photo guide.pdf - bhs.cc

BHS
PUBLICATIONS
FIELD GUIDE
PHOTOGRAPHY
RYAN MCCALLUM

“These snapshots are their little
stands against the flow of
time. The shutter is clicked,
the flash goes off, and
they've stopped time, if just
for the blink of an eye.
And if these pictures have
anything important to say
to future generations, it's
this: 'I was here; I existed;
I was young; I was
happy; and someone
cared enough about
me in this world to
take my picture'."
-Sy the Photo Guy
One Hour Photo
Photo by Melisa Miller ‘04
Cover by Allie Houfer ‘05

2 INTRODUCTION
You are the eyes of the school...
Whether you are taking pictures for the newspaper
or the yearbook, you have become the
eyes of the school. A photographer decides
what gets remembered about a person, event,
or place. You allow people to experience
things they’ve never seen and remember
moments that will inspire memories. You control
a part of history.
In order to live up to this role, you should learn
how to take the best pictures possible. This
guide is designed to help you understand the
world of photography; from the technical
aspects of cameras and the fundamental rules
of picture composition to technical aspects
involved in digital editing.
While reporters and writers work on chronicling
events that can help provide a glance
into an event, photographers provide a living
history of the school. A yearbook full of great
stories and a newspaper full of important
issues will go unread and unnoticed.
Photographs add importance, impact, and
emotion to to any publication. Photography
allows us, in a sense, own what we do not.
You decide what people remember and what
will be forgotten. You can’t capture every
moment, so make what you do capture
amazing.
Photography is a means
of recording forever the
things one sees for a
moment.
-Aaron Sussman

INTRODUCTION
3
Melisa Miller ‘04

4 BEFORE YOU GO
You only get one chance
Good pictures don’t happen
unless the photographer is prepared.
Every assignment you
will go on will involve several
important factors that will dictate
which camera settings are
appropriate. If you don’t anticipate
these factors in advance,
you may return with an ugly
shot of a beautiful moment or
miss important events as you
rethink the camera’s settings.
Factors to consider
Setting: Will you be shooting
indoors or outdoors? Will the
light source be mostly artificial?
If it’s indoors, how large
will the area be and how far
away will the source of light
be? Be sure to scout out your
location in order to take your
pictures from the best location.
Time: If your event is outdoors
in in natural light, try to take
most of your pictures during
the brightest times. When daylight
starts getting sparse, be
sure to show up to events
while it is still light if you can.
Certain shutter speeds become
useless when it begins to darken.
Light: Adjust the camera to
compensate for the amount
and type of lighting that will be
available.
Motion: You should know how
Angela Salveson ‘04
much motion to expect from
your subjects. Anticipate and
compensate for motion and
adjust your shutter speed
appropriately.
“The camera is no
more an instrument
of preservation, the
image is...” Berenice
Abbott

5
Tip
Action shots require
a higher shutter
speed, which needs a
lot of light. Try to get
all sports shots during
the daytime.
Allie Houfer ‘05
Weather: Overcast skies, rain, wind,
and snow cover should all affect how
you set up your camera.
Intent: Know what you photos are
going to be used for. Will it be large
and dominant? Will it be horizontal or
vertical? Will there be digital editing
with it? If you are taking a picture that
is supposed to be artistic, talk with the
writer or editor to find out exactly what
the picture is supposed to look like.
Emotion: Pictures are meant to do
more than just provide proof that
something happened. Be sure to prepare
to capture meaning behind
events. Think carefully about where to
place yourself to capture the honest
emotions behind an event. Remember
that not all sports photography should
be done on the field of play.

