Bragging... - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8D

09/18/2011 02:31:44 PM · #1

I may become the next sports photographer for my school!!!

My history professor (who is also the schools sports photographer) has noticed me around school taking photos lately and so he added me on facebook. I took photos for my volleyball team a few days ago and he saw them on facebook. He then messaged me asking if I would be willing to take photos with him at a basketball game and if he likes my photos then I may do a few games by myself. All of this getting paid!

I am really excited but sorta nervous at the same time!

FourPointX

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

09/18/2011 02:37:00 PM · #2

"PAID"???? GO GO MARKO!!!!

David Ey

Nikon D80

09/18/2011 03:37:17 PM · #3

You'll need to get some Canon stuff. :)

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

09/18/2011 03:44:05 PM · #4

Smokin deal bro, make it happen!

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II

09/18/2011 03:53:16 PM · #5

Thanks everyone!

Here are 6 photos I took for the volleyball team (the ones he saw)...

1

2

3

4

5

6

If you see anything that I can do better. Let me know I am always up for suggestions!

Each of these photos were taken at ISO 1600 at the widest aperture that my 55-200mm could at the given focal length. The shutter speeds were either 1/100 or 1/125. I switched back and forth from those two because those seemed to be getting enough speed to stop most of the action but keep the brightness up still.

bergiekat

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

09/18/2011 04:11:38 PM · #6

...I like mo-ney....

Good stuff, Marko. Maybe try getting some immediately when/after the ball is struck. Don't listen to me...that's why I usually don't shoot sports, lol. (That and I don't participate anymore!)

sinistral_leo

Nikon D5100

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

09/18/2011 04:13:35 PM · #7

Congrats Bro!
I just had to shell out $28 for my daughter's soccer pictures (6th grade). It bothers me that I had to pay some "mass produced" photographer to do what I can do better... I already took a team photo too...

I guess it was worth it to not have my daughter feel left out. Maybe I'll sneak the "pro" photo out of the frame and slip mine in. (Not of me, of my daughter) Or maybe I will put one of me in, haha...

Lydia

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

09/18/2011 04:21:19 PM · #8

Congrats! Inside a gym and fast action are hard to capture.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

09/18/2011 04:27:10 PM · #9

Originally posted by LydiaToo:

Congrats! Inside a gym and fast action are hard to capture.

I heard that!!! Sheesh... I felt like I was not geting anything good. I got back and was pleasantly surprised to see I got at least a few good shots. :)

Adz

Nikon D80

09/18/2011 04:50:03 PM · #10

Love number one in the list! Well played Marko hope it pays off for you!

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

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

09/18/2011 04:54:01 PM · #11

Originally posted by mbrutus2009:

If you see anything that I can do better. Let me know I am always up for suggestions!

Good start... if I could offer suggestions, they'd be to try to get in tighter, try to get faces more than backs, and sacrifice some additional ISO to get a faster shutter speed. Good luck!

spiritualspatula

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

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

09/19/2011 02:27:17 AM · #12

Congrats!
Read this thread.
Also,

MattO is very friendly and helpful.
Biggest thing I see is you need to have a faster shutter, however you manage that. Crisp shots are par for the course in sports.

Message edited by author 2011-09-19 02:27:40.

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

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

09/19/2011 02:47:53 AM · #13

Now you will be official, and when the ref tells you to get off the line, you can tell him to step back ;)

tjbel05

Nikon Z9

Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S

09/19/2011 09:02:12 AM · #14

Ok, congrats on getting paid!!!!\

The thing that I would suggest is a higher shutter speed to "freeze" the action some more. Even when we are doing marathons a triathalons we never let the ss speed dip below 400.
Great framing and perspective though, you a have a nice eye!

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

09/19/2011 09:09:47 AM · #15

So if I bump up my ISO even more (highest I have is 3200 aka Hi2)... Grain is "okay" as long as I stop the motion completely?

kenskid

Nikon D700

09/19/2011 11:37:45 AM · #16

Flash will freeze some of that action....however, they may not like the light !

Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R IOS

09/19/2011 11:39:59 AM · #17

The players said not to flash them... :/

Wish I could though.

markwiley

Fujifilm X-Pro2

09/19/2011 11:51:06 AM · #18

Originally posted by mbrutus2009:

So if I bump up my ISO even more (highest I have is 3200 aka Hi2)... Grain is "okay" as long as I stop the motion completely?

Some good noise reduction software can help smooth out things in post processing if you push the ISO up for faster shutter speed.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/19/2011 12:14:18 PM · #19

first, congrats! shooting college sports is a great way to get the experience you need to master the craft. you have more than ample opportunity to practice, experiment, and find your vision. make the most of it and you can go as far as you want.

second, there's a huge difference between an onboard flash (NEVER use that) and setting up strobes to light an indoor arena (or small gym). it doesn't take much money, but it's worth it. well, not just worth it, but necessary if you don't have adequate equipment (both in terms of a body and glass).

even though you can clean things up in post, you are going to want to get things as close to right in the camera as possible. unlike shooting for a newspaper where they might want 1-3 images from an event, an athletic department is looking for 200-700 images per event (depending on the sport). and i mean 200-700 usable images. at that rate, you are not going to have time to hand-edit what you shoot; you are going to be batch processing.

have fun, and good luck!

Tommy_Mac

Nikon D800

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

09/19/2011 12:15:59 PM · #20

Marko..Great shots. You have a great tool in your arsenal for indoor sports. Give that 50 F/1.8 a try. I used mine for wrestling without flash for a long time.
I bumped up to the 85 f/1.4 for the same reason.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

09/19/2011 12:22:04 PM · #21

The only issue with using my 50 1.8 is that I don't have a body that auto focuses. Which means I have to use manual focus. I am not that good at that bit I have time to practice with my volleyball team.

Thanks again for all the tips!

Skip, what is cheap in your book? Note that I do not have any income right now at school so buying anything really means begging my parents. Lol.

MattO

Nikon D4

09/19/2011 12:37:33 PM · #22

You def. need to look at your photos a bit more objectively.

Sports photos need three things to be successful. Face, ball, and peak action. They also need sharp focus. Shutter speed needs to get much faster on the shots you posted. Noise is subjective and I can work with noise in post, I can't fix, out of focus, blurred shots and do much with them.

If you are curious about some recent sports stuff I've done. Take a look at my photography page on Facebook. Just search Matt O'Harver Photography or look me up on Flickr user name MattOphotog.

tanguera

Nikon D750

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

09/19/2011 12:57:33 PM · #23

Congrats on going pro, Marko!!