Ski photogs... tips on taking "action" pictures with digi cam?

[smmokan]

OK, there are plenty of guys on here that take money shots of skiers in different areas of the BC and resort terrain. How many of you use digital cameras? Of those that do, how do you set up your shot? I've tried a few shots, but they all come out pretty crappy, and I have to admit that I'm jealous of the shots on here. I've got the scenic shots down, but I need to work on my action shots. Any tips or advice? What kind of pre-settings do you use, or what other stuff do you do to prepare for the shot?

[The Reverend Floater]

OK, there are plenty of guys on here that take money shots of skiers in different areas of the BC and resort terrain. How many of you use digital cameras? Of those that do, how do you set up your shot? I've tried a few shots, but they all come out pretty crappy, and I have to admit that I'm jealous of the shots on here. I've got the scenic shots down, but I need to work on my action shots. Any tips or advice? What kind of pre-settings do you use, or what other stuff do you do to prepare for the shot?

Me thinks their digi cameras are a bit different than our digi cameras.

[smmokan]

OK, revised: for those of you who take good pics with "regular" digital cameras...

[Sphinx]

My Canon has a 'moving target' setting that automatically sets higher shutter speeds. It's crucial for taking photos of skiers.

If you have a jump or a particular location, prefocus on it. Point the camera at the lip, and press the shutter halfway. When the skier shows up, press the shutter all the way, and the camera will not have to focus, giving no shutter lag.

[Sphinx]

For the rest, just take a shitload of photos. Some are bound to come out nicely.

[schindlerpiste]

Nice pics. It's too technical for me. That's why I generally leave the camera at home.

[truth]

Digital SLR's with high FPS rates and large burst capabilities are the keys.

[smmokan]

What speed (ISO) do you typically shoot at? 200? 400?

[Ripzalot]

prefocusing helps a lot. and if your camera has a continuous mode, use it. my canon s500 takes 2-3 pics per second for up to 3 seconds or so. i just use the continuous mode and then delete the bad pics later. i usually get one or two good ones out 6 or 10.

[kchri]

My settings:

ISO as low as possible - typically 50
Shutter speed fast enough to stop action as desired - typically 1/500+
EV +1/3-2/3 for bright outdoor snow shots
Usually shutter priority mode set to always maintain selected shutter speed
Rattle off as many pics during the sequence as possible
Use exposure lock if available
Prefocus on object at similar distance or set to manual if constant distance away

I have the Canon S2 and it also has a selectable "SNOW" mode that selects the above settings to optimal. It also fires at 2.4 frames/sec until the memory card is full (no limit because of buffer size)...

Hope this helps

[Tippster]

-Burst Mode in the medium file size setting - more pix before the buffer fills
-Action Mode on the Wheel
-Prefocus/expose by holding button down 1/2 way
-Use the Viewfinder, turn the LCD off (saves battery)
-Zoom with your feet - the smaller the focal length the greater the depth of field. Also most Point & Shoots have a higher F-stop at the wide end of the zoom which will allow for faster shutter speed.

[Arty50]

If you're going to use continuous shooting mode, then definitely turn off the lcd and just use the viewfinder. Not only does this save the battery, but more importantly it drastically improves the amount of frames you shoot in a second. With the lcd on, the processor has to work overtime to display each frame. With it off, it just takes the picture and stores it on the card.

I don't use the lcd much anyway. Usually there's too much light coming off the snow and the reflection renders the lcd useless. I vastly prefer the viewfinder.

If you going to use single shot mode for that one perfect pic, then you need to practice using your camera a bit. Mainly, you need to learn how much delay there is between pushing the shutter button all the way down and the actual taking of the picture. If you press it at the moment of the perfect shot, you'll be too late. So definitely figure out the delay. Also, I believe this will change slightly in different lighting conditions.

Finally, definitely prefocus. Find a contrasted object near where you're going to take your shot and focus on that by pushing the shutter button halfway down. The push all the way when you're ready to take the shot. That saves a bunch of time and helps ensure the picture is focused.