Digital Photo Tips: Action Shots

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You can get good action shots with mini digital cameras. Here are some things to keep in mind before you take that new camera to a big sports event. . .

Look for the camera with the shortest lag time possible. This is the time between when you press the shutter, and when you actually take the picture. This is one of the downsides to digital cameras. The picture isn't taken the minute you press the shutter.

You can improve this, however, by pressing the shutter halfway, which presets the focus. If you're watching someone run across the field, for instance, you can try to follow and focus, and once you've pressed the shutter half way and locked it in, THEN take the photo.

Some of the best pocket size digital cameras have what is called a "burst" mode, though it's called different names. In a nutshell, what you're looking for is a mode that will will take a number of shots once you press the shutter button, one right after the other without pause. After it takes those pictures, THEN it pauses and writes them all to memory. That saves time because you only have the shutter lag once from pushing the shutter, and you don't have to wait while the camera records the pictures on the memory card.

The other way is to use a "preset mode." Many mini digital cameras have a specific "sports mode" for action shots. It usually increases the shutter speed for a higher chance of freezing the action and getting the picture you want.

And lastly... practice using your preferred method. Don't wait until you're at the big game to use your camera for the first time. By the time you figure out what you're supposed to be doing, the picture you wanted has long gone. It doesn't cost anything but some battery life to take pictures, so practice, practice, practice! You can delete the poor shots, and get the chance to figure out how to get that great photo when it really counts!

Capture Fast Action Shots