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Shooting action photography is always a bit of a thrill. You never quite know what is about to happen, so you have to be on your toes. The moments come and go in the blink of an eye (or shutter), so as a professionally photographer you have to be on your A game the entire time. Most action photography happens outdoors, so you also have little control over the light, weather and other elements. Regardless, you have to make it work to get a great shot.

Here are a few tips for to help you make the most of your action adventure shoot:

Work with what you got
You aren’t going to have time to change lenses, set up a tripod, mess with your camera settings and so forth when a moment unfolds in front of you. The best thing you can do is make it work with what you got in your hands.

Change the POV
How can you make the image even more dynamic? Mess with the point of view. Get close, get far away, and get above or below your subject. Tilt the frame and more to bring your viewer into the action. Make them feel like they were there.

Protect your equipment from the elements
Avoid changing your lens if it’s raining. Moisture can get inside the camera and ruin your equipment. Keep lens cleaner handy and keep your lenses clean of dust, moisture and more. Invest in a waterproof camera cover. Your skills as a professional photographer won’t do anyone any good if your equipment gets ruined because of adverse weather.

Look for natural frames
Natural frames, like canyon walls, tree branches and more, can help draw the attention of the viewer to your subject without feeling forced.

People put it in perspective
What’s more impressive, watching a rock climber climb a wall at the gym or watching them climb a mountain? Positioning people against large and dramatic backdrops make them that much more impressive.

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Animals can make for fascinating and inspiring subjects. One of the best things about shooting animals (especially in the wild) is that you have little to no control over what they are going to do. They might be content to just lie there while you snap away. Others might get curious and come in for a closer look. The spontaneity of wildlife photographer keeps you on your toes and always guessing. That can make for dynamic shots.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re photographing an animal:

Avoid using a flash if possible
Especially if you are in their natural habitat, you don’t want to have a startled animal on your hand. You’re either going to scare them away or give them a reason to panic. No one wants to be on the wrong end of an angry animal.

Use a telephoto lens
Taking pictures of Fluffy in your studio doesn’t prepare you for shooting bears fishing in the Colorado River. Remember, they are wild animals. Safety comes first. A telephoto lens will allow you to capture the action without getting dangerously close.

Don’t forget the eyes
Just because they aren’t humans, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t something going on in the eyes. Believe it or not, animals can express emotions and you’ll be better able to capture them if you keep the eyes in focus.

Be ready for them to move
Unless you are photographing an exceptionally well-trained dog, it is very hard to get an animal to sit still for a long time. You never know when they are going to suddenly move. Expecting it to happen means you won’t miss the shot.

Practice
The local zoo is a great place to practice your animal photography. For one thing, the enclosed pens mean that you have all the time in world to set up your shot, a luxury not afforded to you in the wild.

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Have you ever come across a photograph where the colors seem almost too intense? (Click here for some examples) It looks like they might have been digitally enhanced, but you can’t seem to figure out how. Was it a filter? Did the photographer play with the color saturation levels in their editing software? Chances are it was a HDR (high dynamic range) photograph that you saw. These vibrant photos are eye catching and intriguing, and bring a magical, dreamlike feeling to any scene.

The purpose of an HDR image is to capture the entire range of available light in a scene. Pick any of the HDR images from the link above. Normally these images would be very high contrast scenes, yet everything seems to be on the same level. There is nothing blown out, so all the details come through. HDR photography allows for each element in the photograph to be captured perfectly.

HDR photographs are a great way to salvage shoots taken on a cloudy day. They also create incredibly striking and dynamic landscape photos, especially panorama shots. Chances are different sections of your panorama are lighted differently. Creating an HDR photograph will help keep all the details visible.

How can you create an HDR photograph?

One of the main ways HDR photographs are created is by taking several frames of the exact same image and layering them, one on top of another. Usually one frame is at normal exposure, the second is underexposed and the third is overexposed. If you don’t want to manually adjust your camera, the simplest way to shoot is with bracketing in burst mode. Most digital SLRs have this function and the camera will do a series of shots in rapid succession, each with a different exposure.

To combine the three images into one, you’ll need digital photo editing software. You can buy software plugins that work with Aperture, Lightroom and Photoshop. Photomatix is one such software plugin. Layering the three images allows you to capture all of the available information, creating impressive shots!

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When used appropriately, props can really enhance your photography. Things that provide the ability to level subjects like chairs, step stools and benches can create movement in the frame. Using toys while photographing babies and children gives them something to do, so they are engaged and personable in the photos. Little details like flowers and jewelry can add to overall mood of the shoot. But props can also take away from the subject of your shot when incorrectly used. Props have to stay props and not become the center of focus.

