Photographer Guide

CAMERA SETTINGS

Fomat your card before you begin photographing
Synchronize your camera time to an atomic clock such as www.time.gov.
Shutter Speed: minimum of 1/640 bump up to 1/1000
Aperture: F4
Drive Mode: Continuous high speed
Auto Focus Area: Single point or cluster of 4 or 9pt.
Metering Mode: Evaluative or Partial metering. Do not use Spot Metering.
Resolution/Compression: Normal (medium)/basic compression JPG.
Do not shoot fine RAW or fine compression.
Resolution at least 3000 pixels on the long side. If small jpg is under 2400 pixels bump up to the next setting. Files need to be between 1.5 Mb to 2.5 Mb.
Auto Focus Operation: Canon = AI SERVO, Nikon = AF-C.
Highlight warning mode: on
White Balance: Auto
Picture Style: Auto
Auto Rotation: On

Fomat your card before you being photographing
Shutter Speed: minimum of 1/125
Aperture: F4-F9
Drive Mode: Single
Auto Focus Area: Single point or cluster of 4 or 9pt.
Metering Mode: Evaluative or Partial metering. Do not use Spot Metering.
Resolution/Compression: Normal (medium)/basic compression JPG.
Do not shoot fine RAW or fine compression.
Resolution at least 3000 pixels on the long side. If small jpg is under 2400 pixels bump up to the next setting. Files need to be between 1.5 Mb to 2.5 Mb.
Auto Focus Operation: Canon = Single, Nikon = AF-S.
Highlight warning mode: on
White Balance: Auto
Picture Style: Auto
Auto Rotation: On

Compose images with subject centered in frame left/right/top/bottom. Do not cut off limbs unless shooting a ¾ shot. A ¾ shot if from mid thigh up. Subject should fill the frame, do not shoot loose unless the background is important to the image.
Portrait orientation should generally be used for 1-2 people. Landscape orientation for groups of two or more.
Shoot 2-3 full body shots of each subject unless otherwise directed differently.
Watch the light and composition. Don’t shoot into the sun unless you can expose the subject properly, and cleanly blow out the background.
Avoid empty space at the top of the frame, cut-off body parts, etc. Error on the side of framing slightly wide.
Get event branding/logo in the photo when possible.
Use zoom lenses. Your best lenses are going to be constant aperture zoom lenses in the normal to moderate telephoto range. Primes are not optimal, since we don’t have time to crop the images. Your go-to lenses are going to be the 24-70mm f/2.8 and the 70-200mm f/2.8.

Delete unusable images if possible.
Position your camera below or at the eye level of your subject. For example, if your subject is running, you should be on your knees, seated, or lying flat. If your subject is crawling through mud, you should be lying flat, and probably in the mud yourself. You should almost never stand to take your pictures. There are exceptions. For example, if your subject is climbing, you can get directly above them, so you can see their eyes as they climb. Never take photos of the top of a subject's head, or their backs.