Featured Article

Shoot Stunning Action

Advanced skills

How to develop once you’ve mastered the basics

Using burst mode

A burst mode allows you to take an increased amount of images per second, which is perfect for action photography. Instead of trying to take one shot and hoping the level of blur isn’t so great that it ruins the image, the burst mode takes a series of up to 10 on a semi-pro DSLR at the given shutter speed. At that point the camera needs to move the images from the buffer and save them onto the memory card.

You’ll find that there can be two disadvantages with using burst mode, the first being that the camera may need to reduce the resolution of the image in order to take then optimum amount of images. This may as much as halve the quality, resulting in a far smaller end product. The second is that the camera’s focus has to try and keep up with the amount of shots being taken, which with most compacts is extremely hard. DSLRs fare slightly better if the lens is of a high quality, but be prepared for the last few images to be blurred.

Tripod vs Monopod

Try to take a steady action shot is a skill in itself, as dropping the shutter speed to get a touch of movement in the shot can cause the unwanted side effect of motion blur in the subject. A method of support is clearly the best way to go, but the real question is which one?

A tripod is the stable, reliable and predictable stalwart of the imaging world, giving both camcorders and cameras the same steadfast base to shoot from. The only real restriction is down to the amount of movement permitted once it is screwed in, making it difficult to swoop round and catch a running pet. A ball head can give more freedom, but the issue still lies with having three feet at the base.

A monopod, on the other hand, is something of a compromise between ease of use and stability, with only one leg to move around. Photographers with long zoom lenses swear by them, as they take the strain off when panning. The mono can also be removed quickly and stored for transportation. The only real downside is when attaching it to the camera rapidly flipping to portrait orientation is tricky, but otherwise a monopod is the perfect choice for action shots.

Return to features archive »