Shooting Environmental Action, Panning, and Action Primary Photographs of Your Sport

Shooting the sport you know and love best, students aim to capture at least one of each category below:

1. Environmental Aciton: A photograph that includes peak action, but in this shot the location and landscape should be the hero.

2. Panning Image: Here we're looking for a crisp clear athlete in the frame, while the background conveys the motion using a slow shutter speed. Don't forget to tell the story of where they were, are now, and are going.

3. Action Primary: Finally, capture a shot where the athlete is the hero they should be. Convey how impressive, fast, high, or technical the stunt is.

Skills to remember:

Story: all images should show a past, present and future, so the viewer knows what is happening.

Composition: use the rule of thirds, get subjects away from the center of the frame. Try to get an athlete in the sky if they are airborne.

Light: if you're shooting out in the open, shoot at sunrise or sunset for great light. If you're in a forest, wait for clouds.

Focus: pre-focus the camera (manually, or using the auto focus) on the place where the athlete is going to be. Then turn off the autofocus so the camera doesn't try to change anything when you're ready for the athlete.

Have fun!

Kyle Matter

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