Photo of the Week - Week 20

This entry is actually a few photos ... The girls have been participating in a soccer clinic the past several weeks and it's given me the opportunity to try some sports and action photography. It's been fun watching them and I've learned some new things about taking photos of this type.

However, as always, for me the question is the same, regardless of what kind of photography I am doing: What is the story I am trying to tell?



The Typical Action Shots

Of course, one of the primary goals is to capture the action. As I went through my photos, I learned a couple of obvious things. First, having the ball in the shot (if applicable) gives context to the shot. You can have photos of people running and jumping, but without a ball that puts things on context, you don't have much of a story. Second, interactions. This is part of the story you are trying to tell. Is it a competition between teams, individuals, or is it an individual sport?

EXIF Data
Shutter Speed: 1/500s
Aperture: F5.6
ISO: 500
Camera Mode: Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation: 0
Lens: Canon 70-200mm L
Focal Length: 200mm

EXIF Data
Shutter Speed: 1/200s
Aperture: F7.1
ISO: 100
Camera Mode: Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation: +2/3
Lens: Canon 70-200mm L
Focal Length: 91mm

The Emotion

Sports are, by their nature, emotional. People are exerting themselves, pushing themselves, trying their best. Hopefully they are also having fun!

EXIF Data
Shutter Speed: 1/500s
Aperture: F7.1
ISO: 100
Camera Mode: Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation: +2/3
Lens: Canon 70-200mm L
Focal Length: 113mm

The nature of competition is that there will be winners and there will be losers - the climax of the action and the emotion. What are those emotions and how are they displayed? I recently read the following quote (I'm paraphrasing): Sports don't build character, they reveal it.

EXIF Data
Shutter Speed: 1/200s
Aperture: F7.1
ISO: 100
Camera Mode: Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation: +2/3
Lens: Canon 70-200mm L
Focal Length: 200mm

While it was fun to watch the girls learn and grow in a short time, I also had a great time using it as a learning opportunity for me. I learned a few things about taking actions shots (moving with the action, dodging the ball) and photography in general.