(cid:33)(cid:44)(cid:44)(cid:55)(cid:47)(cid:50)(cid:52)(cid:40)(cid:0)(cid:48)(cid:50)(cid:37)(cid:51)(cid:51) (cid:46)(cid:37)(cid:55)(cid:0)(cid:57)(cid:47)(cid:50)(cid:43) Sports_Title Page New.indd 1 2/5/07 12:32:42 PM 01. Sports Photography chp. 00-2 2/5/07 12:52 PM Page II 01. Sports Photography chp. 00-2 2/5/07 12:52 PM Page III One of the truly magnificent slices of track and field history is captured in this classic example of a defini- tive image. Duane Hartknew that U.S. 200-meter and 400-meter champion Michael Johnson invariably threw his arms wide when crossing the line. Hartalso knew that Johnson had an excellent chance of setting a world record in the 200-meter final of the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. He hoped—and planned—to capture that defining moment on one dramatic frame. To do so, he staked out his spot eight hours before the event! Johnson scorched to victory, and Hart made the shot of the jubilant champion and the story-telling scoreboard. One great moment; one great image. Canon 1N, Fujicolor 800, 200mm f1.8 lens, handheld, 1/1000 at f4. © Duane Hart 01. Sports Photography chp. 00-2 2/5/07 12:52 PM Page IV ©2007 Peter Skinner All rights reserved.Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention,Universal Copyright Convention,and Pan-American Copyright Convention.No part of this book may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted in any form,or by any means,electronic,mechanical, photocopying,recording,or otherwise,without prior permission of the publisher. 11 10 09 08 07 5 4 3 2 1 Published by Allworth Press An imprint of Allworth Communications,Inc. 10 East 23rd Street,New York,NY 10010 Cover design by Derek Bacchus Interior design/page composition/typography by Mary Belibasakis Cover photo © Ben Chen (for details see page 45) ISBN-13:978-1-58115-480-1 ISBN-10:1-58115-480-1 Libraryof Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Skinner,Peter. Sports photography :how to capture action and emotion / Peter Skinner. p.cm. ISBN-13:978-1-58115-480-1 (pbk.) ISBN-10:1-58115-480-1 (pbk.) 1. Photography of sports. I.Title. TR821.S58 2007 779’.99796—dc22 2006100739 Printed in China 01. Sports Photography chp. 00-2 2/5/07 12:52 PM Page V Acknowledgments A project such as this is essentially a team effort,and I have been very fortunate to have an excellent team of people contributing in many ways to help get the job done. The photographers whose images are published here have been a magnificent resource, and to all of them I say a very big thank you.Their work represents a vast and diverse collection of sports photography, covering subjects from backyard and street games through Little League and high school sports, to the major leagues,the Olympic Games,and the great outdoors.To Ben Chen,Bob Gomel,Duane Hart,Walter Iooss, Mark Johnson, Bruce Kluckhohn, Diane Kulpinski, Brian Robb, Steve Trerotola, and Bob Woodward:my heartfelt thanks for your wonderful images and for sharing your vision.Special thanks must go to Bob Woodward, an enthusiastic supporter from the outset, who not only provided images but also scrutinized initial drafts and made numerous helpful suggestions. Other friends and colleagues who provided invaluable assistance were Bill Hurter,editor of Rangefinder magazine; John Russell, a veteran photojournalist and former assistant photography editor at the Daily Telegraph in Sydney,Australia;Ken Newton,an eminent Australian media and public relations consultant; Julianne Kost, digital imaging evangelist with Adobe Systems and a leader in her field; photographer and author Mikkel Aaland, who has written numerous highly regarded books on digital imaging and software applications; two colleagues from my years with the American Society of Media Photographers, Dick Weisgrau,former executive director,and Victor Perlman,general counsel;John Rettie,author/photographer and a columnist for Rangefinder magazine;Michael Verbois,a principal of Santa Barbara–based Media 27; Ron Pownall, an editorial and commercial photographer who also shoots youth sports;Aidan Bradley of Santa Barbara,who specializes in golf course photography;and photographer Christian Iooss.Also,I’d like to express mygratitude to my friend and colleague of many years,Ernie Brooks,a well-known marine pho- tographer and educator,who has always