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HP Digital Photography

Take photos
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Sports photography
» Get into the game
» Take stadium-sized snapshots
» Capture the action
» Stop the clock
» Beat the buzzer
» Go beyond the action
action shot of a young girl fielding a soccer ball at the goal

Introduction

Capture the excitement of sporting events with your digital camera. Learn how to freeze the action, capture motion, get close to the game with a zoom lens, and more with these sports photography tips.

Get into the game

action shot of a soccer goalie preventing the ball from scoring Catch the intensity of a tennis player’s serve or the expression on a soccer goalie’s face from your seat in the bleachers. Use your digital camera’s zoom capabilities or place a telephoto or zoom lens over your regular lens to really get close-ups and finer details. Your shots from the cheap seats could look like they were taken from courtside.

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Take stadium-sized snapshots

a panoramic photo showing football goal posts taken from the end zone With HP in-camera panorama preview (an exclusive HP Real Life technology, it’s easier than ever to fully capture the action of any event. You can create accurate multi-shot photos of up to five images, then preview your panorama on the LCD, and automatically stitch the photos together when you download them to HP Image Zone—the full-featured imaging software that comes bundled with HP digital cameras.

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Capture the action

white water rafting photo Use the Action shooting mode on your digital camera to capture sporting events, moving cars, or any scene where you want to stop the action. Action mode optimizes the shutter speed to freeze the motion so you can take multiple shots in quick succession.

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Stop the clock

action shot of a mountain biker riding down a dirt road Freeze-frame an athlete in action with a technique called “panning”—moving the camera in the same direction as your moving subject as you shoot. This approach produces an image with a motion-blurred background and a sharply focused subject.

To get a good pan, your movement should be smooth and controlled, so begin to pan the camera before your subject enters your view. Track the moving subject with your camera while turning your body to follow the action. Take the picture, continue moving the camera, and follow through even after the shot has been taken. Panning is tricky and takes practice. Results can be quite unpredictable, but they can also be extraordinary, so it’s worth trying.

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Beat the buzzer

photo angle looking up at a basketball going into a basketball hoop Depending on your camera, it can take an entire second from the moment you press the shutter to when you capture the image, so in order to catch the moment, you'll have to “trick” your digital camera into overcoming shutter lag.

To get a great shot, you’ll have to anticipate a perfect play, moment of triumph, or an athlete’s reaction. Autofocus digital cameras need only a short time to focus, so by putting a little pressure on the shutter release (pressing down approximately halfway), the camera locks the focus on whatever you’re pointing the lens at.

By holding the button partially down until you’re ready to shoot, you can take the picture much faster because the focusing process will already be done.

Take as many images as possible and simply keep the one you like the most and erase the ones you don’t. Or, if you prefer to keep shooting (and delete unwanted photos later), just buy an extra memory card and keep it in your camera case.

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Go beyond the action

three young soccer players with their backs to the camera Get unique images by going past the game itself and focusing in on faces of the defeated team after the tiebreaker or your child’s look of pride after a win in the school’s tennis tournament. Also use the settings and scenery associated with the sport to compose an evocative still life, such as the winning team posing under the bright lights and glowing scoreboard on the football field.

Once you have captured the perfect sports shots, frame them in fun printable photo trading cards or sports magazine frames. You can even turn your sports photo into beautiful cards or postcards to send to family and friends.

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Related links

»  Discover the power of HP Real Life technologies
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»  Do more with your photos with creative projects