Just interested to hear what your thoughts are...

i think knowing what youre looking for before you shoot is key. i take more action shots and my albums could benefit from a few post-toss poses and setup looks. variation is clutch.

framing and perspective are really important too. i usually edit my pics to make them look as panoramic as possible. the notable exception is when you get a really tight shot of the moment of release. i like to mix up my perspective between high and low angle stuff. both add to how interesting the overall shoot is.

know what type of pic you want to shoot, find the perspective you want, frame it in the viewfinder and go!

id really like to get a nice dslr that has a continuous mode. capturing crystal clear, fast-moving arms and discs is childs play with continuous mode and a semi-shallow aperture.

dslrs are just so expensive though! I have a friend who has one that I borrow once in a while. Works really great- only thing I wanted to learn how to do was adjust the shutter speed. it was lightning fast- I wanted to do some special fx shots.

I'm drawn to trying to capture the moment of release- the way people move is so varied and different. It tells such a great story about the throw. I also love to get the first 20 feet of the shot and the players' follow- through. I agree with apothecary-changing your perspective, elevation, and framing the shot are all things to keep in mind.

Thanks!

depending on the brand of camera for a dslr most have the wheel near the photo button (generally where your right thumb sits) that should adjust your shutter, of course the camera will need to be in one of the manual modes at which point you will need to chose your F-stop and aperature to take an effective picture. also you may want to choose a larger lense, as zoom promotes better pictures (people wont look as distorted) for the best action you want to get as close to it as possible, and when you can at the same height as it.

Also the eye is more please with thirds for some reason so divide your shooting area into thirds vertically and horizontally (think tic-tac-toe boxes) you should imagine 9 equal spaces. where the lines intersect is where you want the subject of your picture to be. try to pick images that dont have a lot of action in the background unless it trruly defines the shot this will make you really focus on the subject. whenever possible you want the sun to your back so you dont get a silhoutte. also contrasting colors make pictures more dramatic. that is about all i have for now

had to break it up because it was too long

Not that this is specifically an action shot, but it helps understand some of the concepts. The closer you are the better the action seems, as well as choosing your lighting and shutter speed effectively can produce more dramatic lighting. this didnt have a flash with it, and I didnt use the rule of thirds but it was at the same level as the subject which creates a stronger image. I am sure that there are other methods and styles out there as well that produce awesome pictures as well but this is the one I have always used.

It really depends on what you are going after? I know after shooting sports and in particular Frisbee Sports I get bored with the same look and feel so over the I have tried to develop my style..The rule of thirds is a good one to start off with but now with dSLRs its not necessarily the rule any more..
If you really want to learn I suggest getting a few books etc..

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-.../dp/0817463011

Also one the best pieces of advice I can give is Join Flickr and join the groups that you have interest in…I have been shooting over 20 years now and I still learn from folks..

to be quite honest I think digital cameras and Photoshop (or any other editing program for that fact) ruined photography. Some of the best photos I have taken and definitely the best ones I have seen were on Film and most were from before dSLRs and Photoshop were really even available. It is one thing to make a good picture, but it definitely isnt the same as TAKING a good picture. While I do carry digital for various reasons (portability mostly) if you get good on a film camera you will rarely find yourself editing stuff on photoshop when you go digital.

Hippy007 did a good job with this shot, it looks like light values were edited a little but really still a great shot.

look at those putters. like two huge gingersnaps. man im hungry

gkeberhart - I could not agree more - having learned the ins/outs using film has made me a much better digital photographer but I agree and I think what you are saying as I do - There is a difference between being a good photographer and a good Graphic artist...you can marry the two and overcome vs the other but for my money and in fact looking over my prints you just cannot get the depth and colors that you could with film.

It’s funny to me having parents come up with over 5K of equipment and say – your pictures look so much better how come mine don’t look that way…I usually laugh and explain you cannot buy experience and you have to learn photography if you want to be good at it..not just point and shoot…I was lucky and learned on the NFL sidelines back in the late 80s-early 90s…So I learned from old Press guys that taught me a lot both on the field of play and in the darkroom.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottsh...7604693798887/