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04-12-2009, 07:18 AM   #1
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Question on shooting sports.......

I know there are lots of ways of "skinning the cat", but how do YOU shoot action shots?

My kids enjoy playing soccer, softball, outdoor stuff, and was curious what the best technique is.

My camera is a K100D with a cheap Tamron 70 (or is it 75?) to 300mm zoom len. I set the camera on about (TV mode) 750 shutter speed and just start hammering away. I know, totally clueless. Should I have the camera in "continuous focus", push the "trigger" down half way and let it focus, then take the shot, or just start clicking.

It's amazing I get any good shots at all!!!!! Thanks for any tips.

vmax84

04-12-2009, 09:31 AM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by vmax84 Quote
I know there are lots of ways of "skinning the cat", but how do YOU shoot action shots?

My kids enjoy playing soccer, softball, outdoor stuff, and was curious what the best technique is.

My camera is a K100D with a cheap Tamron 70 (or is it 75?) to 300mm zoom len. I set the camera on about (TV mode) 750 shutter speed and just start hammering away. I know, totally clueless. Should I have the camera in "continuous focus", push the "trigger" down half way and let it focus, then take the shot, or just start clicking.

It's amazing I get any good shots at all!!!!! Thanks for any tips.

vmax84
With the lens you have(I asume it is a f/3.5-6.3), you need to decide if you want to freeze or blur. If you want to freeze the action, set your camera for a high ISO(try 400) in TV mode experiment with fast shutter speeds. If it is bright and sunny outdoors, you can start with about 250 and work yor way from there. Remember, higher ISO's also increase noise but sometimes you may not have a choice. It is all about the ambient light. 400-800 is a good range on sunny days in my opinion.

Compose your child in the viewfinder and know what shot you are after. Push the shutter button halfway down and fire when you see the shot you want captured.
I use single focus but you could try both to see what works best for you.

For example, at a softball game and your child is up to bat, you may want to freeze the bat hitting the ball. You have to time it and a lot of times you may get shots of before the ball hits the bat or after. Keep on shooting; that is the only way you will get your timming down.

Other times you may want to blur action. Set your ISO to its lowest setting and use a slower shutter speed 30 to 60 is a good range. Practice pannig and in AF-C,
lock on your child. He or she will be in perfect focus with a blurred background which convays a sense of motion.

You could also have blurring from your subject

At the same softball game, your kid is up to bat. Compose and lock focus when you think your child is going to swing and fire. The action will be blurred and it will show a sense of motion; swinging the bat.

Just keep on shooting and play with your settings. To freeze or to blur. That should be your starting point and soon you will be shooting like the pros!
04-12-2009, 01:09 PM   #3
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Thank you very much for the tips. I've been shooting on and off for over 20 years (yeah, resident old guy here!!), dating way back to the mid-80's when I was stationed over in Germany for 2.5 years. First thing that I did when I got there was purchase a Pentax MG camera and my love for camera's has never stopped.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the tips.........very helpful!!!

vmax84
04-12-2009, 04:37 PM   #4
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Look for interesting angles. Recently, I shot some basketball shots using a wide-angle, low to the ground. It made the basket look really high, the players tall and jumping high for lay-ups, and showed neat light patterns from the ceiling and reflected off the ground.

Obviously, know your equipment limitations, but I think creative thinking is still important for sports shooting.

04-12-2009, 05:06 PM   #5
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Shutter speed and focal length

I also have a K100D and the tamron 70-300mm lens which I use to shoot outdoor/indoor tennis. The general rule of thumb I use is to set my shutter speed much higher, at least 1 1/2 times, than my focal length. I also generally set my iso to 400 so I can stop the action with a higher shutter speed without underexposing.

Using a tripod (or monopod) is always your safest bet for getting sharper pictures. I always carry a monopod when I shoot indoor tennis scenes, especially wheelchair tennis events.

Play with the manual mode on your K100D, so you can figure out what is the best shutter speed and aperature setting for the scene you are shooting.

Hope this helps.
04-13-2009, 05:00 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Earlybird Quote
I also have a K100D and the tamron 70-300mm lens which I use to shoot outdoor/indoor tennis. The general rule of thumb I use is to set my shutter speed much higher, at least 1 1/2 times, than my focal length. I also generally set my iso to 400 so I can stop the action with a higher shutter speed without underexposing.

Using a tripod (or monopod) is always your safest bet for getting sharper pictures. I always carry a monopod when I shoot indoor tennis scenes, especially wheelchair tennis events.

Play with the manual mode on your K100D, so you can figure out what is the best shutter speed and aperature setting for the scene you are shooting.

Hope this helps.
Everybody's suggestions have helped, and I appreciate it!! My brain seems to think better when I'm thinking of shutter speed vs. aperature setting. In order to capture the action, bump the shutter speed up, or, pan with a slower shutter speed and get your subject in focus, but the bat will blurred while they are swinging the bat.

Great stuff. This is a great website!! Softball season is right around the corner and I"m fired up about trying different things with my gear!!!!

vmax84
04-13-2009, 08:54 AM   #7
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I do quite a bit of outdoor sports shooting with a K10D and an equally cheap Sigma 70-300. While a little soft at 300, I find the lens does a nice job on sunny days when I can get as fast a shutter as possible and I can shoot at f 11 or f16. One daughter rows crew in college and another is a freeskier. For the skiing and halfpipe shots I use burst mode and shorten my zoom because it is so fast you can loose the skier and then the camera will focus on something else as you try to find the action again. I crop the shots in PP. I use f11 or f16 for max depth of field because the skiers are coming either towards you or away from you at high rate of speed.

