For the sports where there is no ball, or for sports
like ice hockey where the puck moves so fast it’s
hard to keep track of, you need to watch the way
the players move. This is where knowing the
sport can really pay off because you will be able
to recognize the body movements and anticipate
where the action is going to be. The more you
watch or play a sport, the better you become at
knowing where the action will take place. That
is not to say you get every shot — chances are
you won’t — but the more you do it, the more
likely you will be to capture those important
moments.Time your shots
When photographing sports, you have to antici-
pate the action and get the timing just right. If
you see the action that you want to photograph
through the viewfinder, then it is too late to actu-
ally capture it. In Figure 6-7, I made sure that my
focus was on the ball because it was the center of
all the action. I also knew I would need a shutter
speed that would freeze the ball in mid-air, so I
upped the shutter speed to freeze the action and
upped the ISO to compensate. The key is to keep
an eye on the ball and where the ball is going.
Then all I had to do was watch for the players to
interact and start photographing.
ABOUT THIS PHOTO When it comes to photographing kids’ sports, just follow the ball. Taken at 1/500 second, f/2.8, and ISO 800.
6-7