Learning About Photography Techniques

The new school year is here. It's time to gear up for all those educational opportunities your child will be given this year. It's also time to gear up for all the sports they'll be involved in. With sporting events come opportunities for a lot of pictures. You want those pictures to capture the moment and create a lasting memory of your child's involvement in the sports that they love.

If you're new to photographing your child while they're playing sports, you'll need to know a few tricks. Taking photos of your child while they're running across a field is a bit harder than the typical shots you usually take of them. For one thing, these photographs are going to involve capturing a moving object. To help you capture the perfect memories, here are four simple tricks you can use.

Get the Right Lighting

If your child's game schedule is like most, there will be a mixture of morning and late afternoon games. There may even be a few night games. Night games can be a bit tricky because you'll have to worry about flash on top of the other variables. To get the best sports photographs of your child, try to choose games that are in the morning, when the lighting will be just right for you to capture those special moments. If your child won't be playing any morning games, use afternoon games as your next best option.

Always Opt for a Faster Shutter Speed

If you're going to be taking action shots of your child during their games, make sure you adjust the shutter speed. If your shutter speed is too slow, you're going to end up with a bunch of blurry pictures, or pictures of the back of your child's shoe as they zoom out of the shot. If you're not sure how to choose the right shutter speed, take a few test shots. Prior to the game, take a few pictures of your child running around. Adjust the shutter speed until you're no longer getting blurry pictures.

Don't Stop at One

If you want to make sure that you don't miss that perfect picture, don't stop at one. Take lots of pictures throughout the game. Each time you zoom in for a picture, take multiples of that shot. Chances are, you're going to come up with a memorable picture that you wouldn't have gotten had you settled for just one picture.

Hire a Professional

If you want to make sure that you have a lasting memory of your child's sports days, be sure to hire a professional sports photographer. You can arrange to have your photographer come to a game and take shots the entire time your child is playing. Make it a tradition to have a professional come out for at least one game each season. That way, you'll have a complete history of your child's early sports years.