Sports/Action

"As they go through their routines, I see the shot. I want to see the moment so I'll know it's coming."

You'd think it would be Rule Number One: when the stock shot is a sports image, you get players, not models. Always shoot the folks who know how to play the game. But you'd be surprised how many times we've talked to sports...

Tiger Woods rarely gets boxed in, unless you're talking about setting up his Golf Digest January cover with the five most coveted trophies in golf.

Photographer Dom Furore built a...

Last year in Shutterbug, I offered 10 reasons why a topside photographer might want to dive into underwater photography. My reasons included: challenging yourself with one of the most rewarding photo specialties around; putting your photo skills to work...

The stunning Formula 1 cover shots that grace international racing magazines are certainly spectacular. Looking at them you might feel that given the same access to the best "photo op spots" that you could do just as well. I share your feelings, and probably like you don't have the coveted press credentials for those "sweet spots." But it hasn't...

The first Dallas Cowboys Ron St. Angelo photographed were the Dallas Cowboys' cheerleaders. It was a good start. Studio shots of the cheerleaders led to photographing the players, then the games. Today his business card reads, "Official photographer of the Dallas Cowboys." Ron's been with the team from the late 1970s, from Landry and Staubach, through...

BMX rider Daniel Coriz comes in at speed from the right side, launches himself up 10 feet, touches both tires, pulls the handlebars to pop a wheelie off the wall, then turns the bike for a clean exit. He lands a foot in front of adventure sports photographer Michael Clark, who’s been hand-holding his camera, tracking and firing to capture every turn and twist of the trick.

Shooting sports and action can really put your gear and your timing to the test. But there’s more to a great action shot than simply capturing the moment and making sure it’s in focus. Shutterbug readers showed their fast action shooting skills this month with winning photos that captured a variety of sports, from bike racing to baseball and surfing to rodeo. For this assignment, we wanted to see sports and action images that had great composition, effective use of backgrounds and scenery, and powerful human emotion. Shutterbug’s sports shooters delivered.