How to Use Macro 200 Lens for Gymnastics
- 1). Attach the 200mm lens to your camera and set your camera to shutter priority, which will identified on your exposure mode dial with a "S" or "Tv," and set the shutter speed to 1/250th of a second. This speed will be fast enough to capture the athlete and also give a little bit of motion blur if the athlete is in a jump or swing on a high bar.
- 2). Set the lens to "auto focus," and if it has a range setting, set the lens for the longer of the settings. Most higher-end telephotos will let you set the range within which the lens needs to focus; this allows the lens to focus more quickly. Also, set your camera's focusing to "Servo" or "Continuous," depending on the camera you are using. In this mode, the lens will continue to track the athlete and remain in focus during shooting.
- 3). Hold the camera to your eye and keep the center of the viewfinder trained on the athlete. Most cameras and lenses focus better with the center viewpoint then other focus points. When you see the picture you want, press the shutter release to take the picture.
- 4). After the event, ask the athlete you were photographing to pose for you. Gymnasts' hands are interesting photographic subjects, as they are usually covered in chalk. Have the athlete hold her hands together in a way that shows the chalk and the strength in her hands. Use the lens' macro capabilities to focus very closely on the hands; this will cause the background to go blurry and create an interesting picture.