Baseball is one of America’s most loved pastimes, and taking photos of the sport can be as thrilling as watching. With these essential steps to take better baseball pictures, you’ll be able to record every moment of the field in incredible clarity, from the sound of the bat to the sliding into the home plate.
1. Be as close to action as you can.
When you can — whether in a stadium with a lot of seats, you should make sure you completely fill every frame, rather than having them appear as a tiny speck. You’ll desire to be close to the scene!
But, it’s difficult to locate yourself at home plate, particularly at college or professional games. It’s better to be flexible and ensure that you have the tools required to take the best picture. This could be a special lens or cameras that can capture wide, long-distance photos.
From the most places in the stands from most seats in the stands, a 200mm zoom (or the 80 to 200mm range) is probably sufficient. However, unless you’re using professional equipment, the maximum aperture of a 200mm lens is likely to be about f/4.5. It’s not a lot of speed. This means you might not be able to capture at a sufficient shutter speed so that the motion is stopped, particularly if the subject is in an area that is shaded in the field. However, it should be ok for action in sunny regions and you should focus on the areas that are sunny.
Also, be aware that you cannot control the outcome of the game or with the crowd; therefore planning is crucial to make sure that you’re hitting the shots you’re looking for.
If you can, sit in the front row, where your view will not be obstructed. Are you unable to get an aisle seat? Don’t worry! Choose to take a seat in the final row of the stands and ensure you have a clear view.
There are still plenty of opportunities to be able to visit your local Big League ballpark. Postgame and pregame activities are great for getting access to your most loved players. Be sure to arrive at the stadium early an hour or so prior to the start of the game. Don’t be shocked when you are able to walk down the front row with your camera. In most cases, you’ll be able to capture close-ups of players practicing batting and waiting for their turn to bat, playing fields, signing autographs or even just talking to spectators in the crowd. It’s likely that you’ll be able to capture some amazing baseball photographs!
To summarize all this to a single point: Get near to what’s happening as possible. Utilize a longer lens if you’re sitting far further back. Be sure that your view isn’t blocked. Also, think about post-game and pre-game photos when all other options fail.
2. Show the ball in your baseball photos.
If you are shooting an action baseball picture, be it the batter making a powerful swing or making a tight play at first base, the image is much more powerful if you include the ball also. If you’re taking a picture of the outfielder who is circling around a fly ball, attempt to include the ball in the same shot to let us see the focus of the fielder’s.
Of course, not all photos will reveal the ball. For instance, the baseball picture that shows youngsters sitting in their “dugout” while their team is in the field doesn’t display the ball. Additionally, there are photos that can be taken even without the ball. The runner who is sliding into third, for example, can be a fantastic shot even though the ball is in the outfield.
3. Make sure you use a high ISO setting on your digital camera for baseball pictures.
ISO 800 is good, 1600 is superior and 3200 or even 6400 is usually even better, or absolutely essential. It’s because you’re trying to make use of the fastest shutter rate to stop movement. But what do you think about ISO noise?
The noise in photos or the impression of excessive noise has been eliminated in modern cameras. To achieve an adequate shutter speed typically, you’ll need to shoot at extremely high ISOs like 800 or even 3200, 1600 and maybe 6400. With the majority of DSLRs today, you can achieve this without a lot of noise.