encouraged creative and adventurous projects—mine and those of numerous other authors and photographers. My appreciation also goes to the good folks at Allworth Press—Tad Crawford, Bob Porter, Nicole Potter-Talling,Jessica Rozler,Allison Caplin,Nana Greller,and Derek Bacchus—for suggesting this book and taking it through to completion. And my biggest thank you goes to my wife,Priscilla,who has handled numerous tasks such as chapter formatting, filing images, checking image quality, updating changes, making insightful recommendations, and attending to all the associated logistics to ensure we stayed on deadline.Without her talent and expertise,producing this book would have been very challenging indeed. To all of you,my sincere thanks. Peter Skinner Golden Beach,Queensland,Australia 01. Sports Photography chp. 00-2 2/5/07 12:52 PM Page VII Contents Introduction 1 CHAPTER 1: Choosing the Right Equipment 11 The Right Camera for You •What to Look for When Buying an SLR System•What to Look for in a Camera • Lenses •The Crop Factor— Film Camera Lenses on Digital Cameras •Tripods and Monopods • Flash • Minimalism is a Good Idea • Camera Bags and Jackets • Looking After Your Equipment in the Field • Cleaning the DSLR Sensor CHAPTER 2: Digital or Film 23 The Digital Advantage • Digital Drawbacks • On Using Film • Selecting Image Quality • Color Temperature and White Balance for Digital Cameras • Customizing White Balance • Color Correcting Film • Filters Outdoors • Imaging Software • Useful Peripherals • Battery Longevity CHAPTER 3: Exposure and Lighting 31 Exposure—Get It Right at the Start • Measuring Light Intensity • In-Camera Metering Systems • Understanding Basic Daylight Exposure—The Sunny f16 Rule • Exposure Based on BDE • Approximating Middle Gray • Quality and Direction of Light CHAPTER 4: Capturing the Action 41 Location,Position,and Planning •The Peak of Action • Essentials to Capture the Action •Timing,Anticipation,and Knowing the Athletes • Point-and-Shoot Cameras • Shooting in Artificial Light • Focusing Skills • Slow Shutter Speeds and Panning the Action • Different Lenses for Different Looks •The Direction and Speed of the Action • Shoot Economically to Save Film or Card Storage • Faces Are Important • Game’s Over—Keep Shooting • Shooting Different Sports • Look and Learn from the Pros PHOTOGRAPH GALLERY ACollection of Action Images 67 01. Sports Photography chp. 00-2 2/7/07 12:47 PM Page VIII CHAPTER 5: The Emotion of Sport 81 Celebration,Excitement,and Jubilation •Tension and Strain • Heroics and Heroism • Dejection and Disappointment • Confrontation • Encouragement and Support • Planning to Capture Those Emotional Moments •What Equipment to Use • CHAPTER 6: The Aesthetics and Moods of Sport 87 Capturing the Atmosphere Within a Stadium •The Great Outdoors • It’s All in the Details CHAPTER 7: Getting Access and Working with Sports Groups 95 Contacting the Right People • Get It in Writing • Legally Speaking CHAPTER 8: Self-Assignments and Special Projects 101 The Photo Essay • Getting Started • Self-Assignment Triathlon • Self-Assignment Possibilities •The Team Approach •Testing Yourself with Just One Lens • Exhibiting the Work and Getting Sponsorship CHAPTER 9: Sports Photographyfor Loveor Money 109 On Specializing • Sports Photography is Competitive • Covering Costs • Find a Good Lab •All Under One Roof • On-Site Coverage and Service • Getting Noticed • Stock Photography •Workshops and Information Resources • Following Your Dream—Diane Kulpinski CHAPTER 10: Insights—Putting Things Into Perspective with Walter Iooss 123 Street Games and Stickball •The Vision Behind the Sporting Life • The Backyard Field of Dreams • Empathy and Simpatico •Walls as Backgrounds • Shooting for the Gold • On Going Digital • On Being Versatile •The Definitive Image Biographies of the Contributing Photographers 133 Resources 139 01. Sports Photography chp. 00-2 2/23/07 9:29 AM Page VIII They'reaway! Sand flies as contestants in an Australian surf-lifesaving beach sprint accelerate from the start. Tight composition and timing the shot so the sprinters' arms are in unison strengthen the image. Nikon 801, Tamron 300mm f2.8 manual focus, Fujichrome Velvia, 1/1000 at f4. © Duane Hart 01. Sports Photography chp. 00-2 2/23/07 9:29 AM Page IX
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