Do try and keep up

Kids and pets aside, how do you cope with really fast-moving subjects such as jet planes, athletes, kingfishers and motorbikes? Will Cheung gets some expert tips from four fast-living pros

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Master of nature

Bell Hall 

Ben is a multi-award-winning nature and landscape photographer with an impressive portfolio so check out his website. While you’re there, take a look at his courses and workshops that cater for beginners upwards. Benhallphotography.com

I shoot a wide range of nature subjects but if photographers want to shoot fast-moving subjects there’s huge potential and opportunities with birds.

I use Canon DSLRs, the EOS-1D X Mark II and the EOS 1D X Mark III. I haven’t gone mirrorless yet but I will next year. I’ve tried the EOS R3 with its animal/eye detect and it worked really, really well. It just locks on the eye so I can leave the camera to look after focusing and I’m free to concentrate on composition.

I use the EF 300mm f2/8 for flight shots because its AF is so quick but also the EF 70-200mm f/2.8. It is a bit short for wildlife but it’s great when I can get close or when shooting bigger birds such as geese and swans. For smaller birds, it would be the 300mm or even the 500mm f/4.

My favoured focus zone is the expanded single-point setting where there is one zone in the centre and four extra zones round it and this gives a little more margin for error when tracking the bird.

Six years ago I switched to back-button focus. It took a lot of getting used to but I

forced myself to use it. The advantage with the AF-ON button is that it is two controls in one. I leave it set to AI servo so when I hold it down with the thumb, the camera is focus tracking but if I push it down once to focus and then release it, I can recompose without the focus changing when I take the shot.