Photographing indoor sports action can be a challenge – whether it’s volleyball at the school gym or hockey at the local arena. Here are a few tips to make your action pictures look better …
Camera: Make your camera very sensitive to light by setting a high ISO. “ISO” is a measure of light sensitivity, and increased sensitivity means that you can freeze action, which prevents smeared images caused by subject movement. Newer cameras perform better at high ISO than older ones, which can produce grainy looking photos. If you’re not sure, check test results before the big game.
Lens: A lens with a constant, large, maximum aperture lets in more light, allowing use of faster shutter speeds. Cheaper lenses get darker as you zoom in, eating up light when you need it most. Stabilization systems, whether built into the lens or the camera body, help prevent blur caused by camera movement.
Lighting: Arena and gymnasium lights differ from sunlight – not just in brightness, but colour too. It’s best to set your camera to match the lights so that your pictures don’t have a colour cast. Do this by using the appropriate White Balance setting. Flash is often not allowed for indoor sports.
You: You’ve got your camera settings right, so what next? It’s up to you! Get as close to the action as possible. Hold your camera steady with elbows in, braced against your body. Shoot at the peak of action, like the top of a basketball player’s jump. Follow fast-moving players by panning the camera with them. These techniques will help improve your action photos!
By Bruce Woollatt, CameraCanada
