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BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Action & Sports Pictures

Photography Question 

Renee L. Harris 		 

How to Shoot Action in Low Light?


I have the Canon Digital Rebel XT and am having trouble taking action shots inside a gym as well as at night football games. I have used the manual and tried a variety of approaches but must be missing a simple step. Does anyone have this camera and take successful shots as outlined above???


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August 31, 2008

 

Samuel Smith 		  Welcome Renee,
No simple step missed. Just low light. Have you tried an ISO of 1600? 3200? Even a fast lens (one with a very wide aperture - i.e., low f/number - to let in more light) isn't enough in those situations.
sam


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August 31, 2008

 

W. 		  Hi Renee,

Sam is correct: the word "photography" is derived from Greek and means "writing with light". This presumes the availability of sufficient light to write with. So if there isn't sufficient light – like in the gym and with night football games – there can be no writing with it, can there?
Depending on the light situation at your specific venues, fast, expensive, glass in combination with ISO 1600/3200 may just be enough. Just! And shooting Raw can perhaps add another couple stops latitude in Photoshop. But at the end of the day, if there isn't enough light, there just isn't enough light.
Of course, if you shoot at telephoto focal lengths, say 100mm and longer, you will be using a tripod or other support. That may allow you to use a stop slower shutter speed than the recommended inverse of the focal length if you choose your exposure moments carefully (when there's little or no lateral movement in the subject).
Have fun!


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September 01, 2008

 

Dennis C. Hirning 		 
 
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Dennis C. Hirning

  
 
I had a newspaper photographer tell me that when shooting sports, the minimum shutter speed should be 1/500th of a second. He is very likely correct for newspaper publication. Since you are probably not looking to do that at this time and you probably don't have access to the arena lighting flash he has available, you could try experimenting with another approach. You can show action by stopping it or enhancing it. It takes practice but you could try panning if the action is moving from one side to the other in front of you. Here is an example. It was shot under terrible lighting conditions. ISO 3200 1/50th second at F4.


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September 02, 2008

 
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