" Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask 'how', while others of a more curious nature will ask 'why'. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information" - Man Ray
■ Learn the tips and tricks to capture action & motion in dynamic & fast moving sports & action scenarios
■ Positioning yourself in the right place at the right time
■ Camera & lens gear requirements
■ How to achieve fast focusing, good burst speeds & accurate metering
■ Dealing with changing light & compositions
■ How to freeze the motion & to show blur
■ Case examples across many sporting fields including water sports, rodeos & skiing
■ 10 practical projects to hone your skills
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
INTRODUCTION - what the action & sports photography course is all about
HOW THIS COURSE WORKS - introduction | study - read the notes | do the practical projects | critique - submit images for critique | certificate - receive your certificate of completion | social media - join our photography space group on facebook & instagram
PREPARATION - introduction | before start | where to shoot | when to go | how to go | what to shoot | on location | be adaptable | back up & storage | auto smartphone back up | workflow on site | theft & insurance | your safety & wellbeing | blogging & social media | instagram | tips & tricks | summary | recommended tools
CAMERA GEAR - what gear - a quick guide | full frame dslr cameras | cropped sensor dslr | prime & zoom lenses | quality compacts | mirrorless cameras | bridge & hybrid cameras | 360 degree cameras | medium format cameras | adventure cameras | smartphones | drones | speedlite flash units | supplementary lighting | off camera lighting | tripods, monopods & gorillapods | filters | batteries, memory cards & backup | cleaning your gear | camera bags | accessories | tips & tricks | summary | recommended gear
CAMERA HANDLING - shooting modes | raw vs jpeg | metering modes | colour space | focusing modes | focusing points | white balance | iso | picture style & control | exposure lock & compensation & bracketing | adding light into shadows | high dynamic range (hdr) | using flash | tethering | tips & tricks | summary
LIGHTING - types | natural light | artificial light | white balance | time the light | planning & timing | dawn | midday | twilight | night | silhouettes | | tips & tricks | summary
COMPOSITION - leading & converging lines | the rules of thirds | framing an image | reflections | look for unusual angles | odd & even numbers | colour | star bursts | focusing on detail | showing motion | freezing the shot | viewpoint | lens perspective | point of view (pov) | selective focus | vertical vs horizontal | aspect ratio | tips & tricks | summary | compositional aids
COMMON THEMES
SPECIFIC INFORMATION - knowledge | key points | settings | lighting | composition | freeze the motion | showing blur | lcd or viewfinder | get close | some good activities | know your gear | know your subject | time of day | time of year | viewpoint | remote control devices | at the zoo | on safari | birds | nature | wildflowers | tips & tricks | summary | recommended gear
SOME ACTION ACTIVITIES - overview | street photography | street party | frozen moments | skiing | boating | sailing | cruising in focus | cycling | mountain biking | wildlife | pets | rodeo | the beach | surfing | shooting action from boats | shooting from vehicles | on foot | aerial | drones | sand dunes | light trails | fireworks | interact with your subject | framing | colour coordination | lens perspective | backgrounds | common mistakes | tips & tricks | summary | recommended gear
SOME SPORTS ACTIVITIES - overview | snow sports in focus | cycling | horse racing | football | tennis | netball | baseball | cricket | track & field | marathons | motor racing | car rallies | interact with your subject | framing | colour coordination | lens perspective | backgrounds | common mistakes | tips & tricks | summary | recommended gear
EDITING, PROJECTS & MORE
BACKUP & EDITING - back at home | basics of editing | editing in lightroom | transferring files-hardware | uploading files | auto smartphone backup | home & office back up | showcasing your images | social media | selling online | photo books & frames | photos as prints | tips & tricks | summary | recommended gear
ISSUES & COMMON ERRORS - common mistakes | photos are not sharp | depth of field to shallow | rotational perspective | barrel distortion | dirty sensor, filter or lens | wrong lens | unwanted reflections | slanted horizons | excess clutter & unbalanced | digital noise | over tilting | incorrect colour balance | lurid colour & hdr | tips & tricks | summary
