Step by Step / how to capture explosive action

1 Shooting the wider view

Wide-angle lenses provide a wide field of view and accentuate gestures when closer to the camera. Our main photo was shot on a Nikon 24mm f/2.8 lens and taken from a low angle to emphasize the depth of the lunge in this attacking posture.

3 Engage Continuous drive

It’s extremely difficult to get the perfect pose in a photo when your athletes move as quickly as fencers do. That’s why we used Continuous-high drive mode, which takes a rapid sequence of photos whilst the shutter release button is depressed.

5 Freeze the action

In Manual mode we recommend a minimum shutter speed of around 1/400 sec. To shoot at these fast shutter speeds you’ll need a wide aperture to let more light in (we chose f/4) and a high ISO, depending on how bright it is at your location.

2 Back-button focusing

This takes autofocus control away from the shutter release button and places it on a dedicated button, making it easier to hold focus on moving subjects. Some Nikon bodies have a dedicated Af-on button, whereas others can program the AE/AF lock button.

4 Light up your scene

We’re using two Rotolight Aeos continuous LED lights. They’re bright enough to light the action from 15-20ft away and even have a colour balance adjustor knob. We used two, placed on light stands, camera left and camera right, set to 75% power.

6 Shoot with Auto ISO

It may be more useful to use Auto ISO while shooting in Manual mode. As we change camera positions and as the fencers move, the distance from the Rotolights will change, as will light intensity. The Nikon automatically adjusts the ISO to create a balanced exposure.