Working Photography

Freezing A World In Motion: Tips On Action Photography

Almost everything in this world is in motion. Automobiles, animals, people, trees and other components of nature are constantly moving. Some may move at a slow pace, while others speed by. But no matter how slow or fast, the world continues to move. This fact makes the art of photography so much more interesting. How does one find a creative way of capturing a moving subject on film? The answer lies in the world of action photography.

The first thing you need to learn, if you want to be good at action photography, is how to convey motion even in a still medium, and there are two basic ways of doing this. The first technique is to freeze an obvious movement. This is very effective if your subject is obviously moving. For example, you may photograph a surfer who is about to break wave, or a runner as he is about to cross the finish line. For all events wherein something obviously cannot take place without some kind of motion, freezing is the perfect technique to capture a moment.

The second technique is to blur the motion. This works best for subjects whose movement may not be too obvious, such as running water. There are also instances when it is a good idea to combine both techniques in order to get a good shot. One of the best subjects for the combination technique is the moment when a baseball player hits the ball. You may freeze the player and blur the ball. The shutter speed is your main tool in controlling these techniques. Remember that your shutter speed is directly proportional to the speed of your subject.

As soon as you have decided how to convey motion in your photograph, you will then have to determine subject placement. The main goal of action photography is to give the subject’s motion enough room to continue. For example, if your subject is moving towards the right then there should be enough room between the subject and the right edge of your frame in order to depict continued movement. However, if your subject is moving in short bursts, it is best to place it nearer the edge of the frame so that the viewer’s eye stops exactly at the action’s focal point.

Finally, you will have to work on your timing. In action photography, the importance of timing cannot be emphasized enough. Often there is just this particular moment that we want to capture on film, and that moment tends to pass in the blink of an eye. The best way to capture the exact moment that you are waiting for is to anticipate that moment and press the shutter button just as the action starts. Clicking too soon or too late may destroy the shot completely, and the worst thing about action photography is that once the action passes, it can never be recaptured.