Whether you’re shooting sports or weddings, our focus as photographers tends to hone in on those moments of peak action: the baseball pitch; the touchdown catch; the kiss at the alter. But sometimes the best moments actually happen in between the peak action. In my latest Tech Tip for AdoramaTV, I dissect one of my favorite pictures of professional rock climber and Red Bull athlete David Lama hanging from a belay point on an alpine climb in Austria.
[You may remember this picture from a recent Story Behind the Image I wrote, “The Network.” Click here to read that piece.]
What I didn’t really discuss in that SBI essay, however, is how so often the best storytelling pictures are actually created during those quiet moments between the peak action. In this situation, it wasn’t just about creating photos of David Lama crimping down on tiny holds; it was about being at a belay, looking ahead to the next pitch, and capturing this when the light was perfect, giving me a catch light in David’s eyes, and the background was really interesting. So, the lesson is simple: shoot the action, but then start getting creative during those moments in between!
Hope you enjoy this Tech Tip. Be sure to check out the rest of my series on AdoramaTV, as well as more free educational videos from other great photographers and filmmakers.
