Sports Photography How To

(Editor’s Note: Exploring Light is a monthly Shutterbug column featuring tips, tricks, and photo advice from professional photographers in Canon’s Explorer’s of Light education program. This month's column is by Damian Strohmeyer on how to shoot better sports photographs.)

Pro photographer Jessica Sterling is back for another Shutterbug video, and this time she's brought a friend. In the below tutorial, Sterling teams up with pro sports photographer Carrie Giordano to share seven key sports photography tips.

Tips and ideas to improve your action photos

You need two things to get good action photos: some basic action-shooting skills, and some knowledge of the activity you're photographing. The skills include panning, peak action, follow-focusing, prefocusing and developing a sense of timing. The...

Autofocusing is one of the best things that's ever happened to the SLR camera. I didn't think so while testing early examples when the AF SLR era began back in 1985, but a lot of progress has happened in the ensuing two decades. Today's AF SLR cameras, film and digital, will focus more quickly and accurately than most photographers can. Naturally, the higher-end...

All Photos © Bryan Lynden

Whether this diverse photographer is shooting sporting events, concerts, nature, fine art, or commercial images, Bryan Linden strives to share his passion for photography with others. And, as one who's worked in the digital medium since 1993, he enjoys helping other photographers make their transition from film to digital capture.

Today’s camera gear is faster than ever and much of it is tailor-made for capturing any sort of motion or movement. So then why do so many photographers struggle to shoot compelling images of action, adventure, and energy? Part of it has to do with timing and part of it has to do with composition. Your camera and lens can only do so much and there’s more to a great action shot than simply capturing the moment and making sure it’s in focus. 

Iconic photojournalist Robert Capa once said, “If your images are not good enough, you’re not close enough.” That’s why many of us try to shoot as close as possible to our subjects and fill the frame.