THE CHALLENGE

There is, perhaps, nothing more satisfying than an image of action frozen in crisp, sharp detail, allowing us the time to scrutinize and analyze every nuance, down to the smallest speck. The challenge, of course, is freezing that action in the crispest detail while still maintaining a good overall exposure. Photographers commonly misjudge the shutter speeds needed for sharp, action-stopping shots. If you use one that is too fast, you’ll be forced to use a larger-than-necessary aperture, compromising the depth of field and possibly sacrificing sharp detail. If you use a shutter speed that is too slow, you’ll cause blurring in the subject.