Sports Photography: Learning Thread

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

06/13/2006 10:59:42 PM · #27

jmsetzler,

I've had pretty good luck with the 20d's AI Servo focus mode. Below are some shots I got a week ago in Spokane, WA at the NW Regional Skyhoundz Canine Disc Championships -- (Frisbee dogs) -- all taken with the AI Servo focusing mode.

Ray and 'Crash'
Ray and 'Crash' again
Splits
Shoulder Launch

In the first 3 shots, the dog was running more-or-less towards me -- I kept the center focus spot on the dog and shot 2-3 shots as the dog hit apex.

In the last one, the dog was running a tangent to me. Again, I kept the dog framed as he ran towards his owner and got 2-3 shots the dog lept.

It's hard to get the shot when you're panning with one object and want a shot when it reaches a certain point (as in Shoulder Launch above). By the time you see the target point at the edge of the frame, it takes quick reflexes to get the shot off before object #1 has flown past. So I cheat. A technique I've used is to keep both eyes open. Right eye in the viewfinder, left eye watching the field. It takes a little practice -- especially when you're zoomed in quite close -- but it works. You can see the moment coming that way.

This was the first time I've really relied on AI Servo -- but I too was pretty impressed with how well it did.

Brian

Message edited by author 2006-06-14 10:06:56.

jemison

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/14/2006 04:02:09 PM · #28

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

The Swing:

Kannapolis Intimidators Fernando Valenzuela watches his pop fly head for center field on a pitch from Hickory Crawdads Nic Suero during the first game of Monday night's double header...

Canon EOS 20D
Canon 70-200L f/2.8
Kenko 1.4x Teleconverter
@ 280mm
1/1600"
f/4
ISO 200

This is another example of the low angle shot. My camera was just a few inches above ground level. With a right-handed batter in the box, this shot is possible from the thrid baseline area. This photo isn't particularly nice, but it shows the possibilities from this angle. When a left handed batter is in the box, this side of the field is no good for the photo. This was a Monday night double header and the crowd was weak :)

Fernando Valenzuela is the son of the great Fernando Valenzuela who pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers...

Jim, Unless there is something that I am missing, this is obviously a left handed batter isn't it? Doesn't really matter, but for us nitpickers...

06/14/2006 04:08:52 PM · #29

Originally posted by jemison:

Jim, Unless there is something that I am missing, this is obviously a left handed batter isn't it? Doesn't really matter, but for us nitpickers...

It is a left handed batter... right handed batters seem to work better in most cases from this particular position.

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

06/14/2006 04:10:37 PM · #30

Originally posted by jemison:

Jim, Unless there is something that I am missing, this is obviously a left handed batter isn't it? Doesn't really matter, but for us nitpickers...

You are missing that his name is John. ;)

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/14/2006 04:24:07 PM · #31

HERE is an example of the right handed batter from the same camera position...

jemison

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

06/14/2006 04:45:28 PM · #32

Originally posted by mk:

Originally posted by jemison:

Jim, Unless there is something that I am missing, this is obviously a left handed batter isn't it? Doesn't really matter, but for us nitpickers...

You are missing that his name is John. ;)

My apologies John...I have an old friend named Jim Steltzer and I guess old habits die hard...sorry!

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

06/15/2006 12:14:58 AM · #33

The Fans:

Team members of the Abee Insurance little league baseball team from Mountain View, North Carolina, line the outfield fence at L.P. Frans Stadium waiting for autographs from the Hickory Crawdads baseball players...

Never forget to photograph interesting fan activity at a sporting event. I, once again, used the very low camera angle for this shot. I got on my knee and held the camera down next to the ground and just shot about 6 photos, raising the camera a little between each one to be sure to get a decent composition since I couldn't see through the viewfinder...

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

06/15/2006 12:53:42 AM · #34

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Simple Candids:

I thought this particular opportunity was to 'cute' to pass up for obvious reasons...

We could use some more "cute" in baseball these days ... reminded me of this one from my first days at DPC -- I had about 3 seconds to shoot this as we were being escorted around the perimeter of the field.

06/15/2006 02:13:30 AM · #35

Can someone explain the difference between using:
'One Shot', 'AI Focus', and 'AL Servo'
on the 20d?

It was recommended to give Al Servo a try for soccer. Just wanting to learn how each setting works.

Thanks :)

06/15/2006 10:26:16 AM · #36

Originally posted by JRalston:

Can someone explain the difference between using:
'One Shot', 'AI Focus', and 'AL Servo'
on the 20d?

ourwebstop

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

06/15/2006 04:50:59 PM · #37

I think the AI Servo really focuses a couple times a second or so. But, according to the manual, it will also predict the focus when you hold it on an object that is moving towards/away from you.

Brian

06/15/2006 05:39:30 PM · #38

thanks for the explanation :o)

edited spelling

Message edited by author 2006-06-16 01:49:08.

06/16/2006 12:40:47 AM · #39

Field Shadows:

Here's a situation that is nearly impossible to deal with. At this stadium, the sun sets behind the third base line. The shadow moves across the field from the third base line into right field. The outfield wall is brightly lit while the infield is in the shade. This situation should be avoided. You have to find a different shooting angle during this time...

06/16/2006 01:12:09 AM · #40

A MUST HAVE MONOPOD:

Bogen / Manfrotto 685B NeoTec Monopod

I had a monopod and I didn't use it. I had
THIS ONE and I couldn't make myself use it. I thought it was too cumbersome for sports photography. I finally figured out that it was not such a great tool for sports. I like to change my camera height quite frequently, as shown in some of the photos I have posted here. The NeoTec solves that problem in a very nice way. The squeeze grip allows you to adjust the height on the fly with no problem at all. I recommend this monopod to anyone who wants to shoot sports :)

06/16/2006 01:46:09 AM · #41

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

One Shot focus locks and stays locked at the same focus point until you refocus.