6 GUIDING PRINCIPLES
We are not interested in the unusual but the usual seen unusually.
-Beaumont Newhall
Ryan Strugar ‘04
Perspective
As a photographer, your main goal should be to
get as close to your subject as possible.
Everybody can see a sporting event from the
stands, a speech from the bleachers, or a classroom
from the doorway. It should be your aim to
provide your audience the view from where they
want to be. The best photographers are not
embarrassed by getting on the playing field and
next to their subjects. If you aren’t willing to get
up close, you may as well send someone else.
Honesty
Just as writers cannot make up quotes, no matter
how good they would sound. You should
never, under any circumstance, pose a photo or
attempt to recreate a candid situation, no matter
how good it may look. Also, during editing, you
may never alter a photos content or meaning.
Candid
Saved posed shots for portraits and group photos.
While posed shots may be great for personal
albums, they are horrible for newspapers and
yearbooks. Candid photos capture emotion,
action, and motion. This is they type of photo
that everyone will be interested in, even if they
don’t know the people or have never seen the
event. Candid photos are honest and create a
living representation. Be creative and outgoing to
get interesting and unique candid photographs.
Awareness
A good photographer is aware of their surroundings
and is able to take candid photos without
being noticed by subjects or getting in the way.
Get outside of yourself. Become a part of the
environment you are photographing and take the
pictures that you know your readers want to see.

HISTOGRAM
7
Too
Dark
(Underexposed)
Too
Bright
(Overexposed)
The histogram is a handy graph that
alerts you to the two extreme cases of
underexposure and overexposure in
your pictures.
In severely underexposed pictures,
you lose details in the shadows. In
severely overexposed pictures that
result in blown highlights, you lose
details in the highlights.
If the image is too dark (histogram
touches the left side), dial in a positive
exposure compensation value in
+1/3EV steps, and see if the histogram
shifts to the right. Some pictures
might require up to a +1EV
exposure compensation to preserve
details in the shadows.
If the image is too bright (histogram
touches the right side), dial in a negative
exposure compensation value in -
1/3EV steps, and see if the histogram
shifts to the left. Some pictures might
require up to a -1EV exposure compensation
to preserve details in the
highlights.
Most digital cameras allow you to dial
in an exposure compensation
between -2EV to +2EV, in 1/3EV
steps.
Just
Right
(Balanced Exposure)
We have also seen that there is no
good or bad histogram, per se. A histogram
simply tells us how our picture
is exposed and we retain the control
to decide whether -- and how -- to
adjust the exposure. We might decide
to compensate for the under or overexposure,
or we might even force an
underexposure if that is the effect we
are after.
For more info, see page 74 of the Sony manual
or page 110 of the Nikon manual.

8 TERMINOLOGY
It is important to understand that
a photograph actually captures
an image during a certain length
of time. A photo can never
freeze time, but we can control
the length of time a photo captures.
While some photos capture
action over several seconds,
minutes, or hours, other
can show as little as 1/1600th of
a second. It is important to
remember that the passage of
time is represented in each photograph
we take.
Exposure
Exposure is the amount of light
that reaches the image sensor
and is controlled by a combination
of the lens aperture and
shutter speed. Exposure, and its
effect on shutter speed, may be
the single greatest technical
aspect of photography. It affects
every aspect of a photo, so it
should be a key consideration
before you set out to take a picture.
The shutter speed is the length
of time that film is exposed to
light. A rapid shutter speed (400
and above) means that very little
light reaches the lens while the
shutter is open. A slow shutter
speed allows more light to reach
the lens, but also makes it difficult
to capture motion because
the lens is open longer. If you
have a strong flash or are shooting
in daylight, a fast shutter
speed will capture amazing
action. However, in low light,
a fast shutter makes for pictures
so dark they are almost
unrecognizable. Experiment
with different shutter speeds
in new locations before you
go out on assignment. 200
speed is good for most other
photos.
The idea that any photography
can't be personal is madness!
... I see something; it goes
through my eye, brain, heart,
guts; I choose the subject.
What could be more personal
than that?
-Cornell Capa
Melisa Miller ‘04

