Beginner Tips for Setting up The Perfect Shot

Nothing is better than a photo capturing your favorite athlete frozen in time as they make an amazing play. Have you ever tried taking a picture at an event with less than stellar results? Sports photography is challenging, but the key to being able to take great photos is having an understanding of the 3 main aspects of exposure and how they relate to each other. Once you are familiar with how ISO, shutter speed and aperture correlate with each other, you’ll be taking amazing photographs in no time.

Even today’s modern smartphones have camera settings that can be adjusted similar to a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera, however, a DSLR provides the ultimate in flexibility while allowing you to select the lens best suited for the pictures you want to take. In sports photography, the action is usually taking place relatively far away from you, so it is important to select a good zoom lens to start.

ISO is a way to classify the film speed or sensitivity of your camera’s sensor. A lower ISO number means your lens will require more light and takes more time to process, however it produces the least amount of grain or distortion. If you are outdoors where there is abundant light, you would likely use a low ISO setting. A higher ISO setting would be used for indoor photography, low light conditions or action shots.

The shutter speed determines how long the sensor is exposed to light when taking the picture. If you have ever seen pictures of running water that looked blurry while the rest of the image remained sharp, slow shutter speed was being used. A slow shutter speed requires the camera to be held very steadily. A fast shutter speed captures the action very quickly. Sports photography would require a fast shutter speed.

The aperture (or opening of the lens) setting determines the depth of field. A large aperture blurs the background while a smaller, closed aperture sharpens the background. Aperture settings are measured in f-stops. Since a larger opening in the lens allows more light to hit the sensor, you can use a higher shutter speed without compromising the exposure. Keep in mind that if you shoot your subject with a large aperture, the background will be blurry.

It is best to test your settings to get the correct exposure prior to shooting the action. With the ISO adjusted to the conditions that you will be shooting in, you can then adjust the shutter speed and aperture. Skateboarding photography requires finding the right balance between these settings. Experiment with each of these settings in various conditions to see which combinations work best. It will require a little bit of practice, but it will change the way you think of photography and will set you on your way to taking excellent sports photos.