Take it yourself

When capturing motion, here’s how to use your camera’s settings to your advantage

EQUIPMENT

DSLR Getting close enough to the action without a zoom lens is tricky. Use a telephoto with f/2.8 aperture. Compact Sport mode will increase your shutter speed to freeze motion.

SETTINGS

Change to Shutter Priority mode. Use a wide-open aperture of f/5.6 or more to let in as much light as possible. This will allow you to push the shutter speed faster – it should be over 1/1000 sec to freeze motion. Push it as fast as possible without going too high on ISO (beyond ISO 3200) or picture quality will suffer. If you’re using a longer lens, to ensure you get a pin-sharp photo, check that the focal plane is not too shallow by zooming in on the focus area of an image on your LCD screen.

PRACTICAL

Be ready for action. Once you’ve found your subject and location, make sure your camera’s settings are correct. Decide on shutter speed first. Different situations need different settings. Do you want to freeze motion or capture a sense of movement? (See Know Your Stuff overleaf.) Increase your chances. Getting multiple shots using continuous shutter mode will capture the exact moment you want. AI servo is your friend. This autofocus setting constantly refocuses so that your moving subject remains sharp in your frame. Start shooting a split second before the action happens so that you don’t miss the moment. Good timing takes practise – try to predict the action by observing your subject for a while.

STARTER TIP Avoid camera shake. The greater the focal length or zoom, the higher your shutter speed should be. AMATEUR TIP Find an AF zone (seen as dots or points through the lens) that works well without the focus jumping between the moving subject and background. PRO TIP Experiment with the six AF Case settings (under the AF menu in your camera), which track the subject in different ways when using AI servo. Find the correct sensitivity for your subject.