Nikon 3200- how to take action photos?
Nikon 3200- how to take action photos?
I recently purchased a Nikon 3200 and a lens 70m-300m. I bought it to take photos of my soccer players in action. I want to blow up an action picture of the player to a poster and give it to them on senior night.
How should I set up my camera? I've taken hundreds of photos and only a few were good. 90% of them were blurry. I got it set on sports mode… Taking fast pictures at 1/4000.
Set camera to ISO 1600, aperture priority mode, lowest f/number and auto white balance.
If speeds are over 1/2000s (under sunny days), you can bring down ISO a bit to make colors more vibrant and lessen grain. Just make sure shutter speed does not fall to lower than 1/500s.
Follow your subject before, during and after clicking the shutter release button. Shooting sports involves a lot of anticipation to get sharp pictures.
The 18-55mm kit lens isn't good enough for soccer unless you limit yourself to taking pictures of players near the sideline. You really must use at least a 200mm lens. 300mm would be more realistic. The 70-300mm is popular for this type of shooting. If you can afford a longer lens, better. If you can afford the VR version, betterer. If you can afford the lowest f/numbered version, betterest!
I shoot sports.
If you keep the shutter speed at 1/500th second or faster, your images will not be blurred by either cameras or subject movement
But I have to tell you. If you are holding the camera at arm's length using the live view feature, this is going to cause a lot of blurring.
When shooting any subject using a fully adjustable camera, use the instructions found in your user manual.
Basically this is how to hold your camera to provide a stable platform when shooting any subject.
* hold the camera to your eye (your cheek is the first point of stability)
* cradle your camera with your left palm and place your fingers on the lens.
* hold the camera with your right hand with your finger on the shutter release.
When you take your shots, make sure that gently press the release.
Every now and again a photographer comes along that has the natural ability to make really great interesting shots.
For the rest of us, it's something we have to be prepared to work at, photography techniques have to be learned and practiced, and even although you might have a qualification or certificate that confirms that you understand the theory you still have to work hard to get good images, experience has a lot to do with how you will approach a shot, the more you practice and actually shoot the more likely your shots will improve, there really isn't a secret formula, and unfortunately for some people photography might just not be one of their talents.
If you want to freeze the action
Set shutter priority, 1/500th sec and adjust ISO until aperture is in range
If you want dramatic motion blurr
Set shutter priority, 1/5 to 1/50th sec depending on speed of motion and degree of blurr you want, adjust ISO to bring aperture into range.