In this free tutorial you’ll learn all about shutter speed and how it affects your photos.

First, Shutter Speed Explained by Definition

The official definition for shutter speed explained according to wikipedia is this:

“In photography, shutter speed is a common term used to discuss exposure time, the effective length of time a camera’s shutter is open.The total exposure is proportional to this exposure time, or duration of light reaching the film or image sensor.

In simpler terms, shutter speed is the duration of time the shutter on a camera is open when taking a picture. It is measured in fractions of a second. For example, 1/60 is one sixtieth of a second while 1/300 is one three hundredths of a second. The higher the number the faster the shutter speed.

So How Does Shutter Speed Affect an Image?

The duration of time the shutter remains open affects two things within a photograph:

1. The exposure of the photo
2. How motion is depicted within the photo (sharp or blurred)

Photos by *~Dawn~* and CelebfashionLa

To expand on the first factor of shutter speed you can control the exposure of the photo (how bright or dark it is) by adjusting the shutter speed. The slower the shutter speed the brighter the image because light has a longer time to hit the camera’s sensor. The faster the shutter speed the darker the image because light has less time to hit the camera’s sensor.

Shutter speed is often used in conjunction with the aperture setting to achieve a properly exposed photo. For example, if you are photographing at night and set your camera to its widest aperture and the photo is still too dark you can use a slower shutter speed to compensate for this by allowing the available light to hit the sensor for a longer period of time. In contrast, if you are in a very bright setting and can’t close the aperture small enough to prevent over exposure you can choose a faster shutter speed to reduce the amount of time light has to hit the sensor.

Photos by Hamad Al-Mohanna and OneViewPhotography

The second factor of shutter speed is how motion is depicted within the photo. Simply put, shutter speed can be used to freeze action within an image and make it sharp or emphasize the motion by making it blurry.

This is how it works: The faster the shutter speed the more frozen and sharp a photo becomes – think of a photo with a person frozen as they jump in the air. The slower the shutter speed the more blurry it becomes – think of a photo with streams of light trails created by cars on a highway at night.

Just remember if you want sharp photos then you want a fast shutter speed. If you want blurry photos then you want a slower shutter speed.

Shutter Speed Explained When Shooting Handheld

Have you ever taken a photograph by hand and later found out that it was blurry and you didn’t know why? Well, it was blurry because the shutter speed was too slow to capture a sharp image. In another article we explain this concept in more depth: Pro Tip: Minimum Shutter Speed in Photography When Shooting Handheld. Take a look when you have a chance. To summarize the article and help you understand shutter speed explained this is the take away message – when shooting handheld you want your minimum shutter speed to be one over your focal length. For example, if your focal length for the shot is 300mm then you want to shoot at at least 1/300 of a second. Sometimes you need to shoot one to two settings faster for a sharp image. Any slower and your photo will turn out blurry.

A Recap of Shutter Speed Explained

• Shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second. The higher the number the faster the shutter speed. A setting of 1/60 is one sixtieth of a second while 1/300 is one hundredths of a second.
• Shutter speed affects the exposure of an image and how long light is allowed to hit the camera’s sensor. The faster the shutter speed the darker the photo. The slower the shutter speed the brighter the photo. Its often used in conjunction with aperture to achieve a properly exposed photo.
• Shutter speed affects how motion is depicted within a photo. A faster shutter speed freezes the action within the frame. A slower shutter speed emphasizes it and creates motion blur trails.

More Learning Resources

If you want to learn more about shutter speed read our other article on Understanding Shutter Speed. For a more in depth article read How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed for Your Photograph.

We hope you enjoyed this article and helped answer you question to shutter speed explained. Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

Enjoy!

Shutter Speed Chart Reference

Bulb
For use in very low light conditions like night photography. With this setting the photographer controls how long the shutter stays open. Any movement within the frame or by the camera will show up as motion blur. A tripod must be used.

1 second to 1/15
For use in low light conditions, night photography, fireworks, etc. A tripod must be  used to prevent motion blur.

1/30th
For use when implying motion by panning with a moving object as a photo is taken.
The subject appears sharp while the background becomes motion blur.
Also used in darker conditions and requires a tripod to prevent motion blur.

1/60th to 1/125th
Common shutter speeds for most existing light situations.
These shutters speeds combined with small apertures (f/8 to f/166) result in large depth of field.

1/250th
Good for freezing human paced action like a person jogging.

1/500th
Good for freezing faster moving objects such as a car or runner.