9
Optical vs. Digital zoom
Never allow the camera to use digital zoom.
Optical zoom is done using the camera’s
actual lens, thus pictures will have no distortion.
Digital zoom, on the other hand, takes
an image and digitally magnifies it, distorting
the image and adding grain. Digital zoom
may look fine on the camera’s display, but
any pictures that are blown up or published
will be flawed. If you need to get closer than
the camera will zoom, opt for a telephoto
AE - Auto Exposure
A system for automatically setting the proper
exposure according to the existing light conditions.
There are three types of AE systems:
Programmed where the camera picks the
best shutter speed and aperture automatically
Aperture Priority, the user chooses an
aperture value and the shutter speed is
automatically determined by lighting conditions
Shutter Priority, the user chooses a shutter
speed and the aperture is automatically
determined by lighting conditions
AE Lock
The ability to hold the current exposure settings
and allow you to point the camera elsewhere
before capturing the image. This is
usually accomplished by half-pressing the
shutter button and keeping it at that position
until you're ready to capture the image.
Bulb
This is a long time exposure setting - shutter
stays open for as long as you keep the shutter
release button held down. Time exposure
mode. Similar to bulb mode, only the photographer
presses the shutter release once
to open the shutter and once again to close
it.
Burst Mode
“Photography must contain one thing:
the humanity of the moment”
-Robert Frank
Angie Pietrantonio ‘05
The ability to rapidly capture images as long as the shutter button is held
down.Also called Continuous frame capture.
Color Balance
Color Balance - The accuracy with which the colors captured in the
image match the original scene.
Contrast
A measure of rate of change of brightness in an image.
Digital Zoom
A digital magnification of the center 50% of an image. Digital zooms by
nature generate less than sharp images because the new "zoomed"
image has been interpolated.

10 TERMINOLOGY
DPI - Dots Per Inch
Dots per Inch. A measurement value
used to describe either the resolution of
a display screen or the output resolution
of a printer.
EV - Exposure Value
A very complex thing but in the digicam
world it usually means the ability to override
the auto exposure system to lighten
or darken an image.
Exposure Compensation: Lighten or
darken the image by overriding the exposure
system. Also known as EV
Compensation.
f-stop
A numerical designation that indicates
the size of the aperture. It is inversely
proportional as a smaller number like
F2.8 is a large opening and a large number
like F16 is a relatively small opening.
Flash
A built-in flash supplies auxiliary light to
supplement natural or available lighting
conditions often resulting in better color,
better exposure, and improved picture
sharpness.
Gray Scale
A term used to describe an image containing
shades of gray rather than color.
Histogram
A bar graph analysis tool that can be
used to identify contrast and dynamic
range of an image. histogram are found
in the more advanced digicams and software
programs (graphic editors) used to
manipulate digital images. The histogram
shows a scale of 0 - 255 (left to right)
with 0 being black and 255 being white.
Hot Shoe
A flash connector generally found on the
top of the camera that lets you attach a
flash unit and trigger it in sync with the
shutter.
Hologram Laser
Hologram Laser AF - Sony introduced a
new laser-assisted auto focus system on
the Cyber-shot DCS-F707 that uses a
safe Class 1 laser to paint a grid on the
subject that makes the auto focus fast
and accurate. Also found on the DSC-
F717, F828 and V1 cameras. We own
the F-707. Use this feature rarely, as it
may make candid photos difficult when
people are staring at a laser.
Hue
A term used to describe the entire range
of colors of the spectrum; hue is the
component that determines just what
color you are using. In gradients, when
you use a color model in which hue is a
component, you can create rainbow
effects.
Image Resolution
The number of pixels per unit length of
image. For example, pixels per inch, pixels
per millimeter, or pixels wide.
Yearbook images need to be 300dpi or
greater. Newspaper images should be
over 72 dpi.
InfoLITHIUM
InfoLITHIUM - Sony's "smart" lithium
rechargeable battery pack. It has a chip
inside that tells the camera how long (in
minutes) it will last at the current discharge
rate. Our cybershot camera uses
this type of battery.
ISO
The speed or specific light-sensitivity of a
camera is rated by ISO numbers such as
100, 400, etc. The higher the number,
the more sensitive it is to light. As with
film, the higher speeds usually induce
more electronic noise so the image gets
grainier. ISO is the abbreviation for
International Standards Organization. (In
the good old days it was known as the
"ASA film speed.")
“Jaggies”
Slang term for the stair-stepped appearance
of a curved or angled line in digital
imaging. The smaller the pixels, and the
greater their number the less apparent
the "jaggies". Also known as pixelization.
Megan Warfield ‘04

