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Section II Shooting
festival—can be classified as action and event
photography. So can most of the assignments
covered by photojournalists, whether they are
shooting fires, the effects of weather, or the
doings of public officials.
Major categories of action and event
photography include:
• Sports. Portraying athletics at any level from
Little League to professional.
• Street shooting. Capturing candid views
of people and their activities, usually in an
urban setting.
• Photojournalism. Recording breaking news
events of all kinds, plus feature photos to
accompany articles and photos shot strictly
for their visual interest.
• Performances. Photographing entertainment
activities of all types from concerts to stage
productions to festivals to parades.
The photographs resulting from action and
event shooting often will fall in the category of
record shots or straight portrayals of a scene (“I
was there and this is what I saw.”), Figure 9-2.
At other times, the photos may convey a strong
emotional or artistic impact. News photographs
frequently convey emotional content, while
performance photos can have an abstract artistic
appearance, Figure 9-3.
To be successful as an action and event
photographer, you must be able to respond
quickly to changing conditions and, often,
to rapidly moving subjects. You have to
be completely familiar with your camera’s
capabilities and controls, so that you can make
Figure 9-1. A shutter speed of 1/1600 second froze
both the ball and the players in this scene from a soccer
match.
Figure 9-2. A “record shot” showing the start of a
children’s boat race. Families build the watercraft from
supplied materials: cardboard, plastic sheeting, and duct
tape. Surprisingly, most stay afloat!
Figure 9-3. The color, costumes, and motion of the
dancers in a performance often provide photographs
that approach the abstract.