1/1000th and faster
Good for freezing objects that move faster than the eyes can see, such as a bird’s wings in flight or baseball pitch.

Expanding on the Shutter Speed Chart

Another great reference that expands on shutter speed is a book by Bryan Peterson Understanding Exposure – shutter speed chart. Take a look when you have a chance. It’s a must have for all photographers!

We’ve also written several articles on shutter speed including: How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed for Your Photography, Pro Tip: Minimum Shutter Speed When Shooting Handheld, etc. but thought it would also be beneficial for you to have a shutter speed chart that you can come back to as an easy reference.

We hope you enjoyed this free shutter speed chart and use it as as a reference for your photography. Please leave a comment and share your thoughts below!

Many photographers are fascinated by portrait photography (wikipedia definition) because it is a great chance to display a multitude of personalities, expressions and moods within a subject. By nature humans are most drawn to portrait photos. It’s amazing how even the slightness change of expression can offer and endless amount of different types of portrait images.

The photographers that have been chosen to be on this list are well known for being masters at their art. Each photographer is amazing at combining the personalities of their subjects with unique texture, composition and lighting techniques that results in gorgeous portrait photos.

If you want to learn how to capture amazing portraits we recommend you study the work of these famous portrait photographers. Each of their individual styles and techniques offer unlimited inspiration.

Top 10 Famous Portrait Photographers

1. Yousuf Karsh

Yousuf Karsh is one of the masters of 20th century photography. His body of work includes portraits of statesmen, artists, musicians, authors, scientists, and men and women of accomplishment.

2. Eve Arnold

Eve Arnold photographed many of the iconic figures who shaped the second half of the twentieth century. Most well known for her photos of Marilyn Monroe.

3. Edouard Boubat

Edouard Boubat is often described as a humanist photographer. He was a master at capturing both beauty and dignity within his subjects.

4. Philippe Halsman

Philippe Halsman took amazing portraits of politicians, celebrities and intellectuals during the 1940s-70s. Many of his photographs appeared in magazines such as Look, Esquire, Life, Parish Match and more.

5. Cecil Beaton

Sir Cecil Beaton was an English fashion photographer. In the 1920s, he worked for Vanity Fair and Vogue, where he developed a unique style of posing sitters with unusual backgrounds.

6. Irving Penn

Irving Pen was an American photographer most known for his fashion photography, portraits, and still life photos.

7. Antonin Kratochvil

Antonin Kratochvil was a photojournalist and that founded the VII Photo Agency. He received numerous awards and grants for his photography work.

8. Mary-Ellen Mark

Mary-Ellen Mark has traveled extensively to make pictures that reflect a high degree of humanism for over four decades. Through her photography she has helped raise awareness for the homeless, drug addicts, prostitutes, and more.

9. Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz has photographed musicians, actors, and writers since the early 1970s. Most well known for her images in Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Life magazine.

10. Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry is a master at capturing the essence of human struggle and joy. Many of his images have become modern icons, including his famous portrait of, “Afghan Girl”, which became a symbol of the trauma suffered by the Afghan people during the Soviet invasion.

Who Are Your Favorite Famous Portrait Photographers?

Do you have a favorite famous portrait photographer that did not make it on our list? Leave a comment below telling us your favorite below!

One of the most popular reasons photographers are drawn to taking pictures of animals at zoos is because the wildlife is habituated to people. This makes it easy to capture great photos that otherwise would be impossible if trying to shoot in the wild. If natural wildlife photography interests you be sure to read out other article on How to Capture Wildlife Photography from a Distance.

Tips on Photographing Animals at the Zoo

Go at Lunchtime

One of the best tips we can give you for taking photos of animals at a zoo is to show up during the feeding times. In fact, this is a secret trick professional photographers have been using for years to photograph animals!

Most zoos and wildlife parks set regular feeding times. The animals are used to this schedule and become more active around this time since they know they are going to be fed. Do yourself a favor and call the zoo or wildlife park ahead of time to find out the feeding times for the animals you are interested in capturing and show up about a half hour early. You’ll be sure to get some great shots as the animals star to stir!

Focus on the Eyes

Just like in portrait photography the eyes are the windows to the soul for zoo photography too. It’s very important to have sharply focused eyes when you’re photographing animals because they provide an immediate point of contact within a photo. Even if the rest of your shot is out of focus, make sure they eyes are in focus on every shot.

