| Professional sports photographers usually have | | | | shooting an indoor game, you will need to open up |
| top equipment, including digital SLR cameras with | | | | the aperture, meaning that you'll sacrifice depth of |
| enormous lenses that allow them to see the | | | | field. But that is OK, because shallower depth of |
| action as if up close. And they often get the best | | | | field makes a subject stand out from the |
| spots for viewing, with camera angles that help | | | | background. |
| ensure great shots. Knowing that professionals | | | | And since indoor sports (hockey, basketball, swim |
| get all those breaks that help them take | | | | meets, and skateboard tournaments, for |
| awesome sports pictures may make you throw | | | | example) are almost always fast paced, you'll |
| up your hands in resignation, thinking that you'll | | | | need a lens that is roughly focused on the action |
| never be able to get those great shots. But that | | | | at all times. And you'll need to shoot lots and lots |
| isn't necessarily true. | | | | of pictures. Don't worry if the focal length isn't |
| OK, as for capturing the winning World Cup goal: | | | | perfect. Just get the shots. Make sure your |
| you really won't get that shot, but if you bring | | | | camera batteries are fresh, and perhaps bring in |
| your expectations closer to home, you can get | | | | extra batteries and exchange them during breaks |
| some fantastic sports shots, most likely using the | | | | in the action. |
| camera you already have. | | | | Though it seems like the perfect environment in |
| The first key to getting good shots is to know | | | | which to use a flash, it probably isn't a good idea, |
| the sport. Once you know the general pace, and | | | | because flashes can distract the players. Instead, |
| get some idea of how key players work, you'll | | | | set your camera to a 1600 or 3200 ISO and set |
| not only know where to focus the camera, but | | | | the aperture to 2.8 or 3.2. You might sacrifice a |
| also how quick you have to be. Shooting a golf | | | | little sharpness, but you'll capture action without |
| tournament is going to be much more relaxed | | | | blinding the players. |
| than shooting a basketball game. | | | | Perhaps the most important advice for aspiring |
| The second key is to know the lighting. If you're | | | | sports photographers is to practice. Even good |
| lucky enough to photograph a summer baseball | | | | photographers take many, many blurry or badly |
| game under clear skies, you can close the | | | | composed shots before getting one good one. It |
| aperture down and use a high shutter speed and | | | | is, however, a good idea to at least look over all |
| get some amazing action shots: a fielder jumping | | | | your photos on your computer screen before |
| for a fly ball, a batter connecting with a perfectly | | | | erasing any of them. It is difficult to tell on a tiny |
| placed fastball, or a pitcher in the middle of a | | | | viewfinder screen if you have inadvertently |
| wind-up. | | | | captured something not readily apparent, like a |
| On the other hand, if you're taking pictures of a | | | | bead of sweat falling off someone's brow. Basic |
| basketball game, the lighting will not only be | | | | digital photography software will allow you to crop |
| dimmer, but will tend to distort colors. It is also | | | | and zoom and perhaps surprise yourself with an |
| unflattering to most skin tones. Often, when | | | | unexpected gem of a shot. |