Sports (action) Photography

[ramsdellb]

I have been taking photos for years but mostly outside scenes, landscape, indoor poses. Mostly, items that are not moving. My son plays basketball and I have been trying to get some good pics but they are blurry or yellow in color. Can't seem to get it right. I even bought a new camera thinking I would have a better chance.

Any pointers on action shots. Keep in mind that I am not a camera guru..

[Sweetlifephoto]

The reason they are yellow is that the light in most gyms is HPS high pressure sodium, so you can try one of the following: 1. Experiment with your white balance settings. 2. Use a flash.

The reason your photos are blurry is that the shutter speed is too slow and the subject moves before the shutter closes. Try one or all of the following: 1. Change your ISO setting to a higher number. 2. Use a flash it stops motion in a longer exposure 3. Try and shoot at the apex of action. That is when someone jumps an the point in time when they stop going up before they start going back down they are still. Hold your shutter down just before they hit the top of their jump and shoot a few frames as you get the hang of it

[Hill Country Hack]

Originally Posted by Sweetlifephoto

The reason they are yellow is that the light in most gyms is HPS high pressure sodium, so you can try one of the following: 1. Experiment with your white balance settings. 2. Use a flash.

The reason your photos are blurry is that the shutter speed is too slow and the subject moves before the shutter closes. Try one or all of the following: 1. Change your ISO setting to a higher number. 2. Use a flash it stops motion in a longer exposure 3. Try and shoot at the apex of action. That is when someone jumps an the point in time when they stop going up before they start going back down they are still. Hold your shutter down just before they hit the top of their jump and shoot a few frames as you get the hang of it

What he said and you can also open your apeture as far as it will go (smallest f number you can get). The gym may not allow you to use a flash so increasing your ISO and going to the smallest f number you can are your only options.

If the terms ISO and apeture are confusing you, there are tutorials on this site. Search in the turtorial section for "exposure triangle", apeture, ISO. If they are kids, they don't move as fast as teens/adults and you may be able to do some good. Good luck.