Photos by JoyTek

Use A Fast Shutter Speed

Most animals are very skittish and move very quickly. Often, they jerk their heads left and right at the slightest sound. To get great zoo photography make sure to use a fast shutter speed. Every animal is different so it will require practice while on location to choose the best shutter speed for your shot. As a rule of thumb, it is always better to sacrifice depth of field by using a larger aperture setting in order to freeze the action of an animal with a faster shutter speed. This can also help isolate your subject from the foreground and background by reducing the sharpness within these areas and eliminate distractions when you are photographing animals.

Use a 70-200mm Lens

The best lens for you to use for zoo photography is a 70-200mm lens. This lens is a great choice because it allows you to photograph animals that are both far away and close. Most animals outside are protected by a fence and this lens lets you zoom in close enough to animals that are far away to get a close up shot. Inside, most animals are protected by a glass which allows you to physically get closer to them. This lens is also a great choice because it has a short enough focal length to capture these types of shots as well.

Photos by teliko82

Get Down on They Animal’s Level

The best animal shots are ones that are taken at eye level. Most shots can be achieved by kneeling down or in a standing position, however there will come a time when you have to get into uncomfortable positions when photographing animals. If necessary, lay down on your stomach or find a higher vantage point (steps or a chair) to get the best shots. Whatever it takes make sure you capture your photos on the animal’s eye level in your zoo photography.

Patience Wins

Our final tip is to be patient when shooting zoo photography. You won’t believe how many great shots have been missed by photographers that decided to pack up their gear and move on after only waiting a few minutes for an animal to appear or change positions. Occasionally you may stumble upon an animal that is in the perfect position for a shot when you first see it but in many cases you’ll need to wait for it. Once you’ve picked the animals you want to capture give yourself extended periods of time to camp out at their enclosures. This way you’ll hopefully see them in a variety of positions and with different expressions. That’s the key to capturing the best shots!

Photos by Alaina Abplanalp Photography and wwarby

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on photographing animals at the zoo. Please leave a comment below telling us which tip was your favorite!

Coming away from photographing concerts with top-quality photos can be done as long as your camera is good enough to capture low-light shots. One of the first concert photography tips we can give you is to always use a dslr camera when shooting concerts. While most concertgoers take small point-and-shoot digital cameras to see their favorite bands or user their phone camera when photographing concerts but these don’t produce the best shots. You’ll always get the best results with a dslr camera.

Before we share with your our concert photography tips we one important reminder for you to take into consideration. The only problem you may face when taking a bigger dslr camera and lens to a venue these days is security. Some bands don’t allow high quality photos to be taken by fans since they can’t make money off selling them. Always contact the venue before hand to ask if it’s allowed for you to bring your dslr before you head out to start shooting concerts.

Photo by The Wanderer’s Eye

Concert Photography Tips

Use Manual Mode

Most concerts take place in darkened venues and even if you get past security flashes usually aren’t allowed. Unless you’re directly in front of the stage when photographing concerts a flash isn’t going to do much good anyway, other than illuminate the person’s head in front of you. Setting your dslr in manual mode is the best choice when shooting concerts since you can set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO levels. Always set the white balance appropriately before the concert starts to help reduce time when editing your photos later.

Shoot in the Highest Resolution Possible

This is probably the easiest of our concert photography tips. When shooting concerts always shoot in the highest resolution your camera supports. Often, if you didn’t buy a pre-sale ticket (or spend a lot of money) you’ll end up in a seat that is far away from the stage. Shooting in a high resolution allows you to crop the shots later to create good looking close up photos and no one will ever think you were far away!

Choosing ISO and Shutter Speed

When you’re photographing concerts you’ll have to experiment with the ISO and shutter speed to see what works the best in each venue. Our best advice here is for you to try to keep the ISO as low as you can to cut out the photo noise. The higher the ISO setting the more noise (grain) will be in your photo. For some shots this is acceptable, but for most it’s not.

If you want to freeze the performers when shooting concerts you’ll need a relatively fast shutter speed. You may want to try a few shots as low as 1/40^th of a second and see if they are bright enough. If they are, keep trying a faster shutter speed until the photos are too dark. When they are too dark, you can simply slow down the shutter speed until the exposure is good. Using a slower shutter speed and panning can also help create a blur effect.