FUTURE DIRECTIONS - amateur or pro | personality type | match your interests | practical tips for success | photo gear in the future | computational photography | the end of the beginning | tips & tricks | conclusions | summary | a personal journey
PRACTICAL PROJECTS - light | composition | perspective | depth of field | viewpoint | reflections | showing motion | freezing the subject | create uncluttered backgrounds | colour balance
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) - why do a photography space course | benefits | tutor support | accreditation | background needed | certificate | computer skills | course style | course cost | online social network club | faq hotline
RESOURCES - camera & studio gear at good prices | field guides & support | tripods | camera bags | retail outlets & processing labs | camera & lens tests | camera magazines | photography books | inspirational wildlife & nature books | indesign & lightroom tutorials | interesting photography websites | digital albums & services | photo sharing | photography tours
GLOSSARY - the a to z guide to all things photographic
ABOUT THE AUTHORS - serena pearce code lime photography | andrew thomasson focus 10 photography
■ This course is suitable for amateurs to serious semi pro photographers alike - the course is very comprehensive
■ Whilst it's advantageous to have some background photography knowledge, the course is very detailed with easy to understand, step by step procedures to teach you every facet of camera handling skills and compositional, lighting and a myriad of other techniques to become a competent nature and wildlife photographer
■ What is important is to have good camera gear. Whilst a cheap $500 DLSR is capable of taking good action and sport photographs, you need camera gear that reflects your commitment and professionalism to your craft and a bag of quality camera gear does just that
■ Any full or cropped frame DSLR camera or mirrorless camera is suitable for this course. Full frame cameras with their bigger sensors will give better results in certain situations (great for cropping in on a distant cyclist). Most pro action & sports photographers will also have a quality cropped DLSR as it increases a lens focal length by around a 1.5x factor. As a professional sports photographer you need a back up camera in case of equipment failure
■ We also suggest you have a quality compact such as a Sony RX100 MKV1 with a 8x optical zoom. We also like compacts with macro features for nature shots (ie Lumix LX100). Consider hybrid cameras like the Nikon P1000 with its incredible 125x zoom
■ We also suggest that down the track you look at a drone such a DJI Mavic Pro 2 to get into the exciting world of action and sports photography from up above
■ Adventure and sports cameras such as Go Pros are not obligatory for the course but get one as you move into it
■ You can commence this course with one lens such as an all rounder 70-300mm lens. However down the track as you get into action & sports photography the three main lenses in a sports photographers camera bag would be a 16-35mm (close up work such as track & field), a 24-70mm and a 80-400mm (preferably with 2 out of 3 on its own dedicated full frame camera body). You will definitely need a long telephoto lens such as an 100-400mm, 200-500mm, 150-600mm made by various manufacturers. You will also have a 1.4x converter. A fixed 200mm, 300mm or 500mm (great for shooting sport from the sidelines) would be a good addition to your kit. Each action and sports photography application may require specialised gear and if money is no object get the uber expensive Leica 1600mm f5.6 lens or a 800mm Nikkor lens for around AUD $25,000!
■ At least one external on-camera flash unit is desirable to do this course. To shoot commercial you will need another Speedlite unit as a back up
■ We highly recommend you have a quality smartphone with at least one optical zoom lens. Also offers instant posting on social media sites to promote yourself covering a sporting event!
■ At least one sturdy tripod, U/V, ND and polarising filters and a 5-in-1 reflector (a 42" one is a good size)
Action & Sports Photography Course - $290
Our courses are practical and fun with lots of tips and tricks, case studies and amazing images to inspire you
We share our experiences as working generalist photographers - lots of advice and recommendations with less jargon
Our courses are suitable for all camera types - full and cropped frame DSLR's, mirrorless, quality compacts, smartphones and drones
We are here to share our combined experience of 40 years as working professional photographers and educators with you