports photography because they help you hold the camera steady while providing more range of motion and versatility than a tripod allows.
Be aware of the action around you. Depending on the sport and the location you are shooting from you need to always be aware of any potential dangers like a foul ball, or a player or players coming out of bounds and colliding with you. Be respectful of the players, coaches and fans.
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Wesley
Wolverine sophomore
#18
C/3B
Nina
Marcano
(Middletown,
DE)
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