Photos by YODCOX!,

Use Aperture to Your Advantage

If you find that your photos are still too dark after experimenting with the previous concert photography tips on ISO and shutter speed you’ll need to adjust your aperture. Another great way to balance the aperture and shutter speed is to keep the same shutter speed, but open the aperture wider until the photos are light enough. When photographing concerts in a dark venue it is important to have a fast lens that opens up to a very large aperture, like f/2 or wider. A good tip here when shooting concerts like this is for you to record the EXIF data information for your photos. This will enable you to go back to them and see which ISO, aperture and speed settings produced the best shots so that you can use this knowledge at the next concert.

Focusing at Concerts

Low-light photography for concerts is similar to shooting a boxing match since there is limited light and it’s all focused on the stage. However, the lighting conditions and intensity constantly change at concerts due to the different colored spotlights. In addition, you never really know what your subject’s going to do next when photographing concerts. Like sports photography, anticipation can help quite a bit, as can Al servo or auto-focusing as it allows you to follow your subject while keeping them in focus as they move about the stage. If the venue is really dark, a camera’s auto focus system may find it difficult to focus on the subject. If this is the case, it’s a good idea to switch to manual focus while photographing concerts.

Lens Choice for Distance

Depending where you’re located in the venue when shooting concerts, you may need to use a telephoto or zoom lens or even a teleconverter to close in on the performers as tight as you like. A 300 mm lens or higher is recommended for this and the lower the aperture the better, as it will allow more light in the camera. A 2.8 lens or faster is recommended for photographing concerts since you can then use a slower shutter speed and ISO if needed. If you’re not too far from the stage though, a 70-200 mm, 2.8 lens or anything faster is ideal.

Photos by uselessrebel and ydhsu

We hope you enjoyed these concert photography tips and learned some good information on how to achieve better photos when shooting concerts. Leave a comment on your favorite tip below!

Photo by mikebaird

Did you know that when shooting handheld there is a minimum shutter speed in photography you must follow in order to have crisp looking photos? If you didn’t then don’t feel bad because you’re not alone. Most new photographers don’t know this either and only learn it by sheer luck!

You may have noticed that when you take some photos handheld that they end up coming out blurry or not very sharp. Many times the photo looks crisp on your preview monitor but when you sit down to review your photos you see that they’re not sharp. You scratch your head and think to yourself “I know I held the camera very still. Why are these blurry!”

What you’re not aware of is that most photos shot handheld will come out blurry if you don’t choose the right shutter speed for your photograph because of a factor called camera shake. Camera shake occurs from the small natural movements of your hands. No matter how steady you think your hands are when shooting handheld they still move slightly and can end up causing motion blur. That’s because the shutter speed you chose is not fast enough to compensate for this slight movement. There is a minimum shutter speed you must follow when shooting handheld.

So What is the Minimum Shutter Speed in Photography?

Depending on what the focal length of your lens is set at will determine what the minimum shutter speed in photography should be. A good rule of thumb is to choose a shutter speed that is one over your focal length.

Confused? Here’s an example to help you understand how to choose the minimum correct shutter speed for your photography:

Let’s say you are using a telephoto lens at it is set at 300mm. How do you know its set at 300mm? Just look at the number it’s turned to on the barrel of your lens. By using the rule above you’ll need to choose a shutter speed of at least 1/300. This equals one over the focal length. If your lens was set at 90mm you would choose a shutter speed of at least 1/90. Make sense?

You probably noticed in the above paragraph that we said choose a shutter speed of “at least …” That’s because this is the bare minimum shutter speed you can use for a sharp shot when shooting handheld – one over the focal length. Often you need to choose a speed setting that is one or two faster. How do you know exactly which one to choose? It takes practice and depends on how shaky your hands are!

If you need to use a slower shutter speed to achieve a good exposure then you’ll need to use a tripod. A tripod will allow you to use slower shutter speeds as they prevent the occurrence of camera shake.

Now that you know how to choose the minimum speed for your shutter when taking photos you might be wondering how to achieve different effects with shutter speed. For more information on this topic check out another post we wrote on How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed for Your Photograph. It’s very detailed and has many sample photos!

We hope you enjoyed this pro tip on how to choose the minimum shutter speed in photography and encourage you to share with with other photographers! Please leave a comment below.

Years ago it used to be enough for a photographer to just capture certain moments: the first dance, bridal part, relatives, altar, etc. If you delivered these standard shots to the bride and groom everyone was happy. But, that’s not true anymore. The business of wedding photography has changed and people expect more these days.

