How to take clear photos of athletes' competitions?

In sports photography, the most important thing is to know the details of the game you shot. Because any moment in the game is fleeting. In order to take powerful photos, you must be able to predict the behavior and manners of athletes. If you don't know the rules, you can't keep up with the rhythm of the game.

2. Choose the right lens

Next time you watch the game in front of the TV, pay attention to the sideline, there are many photographers busy there. Although you may not be able to afford those "cannons" on their cameras, you really need a suitable lens. The first thing to consider is whether the game is played indoors/at night or outdoors/during the day. If it is the former, then there must be a lens with a maximum aperture of at least f/4. If it is the latter, then ordinary lenses can do it.

For most games, you need a lens of at least 200mm. You also need a 35mm or 50mm lens. However, if you only have a standard or wide-angle lens, you may spend most of your time waiting for the athletes to come to you.

3. Control the shutter speed

Almost all competitions are about speed. The athletes run fast, throw fast and hit fast. You need a high-speed shutter to freeze these moments. The ideal shutter speed is above 1/400s, but in dark environment, 1/250s is also acceptable. In some cases, a slower shutter speed is more interesting. Try 1/30s or115, and then use the subsequent shooting technique. In any case, you should pay attention to the shutter you use. In a fast-paced game, choosing the wrong shutter will ruin your shooting plan.

4. Pre-focus as much as possible

In some competitions, you can know in advance where things will happen, but you don't know when. For example, in softball, cricket or volleyball, you know that the key moment will happen at home plate or online. All you need to do is pay attention to these positions in advance and wait.

If you know the exact shooting location, you must ambush in advance. You don't have to follow the athletes, just wait for them to enter your pre-focus range. Sometimes it is better to use manual focusing or autofocus locking.

predict

As mentioned above, you need the ability to predict the behavior of athletes, and predicting what will happen next is another equally important aspect. Always stare at the camera and pay attention to every move on the field. When you realize that something is going to happen, press the shutter crazily. At this time, the continuous shooting mode of the camera is very advantageous. When a scene is over, don't rush to play back the photos on the camera and continue to pay attention to the scene. Getting into the habit of looking at the camera right away will make you miss some rare opportunities.

6. Critical torque

Sports photographers in traditional magazines or newspapers are always looking for critical moments. The critical moment is the moment that can best express conflict and movement. The defender tackles the tackle. The sprinter glanced at his opponent to the left. These are the moments that photographers dream of. Sometimes they will explain the background of the game or season, the career of the athletes and so on. But only the fleeting moment of fierce confrontation is their eternal pursuit.

7. Capture conflicts

Some people say that the antagonistic movement is the reappearance of ancient tribal wars: a process of proving strength and strength, but there is no danger of death. In addition, you may witness loyalty and national pride in sports. Although sports and war are very different, there is one thing in common-conflict. These photos usually show physical contact between athletes. The picture of a single athlete on the field may arouse some interest, but there is absolutely no impact on the picture of two people competing with each other.

Prominent face

If the exercise was not intense, we might not even go to see it. Team sports especially allow athletes to vent their anger and happiness. So it is very important to capture athletes' facial expressions. If we can't see the athletes' faces, we can't understand their feelings. In any photography classification, it is one of the important tasks for photographers to establish emotional communication between the audience and the subject. In sports photography, it may be more difficult to capture a clear face than it sounds. Athletes usually stare at the ball or wear helmets, and the lighting of the stadium is not like a theater, so it is not easy to shoot a clear face. But having a human face is better than nothing.

9. Find the ball

I usually look at three places for a photo. The first is conflict; Followed by the face; Finally, I need to know what the movement in the photo is. I want to know what these people are doing, which means there are balls in the photo. Of course, there are no ball games in jogging, gymnastics or other individual events. At this time, your task is to show the athletes' physical skills or strength. But in ball games, there must be a ball in the photo.