11
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group - The
name of the committee that designed the
standard image compression algorithm.
JPEG is designed for compressing either
full-color or grey-scale digital images of
"natural", real-world scenes. It does not
work so well on non-realistic images,
such as cartoons or line drawings, blackand-white
(1 bit-per-pixel) images or
moving pictures. See "JPG" below.
JPG
The most common type of compressed
image file format used in digicams. It is a
"lossy" type of storage because even in
its highest quality mode there is compression
used to minimize its size. Shoot
in RAW format or in the lowest compression
possible. Convert pictures to TIFF
format before printing in high quality.
Lossless
Storing the image in a non-compressed
format, most likely RAW or TIFF format.
Mega Pixel
CCD resolution of one million pixels.
Digicams are commonly rated by
Megapixels. You multiply the horizontal
resolution by the vertical resolution to get
the total pixel count.
Full page bleed photos in the yearbook,
a 5 megapixel camera or higher should
be used. Never use a camera below 3.0
megapixels for publishing.
Noise
Pixels in your digital image that were
misinterpreted. Usually occurs when you
shoot a long exposure (beyond 1/2-second)
or when you use the higher ISO values
from 400 or above in incorrect lighting
situations. It appears as random
groups of red, green or blue pixels.
Noise Reduction
Some cameras that offer long shutter
speeds (exceeding 1 second) usually
have a noise reduction (NR) feature that
is either automatic or can be enabled in
the menu. This is to help eliminate random
"hot" pixels and other image noise.
Incorrect exposure setting or difficult
lighting conditions produce more noise.
Optical Zoom
Means that the camera has a real multifocal
length lens, this is not the same as
a "Digital Zoom" which magnifies the
center portion of the picture.
Overexposure
An image that appears too light. All the
highlights and colors are totally lost and
usually unrecoverable even by software.
Underexposure
A picture that appears too dark because
insufficient light was delivered to the
imaging system. Opposite of overexposure.
Pixel
The individual imaging element of a CCD
or the individual output point of a display
device. This is what is meant by the figures
640x480, 800x600, 1024x768,
1280x960 and etc when dealing with the
resolution of a particular digicam. Higher
numbers are always better!!
Polarizer
Polarizer - A photographic filter for eliminating
glare and reflections. Just like
your polarized sunglasses get rid of
annoying glare, the polarizer filter does
the same for your digicam. However -
there are 2 types, linear and circular.
Linear is for film only, it screws up most
auto focus systems on digicams.
Polarizing Filter
A filter than helps eliminate light reflections
by limiting the angle of light that
reaches the lens. There are two types:
Linear and Circular. Linear type filters
should not be used with digicams as they
hinder the auto focus system. The circular
type filters can be rotated to adjust to
the light angle needed.
RAW
RAW files basically hand the raw
unprocessed data - at 12 bits per channel
- from the camera’s imaging chip to
your computer. Lossless compression is
applied to reduce filesize slightly without
compromising any quality.
Melisa Miller ‘04

12 TERMINOLOGY
Red Eye
An effect caused by an electronic
flash reflecting off of the
human eye and making it look
red. Compact cameras with the
flash located close to the lens
suffer the worst from this problem.
Pro photographers use a
bracket to hold an external flash
unit above and off to the side of
the lens to eliminate red-eye.
Red Eye Reduction
A special flash mode whereby a
pre-flash or a series of lowpowered
flashes are emitted
before the main flash goes off
to expose the picture. This
causes the pupil in the human
eye to close and helps eliminate
red-eye.
Resize
Usually means to take a large
image and downsize it to a
smaller one. Most graphic viewing
and editing programs offer a
Resize option for this purpose.
Never make a photograph less
than 65% of its original size or
over 100% of its size using layout
software. Always resize
these pictures in Photoshop.
Resolution
The quality of any digital image,
whether printed or displayed on
a screen, depends in part on its
resolution—the number of pixels
used to create the image.
More and smaller pixels adds
detail and sharpens edges.
Yearbook images should be
300dpi, and newspaper images
should be over 72dpi.
Shutter
The physical device that opens
and closes to let light from the
scene strike the image sensor.
Digicams use both electronic
and mechanical shutters.
Shutter Lag
The time between pressing the
shutter and actually capturing
the image. This is due to the
camera having to calculate the
exposure, set the white balance
and focus the lens.
SLR
Single Lens Reflex - Means the
camera has a viewfinder that
sees through the lens (TTL) by
way of a 45°-angled mirror that
flips up when the shutter fires
and allows the light to strike the
image sensor (or film).
Telephoto
Telephoto - The focal length
that gives you the narrowest
angle of coverage, good for
bringing distant objects closer.
TIFF
Tagged Image File Format - An
uncompressed image file format
that is lossless and produces
no artifacts as is common with
other image formats such as
JPG.
UV Filter
This is an UltraViolet absorbing
filter that helps overcome the
abundance of blue in outdoor
photographs. Not really necessary
in digital photography as
the camera's white balance system
adjusts for the color temperature
of the scene. We do
use them to protect the camera's
lens from scratching, fingerprints
or dirt.
White Balance
Refers to adjusting the relative
brightness of the red, green and
blue components so that the
brightest object in the image
appears white. Look at these settings
to help overexposure.
Megan Warfield ‘04