For crew racing, the boats aren't moving that fast so following the action isn't difficult. At some races, the boats are so far out on the water from the spectator area any lens shorter than your arm is too small and the sunlight reflecting off the water changes the exposure quickly as you pan while the boats go by. When they are close to shore I have to make the decision whether to try to get the whole boat in focus or just a couple of rowers when choosing an aperturte. The boats are over 50 ft long. Thats the same choice you have in a soccer game or ball game, sharp focus on the whole scene or just the player you want.

Just remember, a fast shutter speed will freeze the action and slower speeds will show a little motion blur. Wide open aperture, f5.6 or f6.3 on my lens, will have a narrow depth of field while f11 or more will have much of the field in focus. Have fun shooting!

04-13-2009, 11:47 AM   #8
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Not sure what speeds are like w/ softball, but I got good shots w/ the Tamron 70-300 at the US Open two years ago. Had to keep the shutter speed above 1/1500 and preferably 1/2000 or I'd get motion blur. Crank the ISO up outdoors...as long as there is enough light, grain is minimal....
04-13-2009, 03:57 PM   #9
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Thanks again!! You guys are great!!

vmax84
04-13-2009, 05:46 PM   #10
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My method shooting rugby -
TAv mode (don't know if your cam has that - if not then your Tv mode is fine)
Auto ISO: 100-4500 (it can get very dark at around 5pm on a grey day in middle of winter)
Shutter speed - min of 1/350, with monopod. Nice day 1/750 or faster hand held. SR on, even with monopod, never noticed a difference on or off using the pod.
Aperture - large when it's dark (f2.8), but a bit smaller if I can to improve focusability.
Continuous focus - middle spot only.
Continuous shutter. Take photo at the time you normally would - peak action or whatever, but then hold it down a bit longer to get another 2 or 3 frames, you never know what's going to happen next.
04-14-2009, 12:06 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by vmax84 Quote
Everybody's suggestions have helped, and I appreciate it!! My brain seems to think better when I'm thinking of shutter speed vs. aperature setting. In order to capture the action, bump the shutter speed up, or, pan with a slower shutter speed and get your subject in focus, but the bat will blurred while they are swinging the bat.

Great stuff. This is a great website!! Softball season is right around the corner and I"m fired up about trying different things with my gear!!!!

vmax84
Post your shots. Let us critique for you. Be sure to include shooting info(aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focal lenght).

We will make you an expert!

SI will be knockin at your door!
04-14-2009, 10:03 AM   #12
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For a "good light" afternoon, I tend to use Manual, around 1/1000, f/4 or 5, and ISO 200 if I can get away with it. Although I usually have my eye to the viewfinder most of the time, I do a quick review of recorded images every 10 shots or so, as something as minimal as a small cloud overhead will necessitate changes.

Once you get the hang of the settings, the key is to anticipate the action. Know the sport you're shooting . . . the rules, the players and their quirks/routines, etc. Have the shot lined up and shutter half-pressed long before the child actually takes a swing, and then you'll be able to concentrate on the crack of the bat instead of your composition/settings/etc.

Also, if you're having trouble catching crisp action shots in the beginning, know the spots in the game where you can capture great "action-looking" shots without much difficulty. An example would be in tennis . . . the image of a player in the back of their serve (sometimes called "trophy pose") is very dramatic, and it nearly always comes out well because there's a natural pause there. Same with the follow-through in golf, that serious moment right before a pitcher winds up, etc. Build your confidence with those types of shots and then work up to getting that ball frozen on the tip of the bat/racquet/club .

Most importantly . . . have fun!
04-14-2009, 10:07 AM   #13
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P.S. There are always the happy accidents as well. Here, I meant to get the ball on the racquet strings for this volley, but I'm pretty happy with my "miss."



Tommy Haas, ATP Masters Series
04-14-2009, 05:59 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by vmax84 Quote
Thanks again!! You guys are great!!

vmax84
I have a bunch of pics I took at a co-worker's son's baseball game. I shot at full resolution, but I cannot upload because the file sizes are too big. My computer suffered a major meltdown from a worm or virus; I lost everything. I have recently moved and I cannot find my photoshop disk. The Pentax Silky Pix software won't allow me to resize the pics or I have not found this function yet. As soon as I can resize the pics, I will show you some examples of what I was telling you.
04-14-2009, 08:25 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by res3567 Quote
I have a bunch of pics I took at a co-worker's son's baseball game. I shot at full resolution, but I cannot upload because the file sizes are too big. My computer suffered a major meltdown from a worm or virus; I lost everything. I have recently moved and I cannot find my photoshop disk. The Pentax Silky Pix software won't allow me to resize the pics or I have not found this function yet. As soon as I can resize the pics, I will show you some examples of what I was telling you.
Here are a couple of examples

Name:  Beseball 132.jpg
Views: 407
Size:  34.9 KB

Name:  Beseball 233.jpg
Views: 421
Size:  43.8 KB

The first pic shows how I compsed the shot.

The second pic is all about timing. This one did not come easy. A lot of missed shots of the ball before I got this one. Just kep on practicing!

You may notice by the batting stance and swing that these are two different players. Just using good examples.

I used a manual focus lens for these shots. You have autofocus which makes it much easier!

Last edited by res3567; 04-14-2009 at 08:50 PM.
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