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When I say I’ve taken a
lot of bad fencing photographs, I mean a LOT. Thousands, without a doubt. And I
know I’m not alone.
Getting to the point where
I could consistently take really good fencing photos took practice, both as a
fencer and a photographer. Like fencing, becoming a good photographer takes
commitment, practice, training, and real-world experience. And, just like
adapting to various fencers on the strip, to shoot fencing photos you have to
adapt to infinite combinations of styles, weapons, venues, and actions.
Sports photography is a
percentages game, and I always try to get a higher percentage of good shots than
what I shot at the last event. For an average day at a world championship event,
I’ll shoot about 1500 to 1800 photos; of these, typically 100 or so are usable,
25 are professionally acceptable, and perhaps three are great. Perhaps two or
three shots out of nine days of a world championship are fantastic shots.
Taking an action photo is
different from a portrait shot, and a sports emotion image is different from an
establishment photograph. Many people, especially with the highly automated
features on digital cameras today, simply point-and-shoot at whatever they think
might look good—and then are surprised when the results aren’t as good as what
they thought they saw through the viewfinder.
Perhaps you’ve given
fencing photography a try and discovered it’s not that easy. I’ve taken more
than a half-million photographs of fencing in the last three years alone, and I
still learn new things—and make mistakes that drive me crazy—at every event. As
the FIE photographer, I am often asked how to shoot fencing – even by other
professionals. It’s not all about equipment – certainly, that’s part of the
equation, but definitely not all of it. Consider the following seven key factors
to produce the best-possible fencing images with your camera:
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Position Matters.
Where you stand in relation to the fencers is important. It’s hard to
shoot at a 90-degree angle to the center of the piste, and you may find
referee directly in your line-of-sight. Position yourself as close as
possible to the action. Look for interesting perspectives – atop a chair or
at floor-level, for example.
Try to get at an angle of
30 to 45 degrees to the strip’s center, which gives the best perspective and
depth to see both fencers. If you’re directly behind them, they’ll get out of
focus when they move, and you might get the back of a fencer instead of a good
action shot. If you’re perpendicular to the strip and your camera has any
shutter lag, you may get the edge of the fencers when they move. At the 30-45
angle, you’ve got more focal range and a better chance of catching the action.
Focusing on the bell of the opposing fencer’s weapon is a good way to track and
get the best images.
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I Can’t See!
Lighting in fencing halls is abysmal for photographers. Not only dim and
spotty, sodium/mercury lights wreak havoc on a camera’s “white balance.”
Without light, your camera has to shoot “slowly” to get good exposures—which
won’t yield a “stop-action” style.
 I
test the lighting before I shoot. In Cuba at the 2003 World Championships the
lighting was so bad in the preliminary hall that the FIE allowed photographers
to shoot using flashes. But using a flash (which rarely produces good images,
anyway) isn’t an option for fencing tournaments—it’s not allowed, and can
distract and momentarily blind fencers. Worse yet, an angry coach might blame
you for a fencer losing a touch!
Note: If your camera
has an automatic “pop-up” flash, disable it when shooting fencing.
For poor lighting, use
your camera’s highest ISO setting to shoot at a speed necessary to take action
shots. Then set it to the widest aperture (F/stop) and fastest-possible shutter
speed without the image being too dark.
White balance (which gets
the “whites white” and the colors correct based upon the type of light in which
you are shooting) is best set manually, also. An “automatic” white balance may
slow-down shots when trying to optimize speed. Set white balance for fluorescent
lights or a plain light bulb (Tungsten), take test shots, review, and adjust
accordingly.
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The Venue. How
do I take photos where all you see is the fencers against a dark background?
It’s the venue. I originally developed my technique by taking high-contrast,
dramatic photos at Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas, where they dim the
audience lights and shine spotlights on the fencers. This is often the way
finals take place at world fencing events.
But most salles and even
Nationals don’t light this way, even for a finals piste. You might get lucky
with a finals strip where the background is dark, but that still doesn’t help on
strips elsewhere in the venue. Mostly, you’ll shoot on poorly lighted strips
lacking attractive backgrounds. For these situations, I default to tight,
“narrow depth-of-field” shots—meaning the background is blurry and focusing on
an area limited to the fencers and nothing else. This way, the background is
less distracting and unattractive. To do this, manually set your camera (if
possible) to as wide an aperture as possible, and shoot at a faster shutter
speed.
