Continuing our series on what makes a good sports picture, here's an element that will make your pictures jump off the screen.
Soft backgrounds.
A soft background makes the subject stand out from the background and adds depth to your image.
This can also be applied to a portrait you're creating.
To create a soft background, shoot at a shallow depth of field like F/2.0, F/2.8 or F/4.
Avoid making pictures at F/8, F/11 and higher as more of the background will be in focus.
Check out the image below from a Clemson-Wake Forest game. See below the image for settings. (Photo by Travis Bell)
Lens (mm): 400
ISO: 400
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/2000
Mode: Manual