Things have changed in wedding photography because dslr cameras have become so inexpensive that many new photographers have entered into the business: which has spurred a lot of  new creative wedding photo ideas. Today, it’s not enough to just capture the standard photos during a wedding. You have to offer something unique in a way of style to get and keep clients in today’s market.

In this post, we’re going to give you a ton of unique and creative photo ideas for weddings that you can instantly start using to impress brides and grooms. Just follow these tips outlined below. Also check out our other post on Amazing Engagement Photo Ideas.

Now, Onto the Wedding Photo Ideas

Spice it up! Capture Something Fun

Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that wedding photo ideas consist of only the intimate moments and tearful ones. One of the most missed opportunities at a wedding is capturing the fun moments. A great photographer always looks for people that are having a good time before, during and after the wedding. Every bride and groom wants to look back at the photos of their wedding day  remember how much fun people were having. It’s a very joyous time for couple and they’ll thank you immensely for capturing the moments these moments for them.

As the wedding photographer you have a lot of influence over the bride and groom. Don’t hesitate to stage a shot like the one below. Simply share your idea for a wedding photo with them and they’ll be sure to cooperate!

Photo by smoothdude

Asking the bridal party to form a circle and capturing their faces from below is a fun idea and easy to set up.  It’s also a great way to bring out the personalities in your clients and helps to get the ball rolling for other creative wedding photo ideas.

Photo by lunahzon

Try to find a common theme among the bridal party and use it to your advantage. In the photo below you’ll see how the photographer highlighted the fact that the bride and bridesmaids were all wearing sunglasses. A novice photographer would have just taken a candid photo showcasing this detail but this photographer played it up by having the girls make a fun face for the camera.

Photo by Silvershot77

Want to spice up your photos? Try this wedding photo idea. Capture a couple photos with people jumping in the shot. Freezing motion like this creates a sense of energy in a photo and instantly makes it more dynamic. Try it with the bride and groom as well as the whole bridal party!

Photo by Marcin Mazurkiewicz FotoBlog

Photo by Dan Skrobak

Look for clusters of people having a good time and impromptu groups formed at a wedding. They’re sure to offer plenty of opportunities for great shots!

Photo by Fay Lim (Fly)

Create a Double Take! Use Reflections

Here’s another trick that made it to the top of our list of creative wedding photo ideas – use reflections. By nature, photographs are a way for people to reflect on past moments in time. By adding a mirror or reflective surface within the frame can add a whole other dimension to the photo.

Before the ceremony is a great time to take advantage of the reflection technique. Brides are always surrounded by mirrors while they are getting ready for their big day. Find creative ways to include a mirror or other reflective surface within the shot.

Photo by smoothdude

Photo by .darkchamber.

Look for other reflective surfaces within a scene like water or shiny surfaces. The photographer below positioned the bride and groom so that their reflection was displayed within a puddle on the ground. A shiny table can also serve as a great source for capturing reflections in wedding photos.

Photos by smoothdude and UniqueEffects

Capture Intimate Moments in a Unique Way!

Intimate moments between a bride and groom don’t always happen at the altar. They happen throughout the whole wedding day. Make sure you are always on the lookout for moments of intimacy shared between a bride and groom. Often these moments are subtle and happen very quickly. So always be prepared!

Photo by ntuvn

As we mentioned in our first wedding photo idea you’re in control as the wedding photographer. Don’t hesitate to stage an intimate moment between the couple. Look for interesting settings that you can use as a backdrop to help dress up the photo like the photographers did in the images below.

Photo by fotura

Photo by Eythor

Photo by dmitiri.yakimov

Showcase The Details!

One of the most fun things for a bride and groom leading up to a wedding is planning all the little details for the big day. A lot of effort goes into deciding things like the wedding dress, tuxedo, flowers, decor for the ceremony, wedding rings, etc. Make sure you capture these details to remind the bride groom of all the hard work they put into their big day. But, to really stand out as a wedding photographer you need to capture creative shots!

You may not know this but many brides spend a lot of time looking for that perfect pair of shoes to wear on their wedding day. This is a very important detail that you need to photograph. So do it in a unique way to help your photography stand out.

Photo by jonathanpenney11

Look for other small details during a wedding that other photographers miss. A simple shot of the bride and groom holding hands, a close up of a unique perfume bottle and even the garter are great shots for you to get. Use a wide aperture and zoom in close to create a shallow depth of field for these important detail photographs.