AI Focus works just like one shot until the subject starts moving. It then kicks to AI Servo and tracks the subject.

AI Servo continuously tracks the subject.

Originally posted by JRalston:
Can someone explain the difference between using:
'One Shot', 'AI Focus', and 'AL Servo'
on the 20d?

I have another question.....would it make sense to shoot in Al Servo mode ALL the time? (for everything from portraits to sports?)

Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD

06/16/2006 01:48:03 AM · #42

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

That is actually the monopod I have. The problem I seem to have with monopods & tripods is it makes it harder to switch from portrait to landscape orientation. Maybe it's just a matter of getting used to using them all the time! I have rarely used mine.

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

06/16/2006 10:24:43 AM · #43

Originally posted by JRalston:

I have another question.....would it make sense to shoot in Al Servo mode ALL the time? (for everything from portraits to sports?)

AI servo is for your AF to help track your subject during motion so that the AF will more or less stay in focus.

I don't believe portraits qualify.

MadMan2k

Sony Alpha a6400

06/16/2006 11:30:24 AM · #44

I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet, but there's a GREAT custom function in a lot of cameras that you can use to help with focusing for shooting sports - the number might be different on different cameras, but look for the one that lets you switch the AF to the AE lock button and vice versa.

If you use this function and leave the camera on AF Servo mode and drive mode, you can basically use it for a single shot (focus, spot meter and recompose), or you can hold the AF button down with your thumb, hold the shutter down and do a sequence while the AF keeps focusing. If the action stops coming toward you, just release the AF button and keep the sequence going.

It's great for when you want to be able to take a lot of shots with the same focus but don't want the AF to hunt every time, and don't want to bother switching to manual focus... in fact, if you have a USM lens you can just manual focus without switching anything, click the shutter to take a few pictures at that focus, then press the AF button to focus it somewhere else without taking your hands off.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

06/17/2006 12:54:13 AM · #45

Ahh yes... the LENSBABY!

My Lensbaby arrived in the mailbox this afternoon, so I decided to take it to the baseball game with me tonight. This is quite severly unorthodox for sports photography, but I got a few images with it that I really like. They are of absolutely NO use unless someone finds them 'artsy' enough to want to buy one. I found it to give my artistic eye a bit of candy in the sports arena though...

I have posted some of my Lensbaby day one results here:

//www.pbase.com/jmsetzler/lensbaby_20

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

06/17/2006 01:37:08 AM · #46

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Ahh yes... the LENSBABY!

My Lensbaby arrived in the mailbox this afternoon, so I decided to take it to the baseball game with me tonight. This is quite severly unorthodox for sports photography, but I got a few images with it that I really like. They are of absolutely NO use unless someone finds them 'artsy' enough to want to buy one. I found it to give my artistic eye a bit of candy in the sports arena though...

I have posted some of my Lensbaby day one results here:

//www.pbase.com/jmsetzler/lensbaby_20

Since I like blurry photos, I've thought many times about getting a lensbaby. But my experience with motion blur has proven to me a number of times that no matter how hard I can work to produce a natural motion blur photo that works, someone can always do it better, more easily, and with more photographic subjects to choose from, with postprocessing.

Oddly enough, I've never tried to to that. But my hesitation with the LB is the same--would't you be better off using a distortion filter in postprocessing, which would give you of control, and then you could choose between the distorted and the "normal" shot?

Canon EF 28-105mm f/4-5.6 II USM

06/17/2006 01:57:22 AM · #47

Originally posted by nshapiro:

Well...

This effect with this lens isn't motion blur, but it does look like it in some cases. It's a shifted plane of focus. I'm sure I could probably learn how to do this to some degree in photoshop, but I consider the lensbaby to be a simple novelty lens. I would never shoot anything I was taking very seriously with the lensbaby. If I got something I thought was truly amazing with it, that would just be a bonus.

My post processing skills, when it comes to creating 'effects' are very weak. My post processing 'talent' is in creating the tonality I want. The camera can't do it on it's own so I have had to learn how. I'm not particularly into 'effect' photography beyond what you are saying here... what can be created in the camera itself. I don't even know how much I'll use this lens, but I do know one thing after my first day of testing. There is NO reason to worry about resolution, sharpening, or any other characteristics of great camera and lens combinations when working with one of these. If a photographer LOVES the effect of the lensbaby, it's a great excuse to hang on to that old DSLR and use it with this lens. Next time I'm out shooting and want to play with the lensbaby, I'll probalby slap it on my 10D instead of the 20D. Also, shooting sports with this lens is probably a waste of time :) I posted up a few of those photos for parents to look at and I asked them for their feedback. Some of them may like it and I expect that most won't.

Photography equipment choices need to (most often) blend with the subject content. Traditionally, sports photography isn't about 'art' as much as action and a sense of power. These photos I posted here aren't really 'sports' photos. They are portraits of the players. They just happened to be wearing sports uniforms when I photographed them :)

To answer your question, I think you are right. If a photographer has the skills to achieve the desired effect in photoshop rather than in camera, it would probably be better to have the original clean image so you could choose between that and the one with the added effect. This is just one of the areas where digital imaging is 'different' than film. It's a great thing :)

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

06/17/2006 09:24:11 AM · #48

I agree with you john on your analysis of the equipment thing for sports and photography.

On a purely art driven format, the lens baby may be taken advantage of. The resulting images, if outstanding, I could see in galleries as a 'nich' type of art, but not for editors in general.

lcfourstar

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

06/17/2006 11:12:23 AM · #49

What would be a good lense to start off with shooting my sons baseball game with a Canon rebel 350d?