RULES OF GOOD COMPOSITION
13
Rules of good composition
Composition is the arrangement of
various objects in a picture in relation
to each other. You can change
composition by changing your point
of view, cropping the picture, paying
attention to motion, and composing
the picture yourself. Be aware that
highlights, shadows, and empty
space all effect your picture’s composition.
The following guidelines are only
suggestions. Photography depends
on the originality and creativity that
you bring to it. Use these rules to
help you see what professionals consider
when composing photographs.
Allie Houfer ‘05
The photographer for this shot framed the subjects between the shoulders
of people watching the scene. An original perspective and point of view
makes a good picture better.
The first rule of good photography is: Try to find a fresh point of view.
-Digital Photography Bible
The rule of thirds
If you only have time to learn one thing about taking photos, this is
it! The Rule of Thirds is a principle of composition used by photographers
and artists. In photography, the rule helps people understand to
keep a subject "off center," ie. not placing the focal point right smack
in the middle of the frame. When the main point of interest is off-center,
a photo is more dynamic and encourages eye movement throughout
the image.
The Rule of Thirds envisions horizontal and vertical lines trisecting
an image and creating four intersecting points. You place your subject
where the lines intersect not centered in the frame. For example, placing
the horizon on the upper or the lower line creates a well-composed
landscape photo. For portrait shots, placing person where lines intersect
creates a more compelling portrait.
The Rule adds dynamism to photos. And the underlying principle is
really so very easy to understand and remember: keep subjects and
horizon lines (even vertical ones such as buildings or trees) out of the
middle of a picture. If you don't achieve this with a camera, do so
when you crop an image.

14 COMPOSITION
Move close
Don’t include anything unimportant.
Force your viewer to concentrate on
only the most important aspect of your
photo. Don’t include a busy background
or other information that makes your
photographer lose meaning and focus.
In the photos at right, the close up photography
eliminates a large background
and highlights what is truly important.
Leave space for motion
If you are shooting action, especially if speed (as
opposed to a specific moment) is the point. Leave
lead space ahead of the subject or in whatever direction
the action is moving. Remember the rule of thirds
and try to keep the fast moving subject heading into
the empty two-thirds of the frame.
Use natural lighting whenever possible
We are used to seeing things naturally. Natural light is the most recognizable and
familiar light, so it makes your images look better to your viewer. Natural light makes
any shutter speed work well, and doesn’t “bloom” like artificial light sources. Even if a
background is completely eliminated, it’s easy to tell what light source was prevalent.
Sometimes, this isn’t possible, so shoot with as much light that is available. Shoot
near natural light sources when possible.
Use perspective
Place your main subject between objects that are large and close to the camera and
others that are small and far away. Alternately, find converging lines that give the
viewer a feeling of space and depth. This gives the viewer the feeling of being there
and surrounded by real space. When taking candid photos, it becomes more difficult
to do this, but that doesn’t make it any less important. You need to monitor and adapt
to your surroundings quickly in order to set up your shot. Try to scout the area before
hand and use the camera’s LCD display as you move in order to frame photos well.
Include the ball in sports photos
If a player is interacting with a ball or puck in a sports
photo, be sure to keep it as part of the subject of the
picture. Pictures that crop too close to the player and
forget the ball look confusing. Use the rule of thirds
Melisa Miller ‘04 with this, also.
Allie Houfer ‘05

