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09/19/2011 01:40:35 PM · #26 |
If you have a pretty good idea about exactly where the "action" might take place, you can prefocus on that spot, and get the shots when the action gets there. Using faster lenses has a drawback in that it reduces DOF, making focus even more critical. When you do get a clean shot with a fast lens though, it's impressive. It would be a good time to practice quick manual focusing.
I'm not much of a sports shooter, but for indoor sports, I use an older manual 85 f1.8, or the old 50mm f1.4 manual. Generally, the older all manual lenses were built to make manual focusing much more convenient than it is with the newer AF lenses.
Congrats on overcoming the referee problem, and on being set up to make a few coins. It's a good toe hold, so chase it wherever it leads.
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09/19/2011 03:10:59 PM · #27 |
| I know nothing about sports photography but I definitely like the compositions in the examples you gave. You have a great eye for form. Don't change that. |
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09/19/2011 03:24:24 PM · #28 |
Grease the gym floor before a match and capture the ensuing hilarity !
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09/20/2011 11:05:29 PM · #29 |
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Attempt number two. Really tried to take every suggestion into consideration.
These shots were taken with my 50mm f/1.8. I took about 600 photos in the 3 hour practice and came up with about 300 usable photos.
Thoughts? |
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09/20/2011 11:15:39 PM · #30 |
Great images, and a real improvement from the last images.
I especially love the second image. It is very very good! |
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09/20/2011 11:21:54 PM · #31 |
I haven't done sports events, but I have done some other events. For low or available light only, you need fast glass, fast shutter speed, so you tend to need high iso (with decent noise). One advantage of fast glass is that you can also get shallower dof, blurred backgrounds for separation.
I suspect the D40 and your current lenses are getting in your way, here. A D7000 or D700 might serve you better, as would a 70-200mm 2.8, and perhaps also a wider fast zoom. It is certainly not a cheap upgrade, but if you are selling the images, you'll likely sell more if the image quality is superior. You could rent some gear for a shoot, see if it is helping you enough to justify the purchase.
You are doing challenging, specialized photography--so give yourself some credit. Action shots in low/poor/available light are challenging indeed. Do the best you can with the gear you have, and watch for reasonable upgrades to your equipment.
And CONGRATULATIONS. :-) |
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09/20/2011 11:32:23 PM · #32 |
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
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Attempt number two. Really tried to take every suggestion into consideration.
These shots were taken with my 50mm f/1.8. I took about 600 photos in the 3 hour practice and came up with about 300 usable photos.
Thoughts? |
Congrats Marko! I really like number 2 in that it shows the action. I feel like the other ones are focusing on individual players and their "moves". Number two is sports page material. WTG |
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09/20/2011 11:43:50 PM · #33 |
Marko, you are getting a feeling for it, the timing and focus on those shots are much better. Now you just need to get closer ie. Longer lens, and some better noise reduction, they are also a bit dark. I know you saw this on my Facebook page, but I'll post one I took tonight while shooting. This is the sort of stuff newspapers and sports depts. are looking for.
I hate to say this, but for indoor sports your equipment is going to hold you back more and frustrate you more until you are able to upgrade some.
Matt
Edit to add, Yes I realize it's going to take you time, it took me several years to get to the point I am at, and I can certainly stand to improve myself. In many aspects of photography it really isn't about the gear, but more the photographer. But sports is one of those areas where that isn't really the case.
Message edited by author 2011-09-20 23:47:29. |
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09/20/2011 11:51:23 PM · #34 |
Originally posted by MattO:
I hate to say this, but for indoor sports your equipment is going to hold you back more and frustrate you more until you are able to upgrade some.
Matt |
I am happy you are saying this because I thought for a while it was just me! Lol.
Just for the sake of asking... What ISO speed is your shot at, Matt? After you took this shot did you edit it?
You probably used a 2.8 lens so it wouldn't surprise me if you used a lower aperture and reduced grain.
Thank you all again for all the support, tip, & tricks! They all mean a lot to me!! |
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09/20/2011 11:53:48 PM · #35 |
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
Originally posted by MattO:
I hate to say this, but for indoor sports your equipment is going to hold you back more and frustrate you more until you are able to upgrade some.
Matt |
I am happy you are saying this because I thought for a while it was just me! Lol.
Just for the sake of asking... What ISO speed is your shot at, Matt? After you took this shot did you edit it?
You probably used a 2.8 lens so it wouldn't surprise me if you used a lower aperture and reduced grain.
Thank you all again for all the support, tip, & tricks! They all mean a lot to me!! |
3200ISO and that is straight out of the camera just reduced sized and sharpened. After shooting over 1300 images covering two sports and two venues I tend to try and get it right in the camera to avoid work. :D And yes that was shot with a 400MM F2.8 lens. |
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09/20/2011 11:58:14 PM · #36 |
Holy crap... I need new stuff... 3200 ISO on my camera gives me this.........
Pathetic compared to yours! |
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09/21/2011 12:05:51 AM · #37 |
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
Holy crap... I need new stuff... 3200 ISO on my camera gives me this.........
Pathetic compared to yours! |
Yes there is a big difference in your D40 and my D3 and D3s, but I also paid over $7500 combined for the two of them. As a working photojournalist it's easier to justify the expense for me. |
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09/21/2011 12:29:11 AM · #38 |
Makes sense to me.
This is an edited version of the shot that everyone seems to like best....
