Action

This image of a boxing bout really is a masterful display of action photography. Poor lighting resulted in challenging conditions, but the ISO and shutter speed have been balanced well to freeze the water droplets without causing visible noise . The boxers have also been captured nearly on the same plane, so despite the super-fast f/1.8 aperture, both faces are adequately in focus. Finally, a mono conversion has disguised the tricky lighting and tough conditions. A knockout shot!

This image deserves all the plaudits just for the gutsy decision to stand directly beneath this jumping mountain biker. Placing the subject in the centre of the ultra-wide field of view has minimized distortion. Crucially, they’ve been captured against the bright sky and not the dark canopy, where they would have been lost.

This is a great example of panning by using a slow 1/40 sec shutter speed, tracking the subject and firing the shutter mid pan. The result is a still image that conveys a sense of motion perfectly. A great shot!

This image depicts Force of Nature; a world-record breaking steam-powered motorcycle. The sense of speed created by the steam firing out of the exhaust, spinning wheels and streaks of motion blur in the background is immense. The heavy vignette creates a blackout effect, further emphasizing the subject’s speed.

This creative composite conveys a sense of motion beautifully. Either the blood oranges were added in post, suspended in situ using fishing wire or a bit of both. Regardless, the juicy splashes, depth of field and any cutouts look remarkably convincing and the lighting is spot on.

This Blue Angel has been photographed speeding out a cloud, water vapour covering its wings. An extremely fast 1/6400 sec shutter speed was used to freeze the jet and the angle of the sun was considered to highlight the subject optimally.

We love the unusual angle of this horse-racing image. The hooves have been frozen, kicking up debris. And yet, there’s a hint of motion blur in their swishing tails and the flying particles, which adds to the sense of motion.

Sports photography is often about capturing that game- or match-defining moment and this boxer's left hook, connecting with the opponent is a perfect example that's been frozen perfectly still, beads of spittle flying through the air. A great action image!

This would be a great capture today. But, when you consider this image was shot with a manual film camera, the fact that the skier has been frozen tack sharp, the snow perfectly exposed and the focus spot on, it gets even better!

Separation is key – none of the trio overlap. All three dancers are frozen, mid leap, feet up in the air. The black and white conversion has removed any colour distractions allowing the viewer to focus on the shape and form of the performers.

This image bridges the gap between documentary and action photography. The narrow aperture has created a pair of sunbursts, while a fast 1/1000 sec shutter speed has frozen the child mid slide. The slide itself creates a natural leading line, while the ultra-wide angle displays plenty of context. Including a secondary subject.

Capturing a kingfisher isn't an easy feat, so we're extremely impressed with this action packed multiplicity. Not only is the little bird perfectly sharp in each instance, but the image has been edited seamlessly as well. A fantastic action image!

A multiplicity is a great way to convey motion in a still image. The Z 8’s ability to capture Raw files at 20fps helped to capture the landing puffin. Its impressive Birds subject-detection mode was used to focus, but photographing the bird side on also helped to ensure each frame was tack sharp. The sequence was then combined in post-production.

An extremely fast shutter speed of 1/4000 sec, was required to freeze this hummingbird’s wings. A 400mm focal length, wide-open aperture and distant background has resulted in a super-shallow depth of field. The bird is further pulled from the background thanks to a gentle rim light. A stunning capture.

We like the creativity of this image. But it's also technically very impressive too. The directional lighting highlights the cat, while providing moody shadows and the feline has been captured tack sharp and the eyes perfectly in focus. A great shot!