articles/Sports/sportsphotography-page11
by Mike McNamee Published 01/08/2011
Canon
The WFT-E2 II, designed for the newly launched EOS-1D Mark IV, allows photographers to transfer image files securely to a computer or server, control the camera remotely and connect to WiFi-enabled devices to view images directly from the camera.
Transferring images from the camera to a PC, external hard drive or FTP server is made simpler and more secure. The WFT-E2 II supports high security WPA2-PSK authentication and AES encryption over wireless networks. IPsec encryption is also used as standard in both wired and wireless networks to ensure that every photographer's personal IP is protected.
The WFT-E2 II costs £629.99 from Park Cameras
Nikon
The Nikon WT-4b (WT4b) Wireless Transmitter (for the D300, D3, D3x and D700) is a high performance Wireless Transmitter for specified Nikon digital SLRs. It supports wired LAN (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX) and wireless LAN (IEEE802.11b/g, 11a), and enables the creation of multiple camera networks with remote image browsing and download capability.
The standalone unit can be worn on the waist enabling the photographer to shoot without interruption.
Remote control of the camera settings and LiveView output is possible with a computer on which Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 software is installed. The WT-4 is powered by a specified Nikon battery, or AC adapter The Nikon WT-4b (WT4b) costs £599.99 from Park Cameras
Technique
Where to Stand
Selection of your shooting position in sports photography is always a dilemma. The laws which govern such matters always seem to be against you - the goals pour in at the opposite end, the horse falls at the fences before or after the one you are standing alongside!
Sometimes your location is already decided, especially at more prestigious events, where you will be allocated a spot. At motor sport events, access to the inside of the track is often dependent on your signing 'the blood chit' in which you absolve the organisers of anything that might cause you injury.
Despite these restraints, fortune favours the prepared. Let's give you an example. A photographer not too far from this keyboard pitched up at his first world championship motocross event. We found a likely spot, but after a while began to wonder why there were no photographers or spectators standing close by.
We found out just as soon as the first heat came through! Absolutely pebble-dashed in mud, the heat was over before we had escaped to a safer spot and scraped the mud off our gear - I can still see the red dust of Hawkstone Park flowing down the plug of the shower that night; cleaning the optics took over an hour.
The amount of freedom that you have will depend on the event. At major venues control will be tight. At events that take place over an extended area, such as mountain biking, horse eventing (cross-country phase), cross-country running or motocross (for example) you can stand amid the spectators and move around almost at will (avoiding the racing lines). Permission for more sophisticated techniques, such as remote control cameras 'inside the ropes' will require negotiation ahead of the event and early preparation.
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