Cut out the clutter: Improve your sports photos by keeping an eye on the foreground and background
posted Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 11:00 AM EST
Sports photographer David Bergman has a few tips to help you improve your sports images, whether you're photographing professional athletes or your kids. The Two Minute Tips video below is one of the 25 short videos Bergman has made for Adorama TV and you can see the full list of videos here.
One of the most important aspects of a good sports image is that it doesn't contain any distracting elements. Something such as an advertisement on an outfield wall in the background of a baseball image can turn an otherwise cool shot into a poor image. Move around, if possible, to ensure that you have a clean background for the types of shots you want to take.
What if you have to shoot through a net or fencing? When there's no other alternative, the best thing you can do is get your lens really close to the barrier and shoot at your lens' widest aperture. The net or fence will basically disappear, your camera's autofocus system won't end up getting confused and you'll be able to capture nice, clean photos. For more tips, see the video below.
To see more from David Bergman, visit his website. If you're looking for a new camera that is excellent for sports photography, check out Canon's 7D Mark II and new 1DX Mark II or Nikon's recent D500 and D5 cameras.
(Seen via ISO 1200)