We can’t promise to make you as fit as Kelvin Trautman, but we can help you shoot like him. Here are his five steps to taking the perfect action photo
1. The most important tip is to strive to produce something different. The photography market is swamped. So remember to be technically good, but try to seek out those never-been-seen-before ways of capturing images. Take photographs that no-one else can.
2. Understand your subject. It’s particularly pertinent when snapping pics of action sports, or any reportage style of photography for that matter, because your primary job is to get your audience to relate to your subject. Imagine what’s going through an athletes or explorer’s mind and you’ll find the best angle to capture the moment.
3. Know your equipment. In the tumultuous world of action sports, where there’s shifting light, rapid movement and fleeting moments, you need to have unconscious knowledge of your camera equipment’s functions and capabilities. Don’t be fumbling with the buttons or scrolling through your Menu Page when Tony Hawk pulls off the first ever 900.
4. Go to the places or be out in those conditions that no-one else is prepared to go. That way your pics are guaranteed to be different, no matter the size of your camera or skill as a photographer.
