Get Better at Indoor Sports Photography with these indoor Sports Photography Tips
Attending your favourite sports is a lot of fun and there is no denying that. However, if you have to capture the same event, then things can be a bit complicated because you might not know where to get started or what to look into and I can imagine that this can cause some confusion among people who are just trying to make the most of the situation. If you are looking for some indoor sports photography tips, then this palce is just for you because we are going to guide you on how to capture the perfect pictures and that too, without any complication.
Now, capturing sports indoors is not really going to be complicated, but considering how some people still have struggles with it, we are going to look into it. Let’s not waste time and start having a look, shall we?
Indoor Sports Photography Tips to Make You an Expert Photographer
Now, I do understand that working indoors can be complicated for a lot of people but it is very important to understand that when you are looking at taking pictures inside a venue, there are several options for you to actually master your photography. For instance, when you are indoors, there is a high chance that the lighting is going to be excellent, so you really do not have to stress over that. Still, we are going to take a look at all the things you need to know about the process.
1. Getting the Best Settings Possible
The first thing that you need to sort out is that you should be going with the best possible settings on your camera. I do understand that this will vary for most people because everyone as a different way of taking pictures but I am going to suggest you the best and simplest way of getting things sorted.
For starters, if you are looking at the aperture, then you should have the largest possible aperture available. Going for f/2.8 sounds ideal but if you are experiencing a situation where there is a lot of light, you can go higher, too.
For shutter speed, since we are talking about sports, and a good chunk of movement, as well. I’d suggest that you go for 1/500th of a second or faster. You can even go for 1/1000th of a second provided you have a lens that is fast enough in terms of the aperture.
Last but not the least, I would say keep the ISO as low as possible but in such cases, you might have to bump it up to 1,000 or higher. Don’t worry, most modern cameras handle ISO really well, so you won’t be seeing a lot of noise. At the same time, I would highly suggest that you avoid using flash because that is one thing that will distract almost anyone and we don’t want that, in the first place.
Last but not the least, you should set your focus to continuous as it will help the camera track the action of players in a much better way.
2. Visit the Location Beforehand
Considering how you will be covering the event as it takes place, I would suggest that you visit the location beforehand. The reason behind this is rather simple, as it will allow you to scout the area properly, and you would be able to tell which places are good for the pictures you are about to take and which areas are not good for you. It is very easy to find the right spots, and if possible, you can even reserve for you.
The point here is to get the best look at the court where all the action will be taking place and finding the right spot. It is very, very important and you cannot just miss it.
3. Anticipating the Action
Now, this is something that a lot of people are going to be confused about but I have to tell you that this is something that you absolutely have to take care of because you cannot really be in a situation where you miss this. The one thing that will separate you from everyone else at the venue is your ability to anticipate action. Now, if you are new and you have not had the experience before, then that is nothing to worry about but you will soon realise that the more you are spending your time here, the easier it would become for you to anticipate the action and it is not at all complicated.
By anticipating the action, you will be able to take the pictures without any issues and they will always turn out excellent. So, if you have been concerned about that, this is an excellent way of getting things sorted.
4. Look at the Athletes
The best thing indoor sports is that you often see the athletes interacting with each other, showing how their friendships and rivalries are working and while it might sound like something that is not a good idea, the best thing that I would suggest to you is that you should always look into capturing the moments when you see them interacting. It might not be the easiest thing in the start but you will surely get the best experience you can think of, and the shots that would come would be amazing.
5. Shooting in RAW and Editing Them
Moving further, another thing that I would suggest is that you are always shooting in RAW. Simply put, RAW will allow you to have a full control over editing your pictures and it is not going to be complicated, either. You can just look at all the shots that you have, edit them the way you want, and you will have the results you are looking for in no time.
Now, RAW photography is not something that is for everyone so you can choose to shoot in JPEG, but if you are good at Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, RAW is the way to go because you will have full creative control of how you want your pictures to look.
Shooting the pictures in RAW is just one thing but I would also suggest that you are actually editing them and doing so the right way. The more your pictures stand out, the better for you as a photographer.
6. Take a Lot of Pictures
Now, this is something that should be kept in mind by everyone but if you are looking at sports photography, I would always suggest that you are taking a lot of pictures. For the simplest reason that you would be able to separate the really good shots from the ones that are average, at best. This is a trick that I learned early on when I started my career and it has massively helped me ever since and I can assure you that you will not have any issues going forward. Just to be sure that you are not holding yourself back when it comes to taking pictures. The more pictures you take, the higher the chance of getting some excellent shots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Indoor sports photography can be complicated if you are getting started, but over time, I have realised that it isn’t the most difficult there is and if you are paying attention to it, you would be all good and all sorted. Just follow the tips that we have left in this post and it will help you have a better understanding about going ahead and taking pictures indoors.
You can use the same tips regardless of the camera you have, making them universal for you, and giving you a much easier, simpler, and straightforward experience with indoor sports photography.