15
You have unlimited film... use it all
The secret to successful photography is to take
a lot of pictures. This is especially important
when the importance of the picture is the
moment. Fill your memory card as often as you
can. It will make it easy to choose exactly the
right point of view, exposure, composition, and
quality of light and you can carefully and deliberately
pick between a variety of images.
Angelica Montantes ‘04
Stability makes crisp images
Whenever possible, use a tripod or unipod to
help support and stabilize your camera, especially
when motion and moments are key. Even a
slight twitch during a picture can cause major
blur.
Get out there!
It's a common mistake to stand at a comfortable spot
and wait for a great photo opportunity to surface--it
almost never does. With your eye through the viewfinder,
move around or manipulate your subjects, if possible,
until these are as close to your mental picture as
they can be. Get the picture that everyone wants to see,
by getting as close to your subject as possible.
Shutter Lag - Know your camera
When you press the button to take a picture, every digital
camera has a slight delay before the picture is actually
taken. The main solution to this is to practice, practice,
and practice. Get to know your camera. Become
familiar with the time it takes between the button press
and the actually photo. If you are at a basketball game,
learn to anticipate the moment before the ball leaves
someone’s hand or before they jump for a rebound.
Hold the button half way as you prepare for a shot and
allow the camera to adjust to the lighting and focus.
Then, when you see what you want, press the button
the rest of the way, and the picture will be taken immediately.
Holding steady without a tripod...
In any situation, the correct stance and camera holding
technique are essential. Even if the lens is adjusted
correctly with all the appropriate controls selected, a
slight shift of your hands can render a blurry, unusable
image. This becomes more crucial when you're shooting
with natural light and in darkening conditions with
longer shutter speeds. Always grip your camera in a
firm manner, with the other hand supporting and adjusting
any controls, and maintain a steady breathing pattern.
If you're panting after a quick run to catch up with
the subject, for example, take a few deep breaths
before composing and snapping your shot.
One recommended stance to adopt is to hold your arms
close, tucking elbows close to the body so the camera
is braced, and to take shallow, long breaths. Try leaning
against an available support, sitting or squatting down if
possible, as these help to curb body movement like
swaying. A simple rule of thumb is to have a shutter
speed of at least 1/60th of a second when handholding
without using a flash, for acceptable results. However,
in general, the longer the focal length and lens used,
the faster the shutter speed should be. A tripod is still
the best method of avoiding camera shake, so keep it
in the car or carry around a light model if available. The
tripod becomes particularly useful when dealing with
night photography and landscapes in the evenings.

16 SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Ashley Deisting ‘07
Stopping Action
Blurry pictures can be creative, but most of the
time, you should try to freeze the moment so
that people and their actions can be seen clearly.
Stopping action can prove to be a frustrating
experience, but here are some tips that should
help stop action in its tracks.
1. Set the ISO or shutter speed to 400 or higher.
Using a higher sensor sensitivity will let you use
a faster shutter speed without sacrificing sharpness
or field depth.
2. Adjust the camera to its default “Action” setting,
if it exists. This helps the camera automatically
adjust to the available light and calculate
the best shutter speed.
3. If there is a shutter speed setting separate
from the ISO setting, set it at 1/300 or higher (if
possible). If your first pictures come back too
dark, it means your shutter settings are too fast.
Adjust your settings accordingly.
Stopping Action with a Slow Shutter Speed
If you are unable to get a clear, bright image with
a fast shutter speed, you may need to try different
methods to compensate for lack of light or
too much field depth. Chances are that you will
get slight blur, even with these techniques, so be
prepared to take many photographs.
1. Us the camera’s default “Action” setting, if it
allows enough light into the pictures.
2. If your camera allows you to adjust the f-stop
setting, use a smaller f-stop (the larger numbers,
such as f/8, f/11, or f/16). If you mandate a small
f-stop, the camera’s automatic exposure controls
will be forced to use a slower shutter speed.
3. If you want to freeze as much of the action as
possible, take the picture when a player or other
fast moving object is coming toward the camera.
Action that occurs in the direction of the camera
can be captured at a slower shutter speed than
action that crosses in front of the camera
because the apparent motion is less.