Photos by Daniel Jafari

Photo by Andrea Cittadini Photography

Photo by FrancescoMalpensi

Always, always, always get a creative shot of the wedding dress by itself. Placing the dress in front of a window and using the back lighting will create a nice glowing effect for the dress. This is one of the most important wedding photo ideas on our list. Make sure you remember it!

Photo by devotionphoto

As you photograph more and more weddings you will notice that certain details keep popping up. Examples of this are the wedding cake, guest book, toasting glasses and more. Be sure to capture these items in a creative way. A simple close up shot with a shallow depth of field works wonders for these objects.

Photos by asofterimage

Capture One of a Kind Shots!

Do you really want to set yourself apart from other wedding photographers? Then you need to capture one of a kind shots that no one else is photographing. If there was only one lesson you took from this post on wedding photo ideas then this is the trick you need to take. Nothing impresses a bride and groom more than taking a few photographs that are so unique and unexpected it blows them away. Below are some great examples of this technique. Use selective coloring, silhouettes, creative angles, special set ups with the rings and more.

Photo by Daniel Jafari

Photos by Justin Lucarelli and Adrian Rayfield

Photo by rogue demon hunter

Photo by handsome.miguel

Capture A Variety of Emotions!

Weddings are a very emotional time for people. And, it’s these emotions that a bride and groom love to look back on as they browse through their wedding photos. Weddings provide a roller coaster ride of emotions for everyone including happiness, sadness, joy, laughter and fun! Be sure to capture photos that showcase a variety of emotions that occur throughout the day. Doing so will set your photos apart from other wedding photographers.

Photo by studioephoto

Photo by Andrea Cittadini Photography

Photo by studioephoto

Photo by DogEnd

Photo by Herman Au

We hope you enjoyed this extensive list of wedding photo ideas and found a lot of tips that you can use to capture better wedding photographs. Please leave a comment below telling us which tip was your favorite and/or share additional tips for others to learn.

This Photographer Competition Theme is Symmetry

Open your eyes and you will see that symmetry is all around you. From man-made objects such as buildings and furniture, to elements of nature such as flowers, trees and insects, symmetry is everywhere.

To many symmetry in photography is a thing of beauty. In fact, scientists have found that symmetry is inherently attractive to the human eye!

To help bring awareness to how symmetry visually dominates our everyday lives Shutter Pals is organizing a photographer competition around this theme. So get out your cameras and start taking photos that showcase symmetry in the world around us!

This competition is open to everyone (see prizes, entry and terms below) and gives you the chance to win a great prizes!

Each person may enter only one photo that showcases symmetry is everywhere. A photo of a symmetrical building, flower petals, a car tire, the face of a tiger, a doorway, etc. are just a few ideas to get you started.

Additional ideas and tips for the competition can be found here Using Symmetry in Photography

We look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Photographer Competition Prizes, Entry and Terms

Prize Details: One winner. Winner receives a copy of the book The Complete Photographer: A Masterclass in Every Style and Subject by Tom Ang and a DVD copy of Pro Studio Backgrounds and Backdrops by FreeDigitalPhotographyTutorials.com.

Eligibility: Open to all. Must be registered on www.shutterpals.com. It’s free to join.

Photo Entry Rules: Only one photo entry per person. Photo entry must come straight out of the camera and not processed in any manner. The only editing allowed is cropping the photo to achieve better balanced symmetry. This photography competition is being judged on your skill as a photographer not post-processing. File upload must be a jpeg and under 2 mb.

How to Enter:

1. Sign into www.shutterpals.com.
2. Upload your photo entry to your personal photo collection.
3. Visit the “Photography Competitions” section of the Forums and click on “April 2012 Photographer Competition” thread.
4. Click on the “New Reply” button to reply to the thread.
5. Click on the camera icon in the pop up window and choose “Import a Photo.” Select the photo entry you uploaded to your personal photo collection in step 2.
6. Include a title and description below the photo telling us why you think your photo represents best example of symmetry in the world around us.
7. Click the submit button to add your photo entry to the photographer competition.

How Photo Entries Will Be Judged: Shutter Pals will pick the top three finalists. for the photographer competition. A public rating will then be opened for members to vote on their favorite photo out of the three finalists. The photographer’s photo with the most votes will win.

Deadline for Photo Submission: April 30, 2012

Copyright: Copyright of the images will remain the property of the photographer.

Usage Rights: Shutter Pals reserves the right to use all photo entries as it wishes for display in all areas of the website and for promotional advertisements for future photography competitions. In all cases where such photos are used, Shutter Pals reserves the right to do so without obtaining the further prior permission of the Participant and without offering any compensation in any form.

