I learned that in action photography If you want to take a sports photo, you need to bring the viewer in as close as possible. This means using a zoom lens like the 70-200mm. If you don’t have a long zoom lens, simply get as close as possible to the field. Many first-time sports photographers are nervous to zoom right into the middle of the action. You’re likely to snap plenty of frames where an unexpected zig or zag took the player partially out of the image. This is part of sports photography. Even the professionals aren’t able to nail the perfect shot every time. Having the perfect settings, composition and timing won’t count for anything if you miss your focus. With the possibility for spectators, colorful advertisements, and other players in the background of your images, your camera’s focus might wander and lock onto the wrong target.
What I learned in motion photography is the reason for motion blur is simply that your camera’s shutter remains open for a significant period of time. You get motion blur when your shutter speed is long, whereas you freeze the action when your shutter speed is short. If your shutter speed is too fast, you’re not going to capture much movement. But if you dial in a lengthy shutter speed you won’t need your subject to move much at all before you start to see blur. With Shutter Priority, you set the shutter speed, but your camera will set the aperture to ensure the shot is well exposed. It’s a very handy mode for motion blur photography because it ensures you get the movement effect you’re after while also capturing generally well-exposed images.