Here are a few ways to incorporate props into your photography:

Use props that contrast the setting
Doing a shoot on the beach? Why not bring out a dining room chair for your subject to sit it? The contrast between the chair and the casual beach setting gives people a reason to do a double-take when they see your image.
If you are shooting in the fall, use neutral tone props so they stand out against the vibrant reds, yellows and oranges of the backdrop. This helps keep you subject from being lost.

Add a burst of color
If you’re shooting a portrait and your client shows up in neutral clothes like black or white, incorporate a yellow flower or blue necklace to make the image pop.

People can be props too
Most often seen in images of children, the arms, legs, feet, etc of mom and dad make excellent props. For one thing, it can make the child more comfortable. It also adds another level of meaning to the shoot.

Less is more
Sometimes you have so many ideas it feels like the frame isn’t big enough to capture your true vision. Don’t let your photographs get so overwhelmed with props that you lose focus. It’s all about taking a step back and deciding what props really elevate the shot and which ones are just there.

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Anyone who has gone snorkeling or scuba diving in really clear water knows that a whole universe exists beneath the surface of the ocean, a lake or even just your backyard pool. The lighting, colors, and depth perception don’t follow the same rules as they do on dry land. So photographing underwater requires a different technique and tool set (aside from a waterproof camera of course), to capture spectacular images.

Here are a few ways to get the most out of your underwater photography:

Get up close and personal
Providing your subject doesn’t have a particularly nasty set of teeth, the closer you can get to you underwater subject the better. Water can mess with the color, sharpness and contrast of your image. Getting close doesn’t just mean extending your zoom! Get within a few feet of your subject for the best possible outcome.

Shoot from below
If you have the gear or the lung capacity, shooting from beneath your subject can create a really dynamic image. Shooting from below allows the subject to stand out better from the background and can help prevent backscatter.

Open up the aperture
There is never as much light below the water as there is above. Even in shallow reefs, the amount of light is cut down dramatically. Keep your aperture wide open to allow the most light into the camera.

Shoot at high-noon
Unlike shooting on land, where dawn and dusk provide some of the best lighting conditions, you should aim to shoot during the middle of the day if you’re going under water. Your best bet is between 11 and 2, when the sun is at its highest.

Look around
One of the best things about shooting underwater is that you can position yourself however you need to get shot. You can be completely inverted if need be! Keep looking all around you, just because there is nothing in front of you worth shooting, that doesn’t mean that something isn’t going on right below, above or behind you.

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Color is one of the most important aspects of a photograph. Even in black and white images, the varying shades of grey have a purpose and help tell a story. It’s very obvious when the color of a frame looks “off,” whether it’s awkwardly muted or too vibrant. Sometimes the color of a photo is intentionally edited in a post-production software program to produce a desired effect. Other times it’s a combination of the light, the setting, the camera and the skill of the photographer that make the colors appear the way they do. Regardless, the color of a photograph ties directly with the mood of the photograph.

Here are a few ways you can get creative with color:

Just because you can’t see it…
Most photographers, amateur or professional, know that sunrises and sunsets provide some of the most dynamic lighting, color schemes and shadows. But many don’t know that even after the most vibrant colors seem to have faded to your eye the camera can still pick up the brilliant hues. The lighting might be perfect for a little longer than you thought.

Minimize the color palette
Sometimes a color is more striking when it is the only thing we see. A pop of red or yellow on a white or black background forces the viewer to look at that object. It draws them into the frame and keeps them focused. Distinct colors also give clues to what the object is, so you can play with the exposure time to create movement while still capturing the object’s shape.

Artificial lighting
Different light bulbs produce different colors. Tungsten, halogen and fluorescent light bulbs give off a unique color spectrum that can have a dramatic effect on the scene of your photograph.

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Food is as much visual as it is visceral. After all, don’t our eyes tell our stomachs something will be delicious because it looks like it? The old saying “you eyes are bigger than your stomach” goes to show that what we see directly influences what we want to eat, and how much of it we think we can handle. Pick up any cookbook, check out a cooking blog (even just a DIY home chef) and you’ll find unbelievably appetizing photos. The finished product has to look delicious, even when the viewer can’t smell or taste it. It’s the job of the photographer to make that happen.

Here are a few tips for when you’re photographing food:

Be careful with your lighting
Think of the food as the subject of a portrait. You have to light it in just the right way to capture the best aspects. Sometimes your best bet is natural lighting. Harsh, studio lights can make the food look waxy or fake, like what you’d see on a laminated fast food menu. Bright flashes can affect the color of the food or create off shadows. Well reflected daylight makes the food look much more natural and appetizing.

Shoot fast
Food only looks fresh for so long. Fresh vegetables and fruits start to brown and wither, especially if they’ve been peeled and sliced. Meats start to look grey and sauces congeal as they get cold. If you aren’t prepared for the shoot BEFORE the food is, you’ll waste precious time and soon you’ll be photographing leftovers.

