ACTION Assignment
NAME__________________________________
For this assignment you will submit 5 different Action photos. Composition becomes more difficult when shooting a moving
subject because of the need to time your shot. Try to predict where your subject will be and decide how to frame it in advance.
Don’t forget to give the subject room to move (more space in front than behind).
Tips:
If your camera allows you to adjust the shutter speed independently with TV, T, or S mode, use it! This allows you to control
the amount of blur in a photo. Use a fast speed like 1/1000 second for stop action, and a slow speed like 1/30 or slower (light
allowing) for motion blur. Experiment with different speeds to achieve different results. You might need to use a tripod or
steady the camera on a solid object so you don’t end up blurring everything.
Get close to the action, and ZOOM IN if necessary. Most sports photographers use a long telephoto lens to get close to their
subjects from a safe distance. Make your viewer feel like part of the action rather then just a spectator.
HOW TO OUTSMART YOUR CAMERA IF IT DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO ADJUST SHUTTER SPEED
(read this if you’re using a “smart” phone to take your photos)!
Stop Action: Use action mode (icon with little man running) and your camera will select the fastest possible shutter speed for
the given amount of light. Taking stop action photos in bright light and setting a higher ISO will also help the camera choose
faster shutter speeds.
Motion Blur & Panning shot: Do not use action mode. Take photos in lower light conditions and turn off the flash. This
will force the camera to choose a slower shutter speed. Steady your camera on a solid object to avoid blurring everything.
Setting a lower ISO will also force the camera choose a slower shutter speed.
Your project must include:

All exposures uploaded to iPhoto on your computer at school by the first day of editing, @ least 100 for a 4 on the
time management standard.

5 photos uploaded to Picasa: (no more than 2 may be black and white)
1.
2.
Stop Action: find something fast, and freeze the action with a fast shutter speed: 1/500 – 1/4000 second (take in bright light).
Motion Blur: blur the action with a slow shutter speed: 1/30 second or slower. Keep the camera still so the background
doesn’t blur too! It will take some practice and experimentation to get this to work. Dim lighting will work better.
3. Panning: follow your subject with the camera to blur the background but freeze the subject. Use a slow shutter speed (1/30
second or slower) so the background will blur. This is tricky and will take some trial and error, but will be easier in lower light
conditions!
4. Decisive Moment: this one is all about timing. Capture the peak moment, when the action is most dramatic, e.g. right when
the football player dives to catch the ball in the end zone, not a second sooner or a second later or you’ll miss it!
5. Action Sequence: use burst or continuous mode to capture a sequence of at least 3 stop action photos (use a fast shutter speed
and take these in bright light) with the same background. Do not move the camera! Use a tripod or solid object so nothing
except the subject! We will then combine the pictures in Photoshop.
 Choose 1 photo and answer all 4 of the following questions about it in specific detail. Use one comment field in
Picasa for each question, number them, and answer them in order:
1. Why did you choose this photo (why do you like it, how does it fit the requirement)?
2. Explain the camera setting/modes you used and why! You must include the actual f/stop and shutter speed
numbers with an accurate explanation of how these affected the photo for full credit! Use words like fast/slow to
describe shutter speed and whether that resulted in frozen or blurred motion, and large/small to describe aperture
and whether that resulted in a large or shallow DOF (remember this also depends on proximity and focal length i.e.
closer and longer lens = shallower DOF). If you can’t set aperture and shutter speed, or you used auto mode, you
can still write about how the aperture and shutter speed affected the photo and/or why the camera chose them.
3. What iPhoto tools did you use in the editing process, e.g. cropping, exposure, histogram, contrast, saturation
adjustments etc? Explain why you made these edits for full credit (or specifically why you didn’t need to).
4. What decisions did you make and/or challenges did you encounter while physically taking the photo. If your
answer reads, “I did not make any decisions or encounter any challenges,” you will get a 1. Be a conscious and
intentional photographer, and remember, “You don’t take a good photograph, you make it.” –Ansel Adams
PHOTOS DAYS (Bring my camera and load photos when I get back):
FIRST DAY OF EDITING (Need to have at least 100 photos on school computer):
PROJECT DUE: