Ready, set, action! Having fun with action photography

It's fun to capture the moment in action! It can be tricky to get the timing just right, however, I have a few tips to help. First, have your subject warm up. Watch their "line." The line is their projected course. Get to know their line, timing, and the sounds associated. When shooting skating, it can be tricky sometimes because you can't always see them coming into the moment. For example, below, Phebe Ericksen completes a backside grab over a large bowl. You can't see her until she comes up over the roller. The image below is shot in Al Servo mode, with a 70-200mm F.28 with IS lens, and leads me to my second tip...Listen.  I am able to capture Phebe by having my finger ready to trigger the shutter at just the right second, and in this particular case, by knowing her timing, and the sounds of her skate trucks coming up over the backside of the bowl.  A half second too late, and you lose the effect of the epiphany moment in the action shot.  See the image on the bottom for a shot taken just half a second too late....If you have questions about action photography, feel free to reach out! Again, my biggest tips are to know your clients line of action and to find your cues-whether it be sound, time or something visual to capture the right moment.  

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