Shining Like a Red Rubber Ball

Outdoor photos are making a comeback in these first warm days of Spring and to take the best ones we need to use a great light source; the sun. On sunny mornings and late afternoons we can help get better sports pictures by getting the sun on our back. That will light up the front of our subjects. Sure, it's not always possible but especially for sports like soccer moving around the pitch and getting the sun behind you will improve your photos. And for those shots closer than 20 feet after the game don't forget to use the flash to fill in the shaodws and brighten your news photos.

Sports Photos--Good to Great

What separates a good sports photo from a great sports photo? Often it is peak action. Capturing the moment at the top of a basketball player's jump is nearly always a better picture than halfway back down. A batter's swing the moment it contacts the ball, a soccer ball the instant a foot boots it; these peak action moments are compelling and take news photos from good to great. As a bonus when an athlete jumps straight up they stop for an instant right at the apex of the flight. That moment can be shot with chrystal clarity thanks to this law of physics.

A few other notes on great sports photos:

• Ball sports photos should include the ball.
• Use your press access to get shots that those in the stands can't get.
• Emotion, effort, concentration, action these are the components of a great photo.
• Shoot a lot of shots. Its not the age of Tri-X any longer.
• Time outs are for the players not for photographers. Great shots are often taken when emotions are running high during a stop in the on field action.

Photos are like Donuts--Freshness Counts

Photos are like Donuts--Freshness Counts

The emotional attachment to a photograph decreases quickly after a photo is taken. According to Infotrends, in only a few days after a photo is taken the emotional attachment the subject or another has to it will drop below a level it will not see again for 20 years or more. That means the opportunity for reprint sales dissipates quickly also.
The successful photographers and photo departments we deal with know this and make rapid uploading a priority. They see the photos posted in their gallery as an extension of their news coverage and not something relegated to the back burner and allowed to grow old and stale like...what's that cliche?-oh yes, "yesterday's news".

Get that "Sport Illustrated" action look in your sports photos.

Welcome to the first edition of Allen's Tuesday Tips.

Spring sports time is nearly here. To stop action and get the "Sports Illustrated" look of sharp action and a soft background follow these steps:

1. Set camera exposure mode to "A" for Aperture Priority (We'll talk about what that means in a future tip) See picture above. Your knob may vary.
   
2. Set your ISO to 800 (higher for night games, and another item we'll talk about later)
   
3. Set your aperture or f-stop to the lowest setting.
   
   These 3 steps will cause your camera to automatically choose the fastest available shutter speed and stop the action.