Once you’ve selected the best vantage spots get the approximate times that athletes will get there after the start and how many circuits will be made. An elevated vantage point can be handy and you can even take your own, such as a small, lightweight stepladder, an aid that Bob Woodward uses often.
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The finish of an event is usually the most crowded part of the course—with spectators and other photographers. So, if you’re hoping for a shot of the winner crossing the line, be prepared to get there early and wait. If you want a varied diet of images, you are better off out on the course.
The Peak Of Action
Sports provide a multitude of great subject matter but perhaps most typical are the peak of action shots made at just that right instant—the decisive moment—when all the elements of a phase or play come together. Often this happens when the subject or a ball is between the rise and fall of a movement and can be caught with a slower shutter speed. For example, a basketball player momentarily suspended before slam-dunking the ball may be moving slowly enough to be photographed at 1/125 sec. A shot taken just before that, as the player rises to the net, might need a shutter speed twice as fast.
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Essentials To Capture The Action
Be in the right position and use a focal length sufficient to isolate the principal subject matter. The shutter speed should be fast enough to freeze the action but some blurring on the outer part of the shot—feet or hands or a ball—can enhance the shot. Usually a shutter speed of 1/500 sec or faster is needed, especially if a telephoto lens is used. Use the widest aperture possible. This has two advantages: 1) the shallower depth of field of a wide aperture will help throw a potentially distracting background out of focus and 2) you will be able to use a faster shutter speed, reducing the chances of camera movement.
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Timing, Anticipation, And Knowing The Athletes
These come with knowledge of the sport and being aware of what’s likely to happen. Photographer Diane Kulpinski points out that knowing the flow of the action, not necessarily all the rules, is critical to capturing good images. “That way you have a good idea of where peak action is likely to occur and what it will look like,” she said.
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And it pays to know not only the sport but also its participants. Most athletes have habits or a style that make it easier to anticipate their next move. Team coaches and managers study films of their opponents ahead of matches to plan how to counter specific moves or players. Leading professional sports photographers do much the same thing, even if for different reasons. They want to capture the action of that athlete either succeeding with a typical play, or shooting the peak of action as the opposing team thwarts the play. Knowing the players’ style and habits gives them an edge. All athletes, Little Leaguers, high school players, Olympians, and even older sports men and women in the growing ranks of senior competitions have their individual style.
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And Bill Hurter, editor of Rangefinder magazine and a former sports photographer, advises that another good rule of thumb, in addition to knowing a sport, is to never take your eye off the ball or puck or action, especially when shooting sports such as baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey or tennis at the pro level. There’s always the chance you or your camera will get hit, as has happened to him.
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Back To Part I
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