How to Photograph Outdoor Activities

Who doesn't like to get out in the thick of things and photograph outdoor activities. Whether kayaking down a rushing river, playing volleyball on the beach, or shooting a Little League baseball game, here are a few techniques to be sure you get that perfect shot.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Camera with adjustable shutter speed

1. Shooting outdoor activities requires quick reflexes, anticipation, thorough knowledge of your camera, and anticipating where the action will be. And, plenty of space on your memory card! It can take hundreds of shots to get that one perfect action shot, and in shooting outdoor activities, practice can make perfect. Before going out to the event, be sure that you know where your camera controls are located; practice focusing and switching shutter speeds quickly. You don't want to miss that one great shot because you couldn't remember which button to press.
2. Practice makes perfect! Before an event, or as activities are warming up, take lots of practice shots and review them in your viewfinder. If your camera has a continuous shot mode (versus single shot mode) switch to continuous so you can take multiple pictures without removing your finger from the shot button or your eye from the viewfinder.
3. When you get to your activity or event, scout out the best location to get your shots. For example, if you're shooting a rowing event and you know the boats will go under a bridge or overhang, position yourself above the action. Overhead shots are often overlooked by amateur photographers, yet they can yield interesting and unusual shots.
4. Once the action begins, make sure you're using a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action, or (if desired) a slow enough shutter speed to blur the action. Take several practice shots at various shutter speeds to see which effect you like best. Because you'll need all the shutter speed you can get for frozen action shots, you'll generally shoot with the lens wide open. This means you will have a narrow depth of field (out-of-focus background), which gives you plenty of light to shoot fast and will draw the eye to your primary subject.
5. Many times amateur photographers shoot only horizontal photos,even though it's just as easy to shoot a vertical image--and many times is a better shot. Which way you hold the camera is dependent on your subject. For a horse race, horizontal works because you're catching the horse coming into the frame on one side, leaving plenty of open space on the opposite side for the horse to "run into."If you're shooting a basketball game, however, you probably will do a lot of vertical shots because much of the action is vertical. Think jump shots, tip offs and dunks.
6. When shooting an activity, be alert for photo opportunities in the crowd. For example, a picture of a cheering crowd, or a scoreboard, or medal ceremony will all result in you capturing the full outdoor activity experience.

Tips & Warnings

• Get on your knees! There are excellent photo ops of outdoor events that are better when taken from a low angle. Think shots like a Little Leaguer sliding into second base, or a hiker crossing a stream (shoot from boot level). Have fun and experiment!
• Be prepared to take hundreds of digital images, both during practice sessions and at outdoor activity events. Capturing movement requires you to be quick, be in the right location and anticipate where the action will be.

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