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Compose Your Shot!
Have an idea of a subject and composition to produce a photo that’s
interesting and memorable. Just snapping photos of the “scene” isn’t enough;
each image must have a purpose.
There are several theories
to study about composition, such as the “rule of thirds.” And “tight” shots are
more obviously “composed” because much of the subject occupies the image. Trying
to capture too much of a general scene can produce a “busy” quality without a
discernable subject or purpose.
A concentrating fencer,
blades crossed in engagement, or a deep lunge can good subjects. Work on
composing specific actions until you get it right. Successful photography is
about practicing the same shot over and over—and being able to replicate the
technique.
Don’t worry about getting
entire fencers into the shot. Go for close-ups, and if you cut-off someone’s
legs, it’s OK. In busy venues, it’s important to compose based on fencing action
and individuals, not entire scenes.
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Equipment, Big &
Small. Equipment makes a difference in capturing good fencing image. I
shoot a Canon 1D Mark IIn with “fast” (wide aperture) lenses, the standard of
most sports photographers. I can shoot 8.5 shots a second, up to 40 shots in
a row, with no shutter lag at more than eight megapixels. So there’s no
discernable shutter lag, the aperture is wide-enough to let in lots of light
no matter the zoom length. Plus, the ISO goes up to 3200 and the image
sensor in the camera is extremely high-quality.
But you may not want to
lug gear around, or pay $12,000 for a camera and lenses. So what do you do?
Camera settings are the
most important part of getting the most out of your equipment, no matter the
cost. For any camera—from point-and-shoot to semi-pro SLRs like the Nikon D-100
or Canon Rebel—the trick is to set it as manually as possible.
Photos will always be
better if you do the thinking, not the camera! When set to automatic functioning
for shutter speed, aperture, white balance, and ISO, a camera has to “think”
about every photo – significantly slowing how long it takes to shoot.
For most venues, begin by
setting ISO as high as possible. Some cameras won’t go higher than 400 or 800.
If your camera goes higher, don’t go beyond ISO 1600 or you’ll get “noisy”
(grainy) shots. This optimizes the sensitivity to light so you can take faster
shots. Don’t just use the “sports” preset.
Next, set white balance
(see #2) so you have the best colors and whites for venue lighting. Only use
automatic white balance in mixed light, such as sunlight and indoor lights.
Now set your camera to
either “M” (for manual”) or “A” for the “aperture priority.” Set your aperture
as wide as possible. The larger the aperture, the smaller the number (F/2.8 is
wide and F/16 is small). This lets in more light so you can shoot a faster
shutter speed. Be aware that a large aperture also means you will have narrower
depth-of-field – meaning just what you focus on will be in focus, not the entire
“scene.”
 While
the best lighting, taking photos of moving fencers this way will be challenging
for keeping focused—you’ll have to practice to ensure sharp images. Automatic
focuses are rarely fast on cameras, so you may try manually focusing, or
choosing one spot where you can stay focused.
Shoot as fast a shutter
speed as possible, but slow enough to still get a well-lighted image. Test
several speeds and see what happens before you take shots that count. If you can
shoot on full-manual, all the better.
If the light is varied,
you might try shooting semi-automatically using aperture-priority at a wide
setting; your camera won’t be as fast but will adapt to various lighting.
Exposures change based
upon how “tight” a shot you take. A close-up of a fencer’s face will be darker
shot and require a slower shutter speed than an action shot of white-suited
fencers reflecting lots of light. When I take a photo of a fencer ripping his
mask off and screaming a gold-medal victory yell, I have to reset my camera to
be ready for his face, not his uniform.
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Fencer, Know
Thyself. Being a fencer makes a difference in my ability to anticipate
and see the action. As an epeeist and sometimes-foilist, it took the most
time to figure out how to shoot saber. I worked to understand what made for
good action, and when and how things were happening. Understanding the sport
is an essential part of being able to capture the best images.
