The Digital Photography Companion

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CAPTURE ACTION SHOTS

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Capture Action Shots

e keys to capturing effective action shots are to shoot at your camera’s highest resolu-

tion, use a fast shutter speed, and take measures to reduce shutter lag.

Two of the most important techniques for stopping action and capturing the decisive

moment are to use a fast shutter speed (1/250 of a second for this shot) and to enable

Burst mode, which allows you to fire off a rapid series of frames. You can then pick the

best image from the sequence. Picture taken at Universal Studios, Calif.

Following these suggestions will improve the quality of your action shots:

First, set your camera at its highest resolution. You will probably want to crop your im-

age later to bring the action closer. Having extra pixels effectively extends the reach of

your lens, which is very helpful for this type of photography.

e key to “stopping action” is to use a fast shutter-speed setting. Typically, you should

use a speed of at least 1/250, 1/500, or 1/1,000 of a second. e programmed autoex-

posure mode on most digital cameras is calibrated to give you the fastest shutter speed

possible, so you don’t need to monkey too much with your camera settings when going

after action shots.

However, what you really need is lots of light. e brightest hours of the day are best

(usually from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Shooting outdoors during these ...