Basic Photography Course

PEOPLE IN ACTION

When you photograph people in action, such as in

sports and at work, the name of the game is anticipation,
staying alert, and expecting the unexpected. Covering
action events becomes an exercise in "guesstimating"
where the action will take place and firing the shutter at
the right moment.

A good action photographer relies on his knowledge

of the event taking place; for example, if you will be
photographing a General Quarters (GQ) drill and the
principal players are going to be the Hull Maintenance
Technicians, you could take a crash course in the job
they will be performing during GQ. You might even
observe them going through the drill a day or two before
it is time to photograph them. Like a sports
photographer-you must know the rules of the game.
Even if you cannot learn the game, a photographer that
understands the principles of shooting people in action
can do a good job by following a few simple rules:

Anticipate the action. Watch for the unexpected

moment.

Know the mechanical functions of your camera

equipment. Practice aiming, focusing, and shooting
until they become reflex actions. This leaves your mind
free to concentrate on the event.

Learn something about the action you plan to

photograph.

The best pictures of people usually have action,

implied or apparent. The action should be appropriate to
the subject of the picture. The cook, for example, should
not be shown in the boiler room (unless for a special
reason or effect). Even a posed picture can have plenty
of action and interest and not seem at all posed.
Artificial, stiff effects kill the picture. Avoid static, dull
pictures of groups staring directly into the camera Plan
and shoot for action, such as applause shots or a speaker
making gestures, or shots of an audience's facial
reactions. Break up the overall scene into small groups
of action, such as shots of important persons talking, the
guest of honor shaking hands with others, and so forth.
Even an attitude or arrangement of hands, feet, head, and
shoulders often creates action. There is action in
everyday living, in working, eating, drinking, smiling,
arguing, driving, flying, sailing, and swimming. It is not
so easy to capture action in still photographs, but by
understanding the importance of action in a picture and

the abundance of action available everywhere, you will

soon become proficient at recognizing and picturing it.
The blur technique has become popular for advertising

6-11

and illustration use. Panning the camera with the action
of a moving subject keeps the subject fairly sharp while
blurring the background in a horizontal sweep, and this
gives the feeling of action. A slow shutter speed is
needed. Try the technique and see the interesting results.

A photo should have emotional mood and impact

that can be accomplished by actual movement of a
physical nature. The head may be raised in victory or

joy or lowered in despair and sadness. The body sagging

or the body squared away indicates different moods.

Arms on the hips can indicate swagger, arrogance, or
confidence. Hands in pockets indicate relaxation, or at

the sides, may show formality. Knowing the elements of
action, how to recognize them, and what moods they
convey permits you to click the shutter at the right
instant when you recognize outstanding action
happening. The shooting angle, lighting, and
composition all contribute to a feeling of action.

Action should always be photographed at its peak

(fig. 6-5). This is a matter between the photographer and
the photographer's own well-developed sense of
motion. A highly capable photographer knows with
certainty, at the instant he or she shoots, whether the
picture will be a good one or not. This does not come
from occasional picture taking but from steady,
continual practice.

COMMAND FUNCTIONS

The majority of the job orders your imaging facility

receives will probably be in support of providing
photographic documentation for command functions.
Photographic assignments that fall into this category are
as follows:

reenlistments, retirements, change of

commands, awards presentations, and VIP (Very
Important Person) visits. Some of the larger imaging
facilities provide a photo mailer service whereby
amateur photographers take snapshots of their
command functions and forward the film to the imaging
facility for processing. For those Photographer's Mates
that are fortunate enough to cover these photographic
assignments, high quality and professional service and
products are imperative for the continued success of
customer service and satisfaction.

