- Because sports include fast moving participants, you need a camera that can take several frames per second, while auto-focusing. I would recommend 6-12 frames per second. Faster is always better in this case. Nikon and Canon seem to be the winners for professional sports photographers.
- Fast lenses are those that work in low light and have fast, auto-focus capabilities. I would not consider a lens in this category without an aperture setting of at least f/2.8.
- Long glass is 200mm or longer. I think 300 to 400mm may even be better. Wikipedia agrees.
- Understanding the sport -- well, that's just common sense.
- Your camera settings should be set to shutter priority with the shutter speed set to 1/1000 of a second to freeze the action. ISO may be set on AUTO but be aware that more noise is introduced as ISO values go up. The sweet spot for ISO differs for each camera, so check your manual.
- You will need the fastest memory cards you can buy.
- If you shoot for a service, you will probably want to shoot jpeg versus raw, so you can get your shots uploaded quickly.
- Shoot in burst mode and select your favorite shots from the string of shots.
- Pan with the action.
- Be prepared to be in the middle of the action for fast moving, full contact sports.
- Remember, good shots sell; bad shots just show up on the web.
Photo -- Scott Kelby
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