Change up the point of view
You don’t always have to shoot food by looking down at it. Shoot as if you were the diner, ready to dig into that plate of pasta or carve into the cake. This perspective is more realistic and keeps the plate from looking flat. It also helps you show of the textures of the ingredients.

Keep the background clean
A beautiful fillet is fish is going to get lost on a red and purple stripped plate, which is sitting on top of blue polka dot table cloth, with an orange wall in the background. The food has to be the star of the frame. Most food photography has the food on a white plate or in front of a simple pattern background. Don’t let the food get lost in the props.

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Some of the most intriguing photographs don’t actually show you something. Obviously there is a subject of some kind, but that subject doesn’t seem to be the real focus of the frame. It’s what is behind that open door, what is waiting in the alley’s shadows, what is just around the corner. The real subject of the photo isn’t actually in the frame at all, it’s just outside it. That is the power of suggestion and it is a powerful photography tool.

When you suggest something in a photo, you are encouraging the visitor to fill in the blanks based on their own experiences. Suddenly there is room for interpretation and the photo takes on a different meaning for everyone who looks at. Movies do it all the time, alluding to something just out of the camera’s scope. The best horror movies are when you don’t actually see the monster. You are left to create your own monster, which is far more terrifying and interesting than anything a director could create. Consider the Mona Lisa; her smile (or lack thereof) has captivated the world for centuries. Is she smiling? If so, at what? What does she see that we cannot? That little bit of a question mark makes the painting as relevant now as when the paint first dried.

You can use suggestion in your photography in a number of ways. Instead of focusing on the action, focus on the people watching it. Their expressions tell a new and different story about what it going on. Depending on where you are, maybe shooting from behind is a possibility. Instead of shooting from the audience’s perspective, can you shoot from the band’s point of view? What does the drummer see and how is that different from the way the lead singer sees the venue?

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There is a lot more drama in a frame when one or multiple elements are actually doing something! It can be a lot more interesting for the viewer and a lot more fun to shoot as a photographer. But capturing objects in motion requires a certain level of awareness and preparedness you don’t always have to have if your object is sitting still and waiting for you.

Here are a few tips of getting the best action photography shots you can:

Practice your timing
Action photography is all about capturing a moment. Missing the game winning catch at a football game because you were slow on the uptake is no excuse. If you’re going to be shooting something like a professional sporting event, maybe go to a few local games to practice your timing. It will help you get an idea of what players do before a really spectacular action like a dive or slide. Noticing those little movements will help you get ready in time for the important shot.

Pick a new point of view
If it all possible, try to change the point of view you are shooting from. Getting up close and personal with the action can provide really interesting and engaging shots that most photographers don’t capture. If you’re photographing a car race, for example, try hanging out around the corners of the track. That’s usually where cars have to slow down and get pushed together, giving your more objects to focus on. Move around to get the action from different angles, heights or in different lighting situations to capture a range of photos.

Shutter Speed
If you want to freeze the action completely, use a faster shutter speed. If you want the image to be a little blurry, pick a slower shutter speed. Practicing will help you determine what shutter speeds you need to capture various objects in motion (person vs horse vs car, for instance)

Autofocus is your friend
Some photographers feel like using autofocus is a little bit like cheating, but sometimes action photography doesn’t provide you with an alternative. There just isn’t time to manually focus the shot.

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Trying to capture people on film (or an SD card) can always provide a photographer with inspiration, unique challenges and unexpected results, both good and bad. Catching people in their element can provide a photographer with a lot of opportunities to show off your creativity. If you are looking to photograph people outside of your studio, here are a couple things to keep in mind so you make the most of your time and subject.

Capture your subject doing something
Yes, stoic portrait shots look great in a high school yearbook or for a corporate bio, but viewers are really drawn to images of people doing things. That’s why candid photos are often more beloved than strategically posed shots. There is no denying that people act differently when they know they are being photographed, so catching them in the act helps reveal their personality. If you are taking pictures of people you and your audience don’t know, capturing them while they move about their daily life gives the viewer much more information about the subject.

Use a silhouette to highlight your subject
If you’re trying to capture your subject in front of an impressive landscape or cityscape, it’s easy for the person to get lost in everything that is going on behind them. The small, darkened shape contrasts strongly with the bright background, making them easier to find and helps gives a sense of size to the photo. A mountain looks a lot bigger when a tiny human is trekking to the top.

Shoot your subject from a new angle
Instead of shooting from your eye level or straight at your subject, why not change it up with some playful angles? Get low to the ground and shoot up at your subject. This can produce some exceptional images if you are shooting in water, having your subject framed by the light from above. If you’re trying to take pictures of kids, get down on their level and see the world from their point of view. Or try the complete opposite approach and find higher ground like a rooftop or high staircase and shoot from down on your subject.

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