We hope you have fun taking photos for the April 2012 Photographer Competition and look forward to seeing all of the photo entries. Please share this competition with your friends by email, facebook, twitter, google+, blogs, websites, etc.

Photographing football games produces some interesting challenges because the action can take place anywhere on the field. In sports such as hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and baseball, much of the action takes place in a specific area of the playing surface. For instance, with hockey, soccer, and lacrosse you can focus on the nets since the object of these sports is to score goals in them. When it comes to baseball, a lot of the thrills and spills take place at first base and home plate. But with football photography, you need to follow the action all over the field. You can’t just focus on one area and wait for a good photo to come to you. You have to look for it and capture it!

Assuming all of your camera gear is in working order and you haven’t left anything at home here are some football photography tips to help you get some action-packed sports photos. Follow these tips and you’ll know how to photograph football like a pro in no time!

Football Photography Tips

Know How the Game is Played

When you’re learning how to photograph football it’s best that you know how the game is played. Knowing the sport of football will allow you to anticipate the action and will typically result in better shots. Predicting what the next play may be will help you know who to focus on during the game.

Photos by techsports and West Point Public Affairs

Arrive Early to the Game

If you’re going to be photographing football you should show up early before the game begins. This is a great time for you to get some interesting crowd shots with fans decked out in wild and colorful outfits and some of them showing their support by painting their faces. You can also photograph the football players warming up before the game as well and get some great close-up shots of individual players. This is a football photography tips used by professional photographers to make sure they get shots of key players for their paying clients.

In a close-up shot you can’t tell when the photo was taken so most people will think the shot was taken during the game. This is also a good time for you to take some test shots in order to get your camera settings correct. When it comes time to actually photograph the game you’ll already have a rough idea of what aperture, shutter speed and ISO will work under the given lighting conditions and ensure you capture properly exposed football photography.

Follow the Game

The best way to follow the game is to do exactly that, follow the football game with your camera. To do this you should use the auto focus or Al servo focusing option. This allows you to follow a moving player and keep him in focus. The action in football happens so fast that it’s not worth the trouble trying to use manual focus. You most often will end up missing a great shot.

Choose the Best Angles

When photographing football your photos will look better if you’re on the same level as the players. If possible, get as low as you can in the venue. If you’re stuck in the stands, a zoom lens of at least 300 mm is recommended. If there’s room, a monopod or tripod will definitely help reduce the motion blur within the image by cutting out camera shake.

If possible, try to move around throughout the stands or arena in order to try different angles and give the game a fresh perspective. If you can move around the venue, positioning yourself approximately 15 yards behind or ahead of play in the neutral zone is a good idea. If you’re behind the quarterback you’ll be able to capture hand off shots as well as receivers who are anticipating a pass. The blitz is also a great opportunity for action shots if you’re ahead of the quarterback. This enables you to capture short passes or running plays. Once the play reaches the end zone, try to reach the center of the zone for the best angle of players trying to score a touchdown. For field goals, the best shots are facing the kicker or a profile shot.

Photos by situnek34 and beefy_n1

Photographing in Bright Conditions

If you are photographing a football game in bright conditions, set the camera’s ISO down to 100 if possible. You can then try shooting at 1/500^th of a second and see if the photos are properly exposed. If they are, you can boost the shutter speed up as fast as you like as long as the exposure is still correct for your football photography.

Every situation is different, so when you’re learning how to photograph football don’t be afraid to experiment with the ISO and shutter speed in football photography. Darker conditions will call for a higher ISO setting. If you can freeze the action and make out the fine details in the image you’re on the right track.

In the daytime, set the exposure to +1/3 as it will enable you to capture facial expressions that will be shadowed behind the players’ masks and helmets.

Find the Best Exposure Settings and Leave Them Alone

After you’ve figured out the correct settings to achieve good exposure for your football photography, don’t bother about checking out each image after you’ve taken a shot. It’s unnecessary and there’s a good chance you’ll miss a big play by doing this. If your camera allows shooting in RAW format we recommend that you use this setting. Any minor adjustments of exposure can be fixed when editing your best football photos after the game.

Invest in a Fast Lens

Fast lenses are the best for just about every sport, especially in football photography. They can be expensive, but if your aperture goes down to f/2.8 you’ll have a lot more success in darker conditions. When photographing football you’ll also be able to use a faster shutter speed to freeze the action within the frame and not worry about an underexposed shot.

