Making a Sports Photo Book

Calling all soccer Moms! Or baseball Moms! Or, gymnastics, ice skating, hockey, track Moms! Whatever the sport, the chances are that you spend a lot of time cheering your child. So, you probably take a lot of pictures. Now the question is what to do with all those photos, and if your photos aren't very good how can you take better shots?

Taking Better Sports Pictures

Most cameras have something called shutter lag - which is the moment you press the shutter to when your camera actually takes the picture. Shutter lag can be the difference between getting action shots and missing them. Here's how to "trick" your camera into overcoming shutter lag:

• Anticipate the action. As you watch the game, try to see where things are headed, so you can be ready for an outstanding play or reaction.
• Press the shutter down lightly, about halfway. This will lock the focus on the subject of your photo. This lets you take the picture much faster because the focusing process will already be done.

Perhaps, you can stack the odds and take as many images as possible and keep the ones you like.

If you want to showcase some motion you will need to do a technique called Panning —moving the camera in the same direction as your in-motion subject as you shoot. This approach produces a photo with a motion-blurred background and a sharply focused subject.

Close-ups help you show the emotion of sports. Use your digital camera's zoom mode or macro to get these intense shots.

When shooting indoors, it is extremely important to hold the camera steady. The best way to do this is to use a monopod. The monopod is easier to use and carry than a tripod and creates a steady hand when shooting under those low light situations.

Choose a Theme That Fits Your Child's Motivation

If your child plays a lot of different sports, it makes it a little harder to figure out what to do since there can be a few different ways that you can organize the pictures. Depending on how far along your superstar is in school you can either choose to focus on all the sports from one year, or focus on many years of one sport. Whatever focus you choose, it is important to be sure to organize these pictures. Check out the Make Your Own Photo Books Primer.

Interview your child to see why they participate in sports. You may be surprised at the answer. My daughter enjoyed gymnastics because she came home from the gym totally sweaty and worn out. Pictures that capture that theme could be included in any book for her. If your child mentions improvement, you can use that theme with your book and pictures. The preparation and practice that goes into the sport is another aspect to investigate when making your photo books.

Making a Sports Yearbook

You can create a Sports Yearbook for your athlete.

Making a gymnastics yearbook.