Indoor Sports Photography
Indoor sports like basketball, volleyball
and gymnastics are very exciting sports to follow. Fast-paced and
action-packed, these sports are nevertheless notoriously difficult to
photograph. There is only one major reason for this. The indoor
environment is not conducive to taking shots. In most situations the
feeble lighting will produce dark pics or worse, badly colored ones
(where one or two colors dominate)
Thus, to take an indoor sports photograph use a camera with high ISO
settings (ISO denotes the sensitivity of the film, or image sensor in
the case of digital cameras, to light; the higher the ISO, the more
sensitive is the sensor and the better will the results be in low-light
conditions). Most cameras now have light meters that allow you to
determine whether available light is sufficient to produce the required
exposure for a shot. One word of warning, though: high ISO settings
enable the camera to detect fainter light signals. This means that light
from the background (not from the subject) will also be detected. In
other words, the picture produced digresses away from the intended
subject. If you wanted to focus on a particular action or movement, then
the shot would have failed. There is therefore a balance to be sought
between the ISO setting and the need to produce useful shots. This
balance can only be struck by the photographer’s own judgment and
experience.
Shutter speed is also an important issue (as with all sports
photography). This is because of the need to capture action and
movement. Fast shutter speeds will enable you to freeze the motion,
producing a clear photograph.
A low aperture lens is also desirable. Aperture controls the amount
of light that enters the camera. Because there is so little light
available, a wide aperture is generally desirable so as to make maximum
use of the ambient lighting. Usually, f2.8 to f4 apertures are
sufficient. Autofocus cameras sometimes do away with the choice of
choosing aperture width. However, these may not produce the desired
results.
Indoor shots almost always require re-working. The chance of
obtaining a perfect coloring with an indoor shot is quite unlikely. It
is therefore advisable to shoot in RAW mode. Raw files are minimally
processed at the level of the camera. They can be converted into
viewable formats (JPEG etc.) through white balancing and color grading.
This enables the photographer to correct deficiencies in the original
picture. Raw files produce images of higher quality but it does involve
some work.
After considering the technical details, one must now focus on the
main aspect of sports photography: how to catch the human drama on film?
The main purpose of the sports photographer is to capture the emotions
displayed by the players. The emotion is what distinguishes a great shot
from a good one. Be on the lookout for expressions: anger, aggression
and rivalry but also joy and excitement of victory. If you have to,
sacrifice sharpness for that outstanding shot of a single emotive
action. This shot is worth much more than a thousand clear pictures.
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