How To Take Pictures Of Moving Subjects
It’s your kid’s first ever Minor League baseball game. The weather is looking great. Your kid is all prepped up and very excited for the game. You get to the park early and did a lot of families and the tension in the air is palpable. A few minutes later, the game begins. You took your new digital single lens reflex camera and got ready to takes pictures, only to find out you have got a lot to learn on how to take pictures of moving subjects. Besides the fact that your camera is still new and you haven’t had the time to play with it, it sure didn’t help that you have no idea how to capture subjects in motion. Sure you can deal with a sprawling view or a child sitting still, but as it turns out, not kids in the middle of a baseball game. So here are the top three tips you need to take note:
Shutter speed. The secret to getting the shot you want with a moving subject is in the shutter speed. Shutter speed is simply the amount of time that the shutter is open and this is measured in fraction of a second; the higher the denominator, the faster the speed so a shutter speed of 1/1000 is more rapid than 1/30. This has a very dramatic impact on how your image will turn out. High shutter speeds are applied to subjects in motion to freeze them, as in your kid’s baseball game. Low shutter speeds, on the other hand, are used to purposely distort a subject in motion for a creative effect.
Light. Another element that you need to know about when learning how to take pictures of moving subjects is the amount of light present in the surroundings and adjust your camera settings accordingly. Check your aperture settings, most cameras will tell you that the amount of light is insufficient when the aperture icon is blinking, then you can change your shutter speed or adjust the ISO setting to compensate.
Panning. This is a difficult technique to master but once you do, you will be rewarded by great shots. Panning involves following the line of movement of your subject. If you’re subject is not really moving that fast, walking leisurely let’s say, then it’s not going to be hard. However, if you have a rapid moving subject, using the appropriate shutter speed as well as panning with your camera will result to a nice shot.
Learning how to take pictures of moving subjects takes times and a lot of practice but once you are adept at it, your photos will be the envy of every other mom and dad at the baseball game.
