How to Take Good Sports Photos

Learn as much as you can about the sport you are shooting. The key to taking good sports photos is to be in the right place at the right time. Ideally, you want to be as close to the action as possible and have the athletes coming in your direction. In basketball, for instance, a great place to stand is on the baseline, but not directly under the backboard. This will allow you to shoot pictures of players as they drive to the basket or pull up for a jump shot.

Know the lens speed of your camera. Some cameras are on a short time delay, while others snap the picture much quicker. You don't want to shoot a picture before or after the action happens.

Know how your camera zooms in and out. You want the picture to be as close to the action as possible, but you also don't want it to be blurred (or fuzzy).

Know the lighting where the picture is being taken. A picture that is too dark is not clearly visible. Don't shoot a picture directly into the setting sun. Use the flash when necessary.

Shoot the picture so that it shows as much action as possible. If you are shooting basketball, a desirable photo is when the ball is just leaving the shooter's hand. The same would go for a baseball pitcher. Another great baseball picture is when a runner slides into home plate. The ideal picture shows the runner just when he arrives at the plate. Avoid photos where the athlete is standing still or is just beginning to go into motion.

Be aware of what's in the picture. A picture that shows faces is generally better than one in which you just see the back of the athletes. Try to avoid shooting a picture where only part of the athlete is visible. Be aware of what's in the background. Many great sports photos show the crowd in the background.

Use your imagination and props. Not all great sports photos involve action. Other effective photos are posed shots, which are set up prior to the picture being taken. If you want to show the three best hitters on a baseball team together, shoot the picture with the three of them holding (or swinging) bats.

Capture the emotion of the event. Celebration shots often make for good photos. Photos showing the dejection of the losing team are also quite effective.