Whether you are photographing a sporting event, an animal running, or just the wind blowing over a field of grain there is no doubt that one of the trickiest aspects in all of photography is capturing motion. Because the camera takes a still photograph movement can often create a noticeable blur even with today’s high tech equipment. For this reason, anyone taking pictures of bodies in movement must learn a set of skills to maximize their effort. Thankfully there have been enough people doing this that most of the techniques are fairly well known. It is these tricks that will be discussed in the following article.
1. Move the Camera With the Action
The easiest way to capture motion is to move the camera in synch with the movement. While this sounds easy it actually takes a lot of practice to get down perfectly. A good idea is to start with slow moving objects such as a person walking, then as you gain confidence you can move on to faster moving objects. Eventually you will find yourself capable of photographing high speed vehicles with little effort.
2. Use an automatic camera
Learning to move with the action is important, but just as important is having a camera that can take several consecutive pictures. This kind of camera allow you to simply keep your finger on the button while the camera snaps picture after picture. Once you have used all your film or loaded up your memory card, the next step is sorting through all the pictures for the best ones. Believe it or not this is how a lot of the pros do it.
3. Learn to Anticipate
Have you ever wondered how the photographers of Sports Illustrated gets such remarkable shots? The answer has almost everything to do with their ability to anticipate the action and taking the photo at the right moment. The best way to develop this skill is film study of your subject. For example if you are going to photograph football games, spend a lot of time watching how they ebb and flow. The more you watch, the better you will be at anticipating the big pass, the forty yard run, and other spectacular plays.
4. Location, Location, Location
The best photographers also know the best place to take a photo and do their best to take up their positions ahead of time. While some locations such as the end zone of a football field are pretty obvious, there are some, such as the top of the stadium that people do not often think about. Your best bet is to move around a lot when you are first learning to shoot action photos, then as you see what locations work best for your style you can narrow your movements down to maximize your shots.
5. Wear More than One Camera
While every photographer has a favorite camera the truth is that action happens quickly and you never know when a particular lens will do better than another. A good piece of advice is to wear several cameras each with a different lens. This may be a bit cumbersome, but it will enable you to switch up your shots quickly which counts when taking action shots.
With a little practice of the above pointers there is no doubt that you can be taking professional quality pictures in no time. Keep in mind that the important thing is to start slow and practice your way up. Also make sure your gear is up to snuff and that you have done a bit of subject study. Finally learn what positions and locations work best, and always have an extra camera ready. If you do all of this, you will become a pretty good photographer.
