One of the trickiest types of photography for me is sports photography. Trying to catch just that right moment in a well focused action shot can be challenging to say the least. It also doesn’t help that my kids are more into video games than sports, so it’s not like I get a lot of chance to practice. However, both of my sons always played baseball in the summertime, so I tried to experiment a little each year.
Using a tripod at baseball didn’t really appeal to me because I like being able to move around quickly behind and beside the diamond to get different shots, so sometimes I had camera shake issues if I was zooming in a great deal. Plus for infield shots, you often have fencing obstructing your view to deal with. I did learn to use a fast shutter speed and sometimes I tried continuous shooting as well to really catch the action. My first attempts were not the best, but as the years went by I began to improve. I love this shot of my youngest son, Daniel, because of how I caught him mid-swing with such a look of concentration and determination on his face. There is also a tiny bit of blur on the bat which shows the motion. Any feedback on this shot would be welcomed. Do you have any secrets for sports photography?
photos from the loonybin 
Indeed you were able to capture the highlight of the moment. One can really see the energy, determination and concentration in your son’s swing. The man in the background adds depth to the picture in more than one way. I may only wish he would have been a little more to the left so as to get free of the athlete himself. But a great shot.
Thank you for the comments. I hadn’t even really thought about the man in the background, but you’re so right – if he had only been more to the left it would have been even better.
I love this shot. Sports photography isn’t something I have experimented with too much so I’m afraid I won’t be much help. My camera has a sports function so it takes a lot of photos right in a row…but I think that’s cheating in a way and the photos aren’t as clear.
And congrats to your son. I could never hit the ball when I was a kid. I was always the sacrifice bunt.
Thanks TBM! My son loves baseball, and he likes a challenge. One game in particular, my husband said he would pay him (I think it was $10 or $20) if he hit the ball over the fence, so he rose to the challenge and smacked it right out of the park. The ump actually gave him the ball to take home as a keepsake, and he radiated pride for days afterwards. We are not a huge sports family (I was more like you when I played as a kid), but I love watching my boys play.