To provide the best photographs possible, you must

apply all of the principles and techniques discussed
previously in this TRAMAN. Proper planning,
composition, and lighting must be applied regardless of

how routine you feel the job may be. Some general
guidelines are as follows:

Always use bounce flash whenever possible.

contents

Basic Photography Course

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DOFMaster for Windows On-line Depth of Field Calculator DOFMaster for Mobile Devices On-line Depth of Field Table Hyperfocal Distance Chart Articles FAQ Recommended Books Support Contact Links Home As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.	contents <- previous page next page -> PEOPLE IN ACTION When you photograph people in action, such as in sports and at work, the name of the game is anticipation, staying alert, and expecting the unexpected. Covering action events becomes an exercise in "guesstimating" where the action will take place and firing the shutter at the right moment. A good action photographer relies on his knowledge of the event taking place; for example, if you will be photographing a General Quarters (GQ) drill and the principal players are going to be the Hull Maintenance Technicians, you could take a crash course in the job they will be performing during GQ. You might even observe them going through the drill a day or two before it is time to photograph them. Like a sports photographer-you must know the rules of the game. Even if you cannot learn the game, a photographer that understands the principles of shooting people in action can do a good job by following a few simple rules: Anticipate the action. Watch for the unexpected moment. Know the mechanical functions of your camera equipment. Practice aiming, focusing, and shooting until they become reflex actions. This leaves your mind free to concentrate on the event. Learn something about the action you plan to photograph. The best pictures of people usually have action, implied or apparent. The action should be appropriate to the subject of the picture. The cook, for example, should not be shown in the boiler room (unless for a special reason or effect). Even a posed picture can have plenty of action and interest and not seem at all posed. Artificial, stiff effects kill the picture. Avoid static, dull pictures of groups staring directly into the camera Plan and shoot for action, such as applause shots or a speaker making gestures, or shots of an audience's facial reactions. Break up the overall scene into small groups of action, such as shots of important persons talking, the guest of honor shaking hands with others, and so forth. Even an attitude or arrangement of hands, feet, head, and shoulders often creates action. There is action in everyday living, in working, eating, drinking, smiling, arguing, driving, flying, sailing, and swimming. It is not so easy to capture action in still photographs, but by understanding the importance of action in a picture and the abundance of action available everywhere, you will soon become proficient at recognizing and picturing it. The blur technique has become popular for advertising 6-11 and illustration use. Panning the camera with the action of a moving subject keeps the subject fairly sharp while blurring the background in a horizontal sweep, and this gives the feeling of action. A slow shutter speed is needed. Try the technique and see the interesting results. A photo should have emotional mood and impact that can be accomplished by actual movement of a physical nature. The head may be raised in victory or joy or lowered in despair and sadness. The body sagging or the body squared away indicates different moods. Arms on the hips can indicate swagger, arrogance, or confidence. Hands in pockets indicate relaxation, or at the sides, may show formality. Knowing the elements of action, how to recognize them, and what moods they convey permits you to click the shutter at the right instant when you recognize outstanding action happening. The shooting angle, lighting, and composition all contribute to a feeling of action. Action should always be photographed at its peak (fig. 6-5). This is a matter between the photographer and the photographer's own well-developed sense of motion. A highly capable photographer knows with certainty, at the instant he or she shoots, whether the picture will be a good one or not. This does not come from occasional picture taking but from steady, continual practice. COMMAND FUNCTIONS The majority of the job orders your imaging facility receives will probably be in support of providing photographic documentation for command functions. Photographic assignments that fall into this category are as follows: reenlistments, retirements, change of commands, awards presentations, and VIP (Very Important Person) visits. Some of the larger imaging facilities provide a photo mailer service whereby amateur photographers take snapshots of their command functions and forward the film to the imaging facility for processing. For those Photographer's Mates that are fortunate enough to cover these photographic assignments, high quality and professional service and products are imperative for the continued success of customer service and satisfaction. To provide the best photographs possible, you must apply all of the principles and techniques discussed previously in this TRAMAN. Proper planning, composition, and lighting must be applied regardless of how routine you feel the job may be. Some general guidelines are as follows: Always use bounce flash whenever possible. contents Basic Photography Course <- previous page next page ->	As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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