Each weekend across the land there are sporting events that offer huge picture potential. Local sports, for example soccer and rugby, are far simpler to access than the major stadium events, and they are a fantastic opportunity to master key action techniques and improve your composition.At little, non-professional venues you can shoot from the touchline and get close enough to the action using little more than a 70-300mm telephoto zoom.The weak daylight in the United Kingdom can make it impossible to shoot action successfully at low ISO settings. It’s far better to freeze the action and put up with some noise or grain than have blurred pictures.To stop the action in its tracks, employ a shutter speed of 1/250 sec or faster. Remember, the longer the focal length you are using, the more critical it is to set a quicker shutter speed to deal with the danger of camera shake.Cluttered, distracting backgrounds are one of the most common issues you can face when shooting local sporting events. Classic Problems are parked automobiles, buildings and fences. Walk around the pitch to discover a viewpoint that permits you to take photographs with a clean background. More distant objects are less of a difficulty than those close to the pitch as they are less complicated to chuck out of focus ( beyond depth-of-field ) using a wide aperture, such as f/4 or f/5.6. Finding a focus to get the viewer’s attention is often the key to a successful shot. The expression and effort that is shown on the player’s face could make or break this kind of image.Try and ensure that the ball is visible in shot as it gives the image context; also try to get the player in possession sharp and clear for maximum impact. Accurate composition is not possible, of course, but the better you know the game you are covering, the more you’ll be able to predict what might occur and be in a position to capture it.Why don’t you try a sequence shot while you are at it? Try to shoot in bursts of 4 or five frames per second, rather than setting the camera to launch away speedily.I love photography and I believe digital photography is an art. Taking beautiful pictures is my hobby and my passion. I hope the information you read here will help you take beautiful pictures. Check out my lens, Understanding Digital Photography!