As a visual information communicator for the DoD, an essential part of your job is to photograph uncontrolled action, such as documenting military training and operations in progress. It can be challenging to take crystal-clear action photos that adequately convey the intended message to your audience when your subject is in motion. Use the tips below to take the best possible uncontrolled action photographs.
Use the tips below to take the best possible uncontrolled action photographs.
- Be prepared with the right equipment:
- At least one camera
- Tripod
- Monopod
- Lenses
- Flash
- Fast memory cards
- Equipment bag or belt
- Weather protection for you and your gear
- Learn your equipment inside and out.
- Keep everything organized – it's essential for you to be able to access the equipment you need immediately.
- Use at least one DSLR and some long lenses, which are the lenses best suited for capturing uncontrolled action.
- Work with two or three lenses. A good guideline is to use a 70 to 300 mm lens for the main action (you will need at least a 200 mm lens), and an 18-70 mm/50 mm lens for the less active shots.
- In the daytime, a shutter speed of at least 1/250 of a second is advisable.
- At night, try raising the ISO of your camera to around 1600 (or even to its maximum level) to allow more light.
- In situations with changing light, like a cloudy day, cameras with an Auto ISO option are helpful. Adjust the maximum ISO value and minimum shutter speed and see how it frees you up to focus on the subject.
- Slow down your shutter speed to 1/100 of a second to highlight essential elements of an action, like a soldier firing a weapon. This will sharply highlight the subject with some intentional motion blur.
- Another option is to pan the camera. Keep the subject sharp in the same position of the frame, while blurring the background instead.
- Help make your pictures stand out by experimenting with new angles and positions.
- Look for interesting angles to capture the action.
- Adjust the base autofocus setting to improve the quality of your photos – the best setting for uncontrolled actions is usually AF-continuous or AF-C.
- For focus area selections, pick one in the middle and lock it in.
- Know why you're there and what you're trying to document. Do your research ahead of time to help you prepare and understand the purpose of the event.
- Capture the individuals and crowd in the environment to help convey the emotion and paint the picture of the real story unfolding.
- Keep your eyes on the action. Do not check every photo you take on the camera's liquid crystal display. The best shots happen when you're looking away.
- Get into the habit of only checking your liquid crystal display at intervals. Trust the camera settings you made with your test shots and focus your attention on capturing the action.
In general, keep the flash in your bag. Note that:
- An on-camera flash may be prohibited at the location where you are taking photographs.
- After the camera flashes, the flash must recharge before you can capture another image. You do not want to miss any of the action due to waiting for the flash to recharge..
- Try shooting some sequences. Some events lend themselves to sequences of photos.
- When shooting an action sequence, make sure you select an angle with a clear view of the action, use fast enough shutter speeds and try to capture as many frames as possible.
- Use the sequence to create a panorama or select the best shot.