112 Part II ✦Creating Great Photos with the Creative Lighting System

Table 6.1 (continued)

Camera Settings Practice Picture: My camera was set to Shutter Priority mode to
ensure that I had a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the water
droplets in mid-air. Another reason I chose Shutter Priority mode
was because when shooting an event such as this, the aperture
setting and depth of field are secondary to getting a fast shutter
speed.
On Your Own:When photographing action, setting your shutter
speed is the key capturing the image properly. Whether you want
to stop motion by using a fast shutter speed or blur the
background using a slower shutter speed and panning with your
subject, you want to be able to control the shutter speed in
Shutter Priority mode.
Exposure Practice Picture: 1/250 at f/7.1, ISO 100
On Your Own:Try to use the fastest shutter speed you can in
order to stop motion. If the light is dim, you may need to bump
up your ISO in order to lessen your flash output to avoid the
Speedlight firing at full power and killing the batteries quickly.
Accessories When using a lens with a long focal length, a monopod or tripod
can help steady the camera resulting in sharper images.
Action and sports
photography tips
✦Scope out the area to find where
the action is. Getting a great
action shot is being at the right
place at the right time. Before you
break out your camera and start
shooting, take some time to look
around to see what’s going on.
✦Stay out of the way! Be sure
you’re not getting into anybody’s
way. It can be dangerous for you
and the person doing the activity.
Also, when shooting a sporting
event, don’t touch the ball! While
shooting a baseball tournament, a
foul ball rolled to my foot and I
instinctively knocked it away. It cost
the team a run. The coach was
NOT happy with me. Luckily, they
were up 14 to 1, so it wasn’t a big
deal, but I’ll never touch another
ball again!
✦Practice makes perfect. Action
photography is not easy. Be pre-
pared to shoot a lot of images.
After you get comfortable with the
type of event you’re shooting, you
learn to anticipate where the
action will be and you’ll start get-
ting better shots.
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