Strike one! Strike two! Strike three!Baseball! America's Pastime, and a sport growing in popularity throughout world, where Boys of Summer slug it out. A baseball game is perfect way to spend a lazy summer afternoon, plus it provides opportunities to take photos that last a lifetime.
While many claim sport of baseball is a slow-paced affair, when action does occur, it can happen very swiftly, almost too fast for an unskilled photographer to shoot photos they desire. Baseballs fly quickly when hit or thrown, and timing action for when to take a digital photograph requires split-second reflexes. Thus, before you plan on taking photos at a baseball game, you may wish to read following advice:
1) First, make sure you are allowed to bring your digital camera to baseball game. Some ballparks have no restrictions, others on zoom length, some on using flash, and some may not allow you into baseball game at all with your camera!
2) Change your camera settings to take quickest photographs possible while still providing plenty of light for photograph. You'll need to read your camera's manual on how to change these settings; for example, consider saving photos as JPG instead of RAW to take photos faster.
Just remember that quicker shutter speed, less light enters camera to take picture. Thus, you'll need to compromise picture speed and amount of light to take great photos. That is why baseball games work well with photography - many games are played on sunny days or in well-lit domes or stadiums that allow you to take crisp, high-action photos.
3) Before going to a big league ballpark, make sure you know rules and nuances of game. Practice taking photos at a minor-league, college, or high school baseball game. The stakes aren't quite as high if you miss a shot, and taking your camera to a game will give you more insight into when action occurs and when players just stand around.
4) Have extra batteries and digital camera memory handy and practice switching both out quickly before game! A three and a half hour game can put a tremendous strain on even most power-miserly camera, and more often than not you will have to switch out power or memory in middle of an inning.
5) Don't worry if you miss a shot! Unless you have tons of digital camera memory, you may not be able to continuously shoot photograph after photograph. If you miss a key pitch, swing of a bat, or a forced out, don't get angry! More often than not, new opportunities will arise for great photographs.
6) Study lineup first. Know who are key players and those who barely know how to swing a bat. Likewise, learn who has loose hands in outfield and who is likely to win a Gold Glove. Focus your attention on stars as they most likely will make best photographs, but don't be so drawn to celebrity that you miss a role player making a crucial steal or diving catch that wins game for their team!