Photography Course

I put this old sports shot up to impress upon all of you a few basic MUSTS about shooting sports. Learn and practice these pre-requisites and you will be well on your way to shooting good sports photos.

This is a Corvette sports car that was in a sanctioned race. It blew out its brakes and then it’s transmission (downshifting), screamed across the infield and the track on the other side…. and then hit an embankment.

It was launched airborne …. and fifty other photographers did not get this, the peak of action.

They had fancier cameras but that in itself was not enough. They did not study and/or analyze this sport. Knew nothing about racing. And simply assumed that, because they had the “finest cameras” their photos would be fine too.

I studied sports car racing. I walked most of the track in search of the best vantage point. And I brought along a 50-300mm zoom lens to find THE vantage point that would allow me capture the best possible action.

I watched the Corvette head down a long straight-away, he didn’t slow down, and I knew he was in trouble. He screamed off the track onto the infield (which is when the other fifty photographers shot their pics … and got shots of a car driving on grass.) I waited and zoomed in…. he crossed the track on the other side….. I waited and zoomed in some more…. and when he hit that embankment I hit the shutter, capturing him in mid-air.

My photo was published nationally, the other fifty photographers are still scratching their heads.

SOOOOOO…. get to know your subject matter.

Find the best vantage point in terms of good lighting and maximum activity.

Bring equipment that has the best chance capturing the images you want.

The key to capturing all fast action sports is to develop your ability to concentrate and anticipate. You will do much better if you know WHAT to concentrate on and WHAT to anticipate.