Two things are crucial when taking pictures of swimming. Good timing is required because swimmers spend a lot of their time almost completely under water. And, you will have to take some extra measures to protect your equipment because moisture and humidity are hard on photography equipment.
Instructions
1. Arrive at the swimming meet early. You should get to the event at least 30 minutes before you want to start taking pictures. Your camera equipment will need at least this much time to adapt to the temperature and humidity of the pool area.
2. Pack a microfiber cloth. Your biggest concern will be keeping the fog off your lens. No matter what measures you take, your lens will fog over, but you can snap a couple quick pictures after you wipe the lens with a microfiber cloth.
3. Get a few pictures of the swimmers on the block. In swimming, the only time swimmers have more than their head and maybe one arm out of the water is when they are on the block. A more interesting shot than swimmers standing on the block is swimmers jumping off the block. For this, use a fast shutter speed of about 1/200 of a second.
4. Take some pictures of the swimmers in the water. For these pictures, position yourself so the swimmers are coming straight at you. You'll have two opportunities for pictures: when a swimmer raises her head for air and when she swings her arm forward.
5. Pre-focus the camera. Because swimming pictures can be hard to time, it's a good idea to pre-focus the camera by pressing the shutter button down half way and pointing it a little ahead of the swimmer. Snap the picture when the swimmer is in the frame and comes out of the water.
6. Try some underwater swimming pictures. You will not be able to get these at a competitive event, but if you're allowed to get into the water during practice, you can get some great pictures. You can find disposable water-proof cameras which will easily hold up in a swimming pool. For higher quality underwater pictures, look for a waterproof camera enclosure from a photography store.
Tags: microfiber cloth, pictures swimmers, swimming pictures, taking pictures, when swimmer