Photos by West Point Public Affairs

Fill the Frame

Another important tip when learning how to photograph football is that you should always try to fill in the frame with the action in football photography. If you need to zoom in to do so, go ahead. You need tight shots to properly reproduce the speed and action of a hard-hitting football game. Getting low can help achieve this as facial expressions can tell a story and are a big part of football photography.

Experiment with Continuous-Mode

If your camera has a continuous-mode setting (shooting multiple frames while the shutter is pressed) we suggest that you experiment with using it. During situations like a tackle the action can happen so fast that you may miss a great shot by not clicking the shutter at the right time. By using your camera’s continuous-mode you can be sure that you capture every frame of the action and then later while you’re editing you can choose the best shot from the group.

We hope you enjoyed these football photography tips: how to photograph football. Leave a comment below telling us which tip was your favorite and share your experience with photographing football.

The most important aspects of taking good action sports photos are the camera’s aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings. Of course, you’ll also have to make sure the images are in focus and you’re in good position to take the shots.

Below, are some important tips for you to learn from so you can take better shots.

Photos by ufopilot and nocklebeast

Action Sports Photography Tips

Tip #1

For sharp, crisp images you need to be sure the camera is getting enough light into it. The aperture and shutter speed need to be balanced to achieve this. Remember, the lower the f-stop is, such as f/2.8, the more light you’re letting in. Also, the faster the shutter speed the more light is needed to expose the photo. When the shutter speed is slower more light gets in to the camera because the sensor is exposed for a longer period of time. The faster the shutter speed, the lower the F-stop needs to be. Remember this important action photography tips for every sport.

Tip #2

When it comes to freezing the action in sports photography, you’ll need a fast shutter speed. If it’s too slow the shots will generally be blurry. The best way to balance the shutter speed and aperture is to set the camera to manual mode and experiment. Set the shutter speed at 1/500^th of a second and take a shot. If the image is too dark then you’re not getting enough light in the camera. In this instance, slow the shutter speed down until your action sports photography shots are at the right exposure or adjust the aperture to a lower f-stop. The easiest way is to set the f-stop as low as you can and keep taking photos at various shutter speeds until the balance between shutter and aperture provides the right exposure match. In well-lit instances of sports photography you may be able to take shots as fast as 1/4000^th of a second. action sports photography tips.

Tip #3

In low-light conditions you may not be able to get a properly exposed photo simply because your lens aperture doesn’t go low enough. A lens that gives you an f2.8 aperture or lower may be needed for very low-light action photography.

Tip #4

The ISO setting has to be correct as well in sports photography. This indicates the sensitivity of the image sensor to light. The lower the number, such as 100, the lower the sensitivity is and the finer the grain will be. Therefore a sports photo shot at 1600 ISO will be quite a bit grainier (noise).

Photos by Dave_B_ and paddynapper

Tip #5

In darker conditions, you’ll need a higher ISO setting as it will allow for faster shutter speeds. In well-lit conditions, 100 ISO may be perfect. However, if it’s cloudy out you may want to experiment at 200 or 400. If you want less noise, try and get your shots with a lower ISO setting. However, if the conditions are dark, you may need to use 1600, especially if the subject is moving and you don’t have a tripod.

Tip #6

If you want to capture the action as close as possible you’ll need to get as close to the playing area as you can. This isn’t always possible though. In the case that you’re quite a distance away you’ll need a telephoto lens of at least 300mm to make up for the distance. But remember, the more you zoom in, the less light you’ll be letting into the camera, which means you’ll need a slower shutter speed or lower f-stop setting.

Tip #7

Timing is very important in sports photography. It’s important to know the rules and how the sport you’re covering is played. To get great sports action shots you can pre-focus on a location where you know there will be plenty of it taking place. This will help you to be ready for the action before it plays out and ensure you have a properly focused image.

A Recap of Action Sports Photography Tips

To sum up these tips, you need to have adequate camera equipment and lighting. A manual camera is definitely easier to work with in sports photography as it gives you more options. Long and fast lenses are ideal for action shots and high ISO settings are usually needed in darker conditions. A fast shutter speed helps to freeze the action while panning can show speed in an image. If you’re following an athlete with your camera, a continuous shooting mode is highly recommended. Most importantly, to take a crisp, clear shot, make sure you’re in focus.

Tell us what you think of these action sports photography tips or share your own by leaving a comment below.