Sports where fast action needs to be captured can be a problem for photographers, faster shutter speeds demand more light.
Many sports events are held at night or indoors where the artificial light is not conducive to providing great photographic results. If you set your camera to “Sports” mode it will select a fast shutter speed, probably at least 1/600th sec. To accommodate this in poor light, your camera must automatically bump up the ISO and/or open the Aperture wide open.
AUTO MODE
These settings could result in a grainy looking image due to the high ISO, also the wide aperture setting, automatically set by your camera to let in enough light, is likely to result in a narrow focus zone (depth of field), where any rapid movement of the subject out of the focus zone could mean you miss the sharpness where it is needed. Using these Auto settings on your camera, whilst convenient and easy to grab that moment, are not the ideal settings for any particular situation…. “Jack (or Jill) of all trades = master of none!”
The fast shutter speed set by your camera’s “Auto” mode freezes the action too much, you end up with a snapshot with very little or no accent of motion.
Music can be played note for note correctly but it would lack the emotion provided by timing and accent, sports photography that appears frozen stiff lacks the emotion of action that tells the story and conveys the awe.
Video or film is a great sports medium but still-photography has a place to document a precise moment in the fleeting of time.
I like to try and capture some of the motion, the image above is not exactly sharp on the riders helmet due to direction of the head motion, which is at right angles to my panning of the camera. But the thrill of the motion is captured. You can feel the energy and forces acting upon machine and rider, the resulting wave of dirt portrays the speed.
MANUAL SETTINGS
By using manual settings I keep my shutter speed for motocross at around 1/125th sec. to 1/250th sec. and sometimes as low as an 1/80th sec. Admittedly there are about 10-15% of my images that are too blurry to use but the pay-off, as in the shot above, is worth it. Also with slower shutter speeds I can use lower ISO and smaller Aperture all resulting in a better quality image that can handle enlargement and still look great.
LEARN THE CRAFT
Of course, there is more to capturing an image like this than just camera settings alone.
You need to know your subject, pre-empt where the action will occur, set up perspective, move around to select the background and hope for a small element of luck. the only way to learn this is to go out and shoot, analyse the results and improve the next time.
If you are not there and ready you cannot capture the moment forever frozen.