© Michael Thoennes

Emotion. Peak moment. Unique angles. Movement. Speed. Sports shooting is not for the timid. You must be actively engaged with your camera and think fast. Set your camera to shutter priority to stop the action. Use a higher ISO if needed to get a correct exposure. NIK software works wonders at removing the additional noise you′ll gain. The shot on the field was done with a 400mm 2.8 lens at f4 1/500. Most of us don′t have access to long fast lenses, so shots like this are rare for the average parent. But there are other opportunities on the sideline which can be captured with a normal or wide lens. Keep your eyes open for those moments and always look the other way!