If you’re not a fencer,
learn what happens when and what fencers think is cool versus what’s not. For
example, most shots of fencers at-distance, standing en garde, isn’t very
interesting.
Learning to anticipate the
action is essential to taking good shots with any camera, even with a rippingly
fast camera. Shoot only when the fencers engage in their action, and chances are
you won’t get much because it’ll be over too quickly (well, OK, maybe in epee…).
You’ll need to begin shooting before they engage, and see things the fencers
see—the twitch of a foot, a feint you know will lead to an attack—and you’re
still going to take lots of shots where you’ll miss the action or that perfect
touch.
 Anticipation
and setting your camera manually, are the best ways to avert “shutter lag,” that
tendency of digital cameras to snap photos several moments later than you
wanted. If you know your camera, and you’ve optimized the setting as much as
possible, then you need to hone your timing. Depress the shutter if you think
for a split-second that an attack is imminent—don’t wait until the fencers begin
their encounter. Will you waste shots? Absolutely. Will you get some great
shots? Yes!
Get yourself a large, fast
flash card that holds many images, and start practicing!
A bonus: If you’re a
fencer, learning this method will also help you know your opponent all the
better when you’re on the strip, and you’ll find yourself seeing an
attack before it happens…
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Planning Your Shots.
Taking a photo of a focused fencer before a bout? Want a good action
shot? Want to shoot a fencer screaming? Any of these require different
positioning, settings, and anticipation.
Think about how you can
tell a story, from the bout’s beginning to the end—whether it’s a world champion
or your ten-year-old at her first big youth tournament. This means knowing your camera, being
able to change settings on-the-fly, all the while understanding and focusing on
what you’re shooting—don’t be so immersed in your camera’s controls or looking
at your last shot in the LCD that you miss what’s happening!
Fencers look impersonal in
masks and uniforms, and it’s important to humanize the sport with faces and
emotions. This, combined with interesting action and well-composed shots makes
for a visual story that has a beginning, a peak, and an end. But each image
requires that you manage and set your camera so it captures each shot optimally.
Relying on automatic settings, while occasionally effective, will fail to
produce consistently good results. That’s where you must take the reins and
control the action—every bit as much as the fencer needs to do the same to win.
"Jumping Jonathan" at the
Athens 2004 Olympic Games
I’ve been fortunate in
fencing to see some great action and worked hard to be ready for it, such as
catching Jonathan Tiomkin in Athens jumping higher than anyone had seen a fencer
reach. But for every “Jumping Jonathan” shot, there are hours spent sitting on
concrete floors shooting, downloading, selecting, and editing images. I haven’t
covered the “post-pixel” stages of digital photography, meaning the myriad
details of what to do with a photo once on the computer and working with it in
Photoshop and other software. That’s an equally important part of photography
“workflow.”
But it’s always
better to begin with a well-composed, well-lighted photo. This makes time in the
digital darkroom easier, faster, and more fun. I never assume I can “fix” images
later in Photoshop; instead, I test a venue before I start shooting the big and
important action—something you can also do at any venue. Know the limitations as
well as the capabilities of your camera, and of yourself to shoot what you want
and know will be memorable images.
%20v%20Canto%20(ESP)%20-%20Torino%20-%202438.JPG) Finally, enjoy the time
shooting. It brings you closer to the sport, the athletes, and perhaps even your
family. I’d gladly trade my experience shooting fencers at the Olympics for the
time I’ve spent with—and the photos I’ve taken of—my son at Nationals.
Serge Timacheff is a
fencer, the founder of FencingPhotos.com, and the official photographer for the
International Fencing Federation (FIE), World Fencing Championships, and the
Olympic Games as well as for Corbis.com. He is the author of two widely published
books on photography, “Total Digital Photography: The Shoot to Print Workflow
Handbook” (2004) and “Digital Sports Photography: Take Winning Shots Every Time”
(2005).
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its entirety (including photos) may be reprinted and distributed providing
proper credit is attributed and referenced.
All photos
are protected by international and U.S. laws, copyright
Serge Timacheff/FencingPhotos.com. Other than as part of this article, they may not be copied, downloaded, sold, or
distributed in any way without permission.
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