It is very challenging to shoot sports, all the action, different players, uniforms, all the moments that is so easy to miss. One of the most complicated sports to photograph is baseball. There’s a pitcher, a batter, and infielders and outfielders to capture, and umpires and base coaches to get in the way of your shots. Along with baseball there are other ball and bat sports like softball, slowpitch and fastpitch. But with the right tools and some real-world advice, you will get strong action shots like no others.
Choose the right camera
If you want to make the strongest photos, use a digital SLR. To make great sports images, you’re far better off using a DSLR. The biggest advantage DSLRs offer the sports photographer is one of speed: faster autofocus and a dramatic increase in frames per second.

Lenses For Softball And Baseball
Long-focus lens is a must for sports photography. When you’re on the sidelines, in the stands, and cannot get closer, a telephoto lens is your best friend. If you’re a professional that is serious about getting the best shots, start saving up for the best telephoto lens you can justify paying. If you area a semi-pro or a sport-enthusiastic amateur, don’t be discouraged if your longest lens only reaches to 200mm. Shoot the action as best you can, knowing there will be a lot of dead space, and crop in, but have in mind that severe crops will drop your resolution and final output size. To be able to use speeds that will freeze motion, you need a fast lens, high ISO setting and good light. For night games you’ll increase the ISO even higher, slow the shutter speed down, and hope that motion blur is mostly contained, regardless of maximum aperture.
Don’t worry about shots you’ll miss
It happens all the time, and it is just part of the game. There’s going to be an awesome play, but someone, the umpire, a base coach, or a fielder is going to block your view. If possible, quickly move in either direction and try to re-frame the photo. If you notice that the umpire or base coach gets in your line of sight continually, move and change your position, and hope for a cleaner view on the next play.

Show the ball in your softball photos
When shoot softball players in action, whether it’s a close play at first base or the batter taking a mighty swing, or the player scooping the ball with the infielder softball glove, the photo is more effective if it shows the ball too. Or, if you’re shooting the outfielder circling a fly ball, try to capture the ball as well so the photo would show the subject of the fielder’s concentration. But, there are some action shots that look just fine without the ball: the runner sliding into the third base, or the catcher tagging the runner out.