How did I do? I tried to get rid of some grain without going too far... |
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10/31/2011 11:02:42 PM · #39 |
BUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am perhaps the happiest guy on campus right now!!! :D :D :D
I just got an email from the one who was emailing me before about being the photographer for sporting events and he wants me to do both the soccer game and basketball game tomorrow! :D
I AM SO UNBELIEVABLY STOKED!!!!!!!!!!!
Not going to be getting paid any less than he is too so that excites me quite a bit as well. :D
GAH I am so freaking happy right now! :D |
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10/31/2011 11:33:58 PM · #40 |
| Don't waste all of your energy, young man..get to bed so you are rested!!! And congrats! |
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11/01/2011 01:10:30 AM · #41 |
| Congrats Marko! Make sure your stuff is charged, you have back up batteries and clean formatted cards, and GET SOME SLEEP! You won't be able to shoot straight if your own eyes are grainy :) Have a lot of fun with it, congrats again. |
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11/01/2011 03:09:20 AM · #42 |
| Don't listen to these people, marKo. You need to stay up all night pacing and grinning. At around 4:30am drink a six pack of Monsters and remember, REAL pros are confident enough to take only ONE battery. Trust me on all this. |
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11/01/2011 02:37:39 PM · #43 |
Okay...... Question time...
I have to do both the soccer game (senior night) and basketball (season opener I think).
I am pretty set with my gym photos... I know how I am going to set my camera up with that but I fear I am going to have problems with the light with the soccer game.
The soccer game starts at 6 and it is pretty overcast out. That means the lighting will be pretty bad. With the lenses I have, 18-55mm, 55-200mm, and 50mm fixed which do you think would be best when photographing the soccer game?
I am starting to get a little worried that I won't do a good job at the soccer game. I haven't had any practice at this outdoor night sports thing. The senior night presentation is going to be at halftime (roughly 6:50pm) so I am thinking it will be pretty dark. I am aloud to get onto the field for that but I am still unsure what to use for getting the right shots and I don't know if I will have time to switch lenses during the presentation because they won't want to wait for me. The 50mm 1.8 is a fast enough lens but it is unfortunately manual focus only which risks out of focus shots. My 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 is wide enough to gather light but I don't know if I will be able to get close enough for the wider angle to work its magic. My 55-200 f/4-5.6 is pretty slow in low light so I am thinking that will be out of the question.
I am starting to stress a little... Lol. Can you tell? |
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11/01/2011 02:50:39 PM · #44 |
i always use a strobe for this stuff. that way there's no worrying about what type of ambient light may or may not be available. if i was in your situation, i'd probably use the 18-55 in order to have some flexibility. the 50 is not optimal for this type of stuff because you are limited as to how close you can get.
you'll want to get as close as you can to get a fairly (but not too) tight full-body vertical shot. some kids will have only one parent, some will have both. frame it up so that they can get a nice 8x12 or 4x6 out of the image. i usually shoot mine kneeling. |
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11/01/2011 03:00:17 PM · #45 |
Thanks Skip. I don't unfortunately have a strobe nor do I know anyone around me that has one. :/
I will try to get as close as possible. Thanks again for your quick answer.
I am starting to stress out. Lol!!! |
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11/01/2011 03:01:51 PM · #46 |
| Congratulations. That sounds so exciting. Good Luck. |
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11/01/2011 03:14:28 PM · #47 |
well, you have three hours to find one ;-)
seriously, anything is better than nothing. are there any camera stores nearby that sell used stuff? you might be able to find a cheap, used vivatar that will fit your camera for under $50. my brother-in-law gave me one he picked up for $5. it worked great on my 300D.
if not, do the best you can. go no lower than 1/125 and take whatever f-stop you can get at the highest iso you can that will give a half-decent image. then, after this assignment, get yourself a strobe of some type. for all intents and purposes, the action stuff typically is web-only, with some shots winding up in print here and there. these grip-and-grin shots, though, are the ones people get printed...(not trying to add to your stress, sorry if i am). |
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11/01/2011 03:18:59 PM · #48 |
Well... I do feel a little better though..
I looked at the guy who is hiring me's work, and he too has had issues with this. He is sort of like me with the whole not having much equipment thing. I saw a few shots he took at a night game and they are REALLY grainy.
I do need a strobe but with only 18 bucks in my bank account to last me the rest of the week I am unable to go try and look for one. Lol. |
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11/01/2011 04:37:47 PM · #49 |
Originally posted by MattO:
This is the sort of stuff newspapers and sports depts. are looking for.
I hate to say this, but for indoor sports your equipment is going to hold you back more and frustrate you more until you are able to upgrade some.
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So, in order to take amazing indoor sports shots like  MattO, all I need is:
Nikon D3s + 400mm f/2.8 lens
$5,199 + $6,799 = $11,998
...well, that and a couple of decades of experience taking sports shots.
I am not sure I can get my wife to buy into this dream. |
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11/01/2011 05:16:56 PM · #50 |
Originally posted by markwiley:
Originally posted by MattO:
This is the sort of stuff newspapers and sports depts. are looking for.
I hate to say this, but for indoor sports your equipment is going to hold you back more and frustrate you more until you are able to upgrade some.
|
So, in order to take amazing indoor sports shots like MattO, all I need is:
Nikon D3s + 400mm f/2.8 lens
$5,199 + $6,799 = $11,998
...well, that and a couple of decades of experience taking sports shots.
I am not sure I can get my wife to buy into this dream. |
Sell the wife, buy the gear. ;)
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