What is your approach to taking sports and action shots?

Taking great action shots is more involved than most people think. Even with today's fast cameras and high end equipment, there are a number of things to consider before aiming the camera. We do a lot of prep work before the action even starts, making decisions at each photographic moment that balance film speed, depth of field, lens choice, aperture, zoom level, and shutter speed. The right mix will result in a great shot, but without the right combination those important moments can pass right on by! Really "knowing" the sports we photograph, from an athlete's perspective, also goes a long way to getting better shots than most spectators can get.