Sports photography is HARD!

[gracie_r]

My husband and I went to one last Twins game in our Metrodome a week or so ago, and I brought the camera. I think I got some neat shots, but boy is it HARD. I could get the batter and the pitcher okay - cause I knew where they'd be standing, but I couldn't get anything else!

I didn't think it would be easy to get good shots, but I don't think I realized just how difficult it was. I don't plan to make a living out of this or anything, but when/if my kids play sports in school I'd like to take pictures of them. I'd love to hear any tips you have! And I'd just like to commend you all on the great pictures you post on this forum. They give me something to "shoot" for.

[cm_mtb]

Like you said, you were able to get satisfactory shots of the batter and pitcher because you knew where they would be standing. A BIG part of sports photography is learning to predict where the action will be. As you attend more sports events, concentrate on when and where the action takes place, and you will begin to see patterns, etc. Something else to consider is that your XTi sometimes may not to be able to auto focus quickly enough when the action is taking place, so pre-focus on where you think the action will be.

Try to shoot with a wide aperture. The shallow depth of field will help isolate the player and minimize background clutter. Base shutter speed on the amount of light and how much/what kind of motion you want to convey. Learn the limits of your camera's high ISO settings; some sporting events can get pretty dark.

[fidgety]

When shooting sports you have to really keep an eye on several things such as the clock, field position, key players, etc. You also have to think like a player and coach at times and think about how they would be managing the game and knowing what their next move might be.