17
Stopping Action, continued
4. If you want to freeze action that is crossing in
front of the camera, move (pan) your camera in
the same direction as the action on the field, and
take the picture while you are synchronized.
When you follow the moving subject with the
camera, you are reducing the amount of relative
motion, so even a slow shutter speed with freeze
the image. However, when you pan, the background
will be blurry because it is stationary.
This effect is much better than a blurry subject.
5. Take the photograph. If you’re panning the
camera, continue your movement for a short
time after you think the picture has been taken.
The shutter may still be open, particularity if you
are using an extra-long exposure time, such as
1/8 or 1/15 of a second.
6. If all else fails, try using a film SLR 35mm
camera. It may take slightly better photos, but
you lose the advantage of using a digital camera.
Be sure to bring along a strong flash with it.
choosing your spot
One of the most important aspects of
taking a good sports photo is choosing
the right spot to shoot from. At
high school sporting events, you can
chose the best position possible.
Never shoot a sporting events from
the stands unless your plan is to take
pictures of fans. Here are some tips
to help you find the best spots.
Melisa Miller ‘04
1. Make sure your position won’t block the
view of others or interfere with action on the
field. At basketball games, stand near the end of
the court, but not behind the basket.
2. Chose an appropriate elevation. High angle
shots work for some sports if you want to show
several members of a team who are spread out.
Other times, eye-level view are best if you want
to focus on one or two players. Low-level,
ground views are seldom effective. Be careful.
3. If you have the freedom of movement during
an event, be prepared to follow the
action. Don’t want for the action to come to you.
Move around and try different angles and views.
4. Don’t forget that not all action happens in
the same place, There’s action in front and
behind the play, as well as on the sideline.
Coaches and teammates on the bench often
make for good photos if you want to capture
emotion or if you are having trouble with the
action on the field.

18 SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
“Photojournalists have the incredible
role of bringing to life stories
through the photographs that they
take. In most cases, these photographs
will be the only visual representation
of the story that the
public will ever see.”
-Judy Lyon
Tim Kolehmainen - Journal Press
Taking a sports photo
1. Watch the game for a while and get a
feel for the type of movement and action
that will take place. Try to anticipate what
will happen next. Don’t watch the entire
game through the LCD screen. Look up.
Is there a runner ready to steal a base?
Does the quarter back look ready to
throw a long pass? Is the coach starting
to get animated? Get to know a little
about the sport before you take pictures
so you can anticipate photo opportunities.
2. Put the camera to your eye long
before you are ready to take the picture.
Follow the action through the viewfinder
so you’ll be ready to snap a photo. Some
photographers like to keep their eye
open so they can have both an overview
of the action as well as the close up
shot.
3. As the action moves across your field
of view, follow it with your camera and
snap the picture. You’ll know how to take
a picture just before the batter swings,
the ball falls into the receiver’s hand, or
the gymnast launches onto the vault.
4. Practice. Don’t expect to get the perfect
shot on your first trip to the field. Try
different things and stand in different
places. You will be rewarded with the
best pictures possible.

SOURCES
19
The Buffalo High School Publications Photography Field Guide was designed and created by Ryan
McCallum. The following sources were consulted in the creation of this guide:
Busch, David D. Digital Photography for
Dummies Quick Reference. New York: Wiley
Publishing, Inc. 2000.
Milburn, Ken. Digital Photography Bible. New
York: Hungry Minds, Inc. 2000.
Sheppard, Rob. National Geographic Digital
Photography Field Guide. Washington, D.C.:
National Geographic. 2004.
“Composition: The Rule of Thirds.”
Digicamhelp.com. Available: www.digicamhelp.
com. May 2, 2004.
Quotations accessed at www.photoquotes.com
Durham University Photography Society.
http://www.dur.ac.uk/photography.society/
“Tech Guide: Ten Tips for Great Photos.” ZD Net
Australia. Available: http://www.zdnet.com.au/
reviews/coolgear/caeras/0,39023377,20269683,0
0.htm. May 2, 2004.
“The Rule of Thirds” Available: http://jlsite.com/Oklahoma/RuleofThirds.html.
May 2,
2004.
Melisa Miller ‘04
Thank you to the photographers: Ashley Diesting, Allie Houfer, Tim Kolehmainen, Melisa Miller,
Angelica Montantes, Angela Salveson, Ryan Strugar, and Megan Warfield. Photos were taken for
the 2004 Tatanka and the eight issues of the Hoofprint produced in 2004-2004.
Melisa Miller ‘04 Melisa Miller ‘04