Some photographers refuse to snap photos outdoors at high noon on cloudless sunny days. Sure, the lighting conditions are not ideal. You’re forced to contend with harsh shadows and squinting subjects; however, after spending two days this past weekend trying to photograph my neighbor’s 9-year-old participating in an intramural basketball tournament, I would gladly shoot midday on a sunny day rather than in a gym lit exclusively by fluorescent bulbs.
Now, that’s agony.
In case you are caught in the same predicament this season, consider the following:
First, scout out the location prior to shooting. I didn’t… and I paid for it dearly on the first day. I came ill-equipped to deal with the lighting situation and shooting in my camera’s sports mode did nothing to alleviate the issues I encountered. I eventually switched to Manual and made adjustments after reviewing the shots on the spot.
If the gym you are shooting in does not have a mix of natural light (via windows or doors) and fluorescent lights, then start with an increased ISO, such as 800 or 1600. If you are dealing exclusively with fluorescent lighting then adjust your shutter speed to at least 1/500 of a second to freeze the action. Going slower will likely cause blurring. Also, keep in mind that fluorescent lights give off a green tint in photos. To compensate for this annoyance use photo editing software to add magenta tones to the image and neutralize the green.
Next, be sure to find a decent spot on the floor to shoot your little shooter. Location and timing are vital when you are taking high action photos. On the first day of shooting I sat near the end of the court thinking I could capture kids as they ran toward me. By the end of the game, I realized that the best place to snap winning shots was along the baseline, or in the corner of the court. Personally, I don’t see the point of running up and down the court trying to follow your player. It pays to simply stay at that end of the court and manipulate angles to vary the shots. For example, you can drop to a knee to shoot slightly upwards at the players or experiment with the Rule of Thirds and shoot your son or daughter slightly off center for a more dramatic looking photo.
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