Enjoy 10 Simple Tips to Create Stunning Action Shots

Photography can be an art form as many enjoy capturing a moment in time to save and share. Other times it’s just a hobby when a camera only appears on special occasions. Tips for photography are for everyone no matter your level of photography skills.

There are styles of photographs that are taken even if you don’t know you are taking them. Photos such as posing shots, candid shots or action shots. The last may be one of the hardest photographs to take especially if you are taking pictures of your kid’s soccer game or a bird flying by.

Action Photos


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With 10 simple tips you can master the art of taking great action shots.

Action Tip No. 1

Plan ahead. It doesn’t matter what you are going to be shooting, if the subject is moving you need to carefully plan where you will set up.  If your son or daughter is running from one side of the field to the other, you need to predict where his or her face will be before it gets there. This leads into tip two.

Action Tip No. 2

Pre-focus. Once you have predicted where the face, or subject, is going to enter the frame, have your camera ready and aimed. Pre-focusing is a way to already be ready when the time to take the photo has arrived.

Action Tip No. 3

Try shooting in short bursts instead of one long burst. Doing this will prevent your buffer from filling up, because if it does fill, it could cost you the shot. Think about taking three-shot bursts, then wait for a second and then shoot another burst the same way.

Action Tip No. 4

Always give the subject space in which to move. Too close can make the shot feel cramped and not give a full view of the environment. When the subjects are moving quickly, try to allow for some space on the side of the photograph to where the subject is traveling.

Action Tip No. 5

Make sure to get a fast memory card for your camera. A fast memory card will prevent your camera from slowing down, and the writing speed won’t get in the way of your system as it saves your pictures.

Action Tip No. 6

The subject often is the drama of the picture. If that is the case, make sure to not miss the face. The expression on a face can add that drama you may be looking for. Multiple faces can add even more of the drama. Decide on what you want to show and take the photo to match that emotion.

Action Tip No. 7

Shoot in JPEG. Although RAW files can shoot photographs with more information being such large files, they also add a lot of detail to the photos. However, action photos are a good time to switch over to JPEG. JPEGs are also much smaller and most DSLRs can capture a few more frames per second on JPEG files than RAW files.

Action Tip No. 8

Get down low. Action shots can be taken to make the main subject look powerful and dramatic. An important tip is to shoot your shots from down low. This will give the action shot the look you are going for.

Action Tip No. 9

Shoot with both of your eyes open. If you close one eye, you lessen your ability to determine depth and it hinders your eye’s ability to track movement.

Action Tip No. 10

Don’t mash the shutter button. This is really important. If you mash the shutter button, the camera will torque at the critical moment when the photo is recording the scene which can disrupt the photo.  All you need to do is roll your finger back across the button.

All of these tips can help you get the real action shot that you want. Work at it. Practice it. In no time you will have created your own technique.


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