More Football - Finals

[runnah]

So after a bitter cold night the local team won the big game. I took lots of photos and was asked to take a big team shot if they won.

This was at the crappy field with bad light so once again everything is high iso and with motion blur. I even switched to my f/4 70-200 because the tamron was just un-useable. Honestly I don't know if I am going to do it again next year unless they have more lights or I have a better lens. The good news is that I am starting to get the hang of the game and have an easier time following the action.

Here are some of the best shots from the night.

1.
K52A3415 by runnah555, on Flickr

2. K52A3596 by runnah555, on Flickr

3. K52A3159 by runnah555, on Flickr

4.
K52A3150 by runnah555, on Flickr

5.
K52A3448 by runnah555, on Flickr

6.
K52A3756 by runnah555, on Flickr

7.
K52A4203 by runnah555, on Flickr

8.
K52A3819 by runnah555, on Flickr

9.
K52A4520 by runnah555, on Flickr

10.
K52A4435 by runnah555, on Flickr

11.
K52A4924 by runnah555, on Flickr

12.
K52A4804 by runnah555, on Flickr

13.
K52A4967 by runnah555, on Flickr

14.
K52A4995 by runnah555, on Flickr

15.
K52A5131 by runnah555, on Flickr

16.
MCIGroup by runnah555, on Flickr

 

[runnah]

No love?

 

[imagemaker46]

They look good to me, a few could use a tighter crop, but I really don't see anything wrong with any of them.

 

[runnah]

They look good to me, a few could use a tighter crop, but I really don't see anything wrong with any of them.

I won't lie, your approval is important.

 

[MichaelHenson]

I like 'em! Agree with the above, there are a couple that I would have cropped a bit tighter but you got some great action shots here!

Question for you regarding difficult lighting scenarios like this one...Would it be beneficial to underexpose a bit in camera to get your shutter speed up high enough to stop motion (shooting RAW) and then bring the exposure back up in post? Dunno... <--Newb here, but in my mind it makes sense?

 

[vintagesnaps]

Looks like you're getting some nice shots. I'd just think about adjusting the framing a little, some seem like there's enough space at the top but feet are barely in the frame or just cut off slightly (to me it looks better to balance the space as Scott said, and/or think about where you're cutting them off in the frame).

I was thinking I'd rather not see that light in the background of the team photo, but if you'd crop it then you've got a big pole sticking up... A different vantage point might have been better but depending on the circumstances the photographer may not have any say in that. Got somebody's shadow in the foreground too (geez what lighting) but they may not notice, suppose I'd make copies and try some different crops.

edit Looking again, #12's nice, so is #14 (he didn't need that head anymore did he? lol). I'd crop #10, barely got the fingers in so maybe some off the top and lose some of the right side - besides trimming out some background I'd watch the edges for floating arms and headless players etc. and get them cropped down and out of the picture. Usually I feel like if something isn't adding anything to the photo it probably doesn't need to be in the frame.

You got a great moment in #15 I'd just crop the top down some and the right side, get rid of that guy with a camera far right and the hand in the foreground, you might still have to keep part of the guy holding up the camera but he sort of blends in. Cropping I think would bring the viewers' attention more to the players holding helmets in the air. I might have flipped the camera vertical for that, sometimes do when I'm trying to work around people. I just found it took lots and lots of practice to get good at thinking on my feet as things are happening fast.

 

[runnah]

I like 'em! Agree with the above, there are a couple that I would have cropped a bit tighter but you got some great action shots here!

Question for you regarding difficult lighting scenarios like this one...Would it be beneficial to underexpose a bit in camera to get your shutter speed up high enough to stop motion (shooting RAW) and then bring the exposure back up in post? Dunno... <--Newb here, but in my mind it makes sense?

I shot the whole night at either -1/3ev or -2/3ev. It help get a faster shutter speed and had less blow outs due to the white uniforms.

I didn't shoot raw because the buffer fills up too quick.

 

[runnah]

Looks like you're getting some nice shots. I'd just think about adjusting the framing a little, some seem like there's enough space at the top but feet are barely in the frame or just cut off slightly (to me it looks better to balance the space as Scott said, and/or think about where you're cutting them off in the frame).

I was thinking I'd rather not see that light in the background of the team photo, but if you'd crop it then you've got a big pole sticking up... A different vantage point might have been better but depending on the circumstances the photographer may not have any say in that. Got somebody's shadow in the foreground too (geez what lighting) but they may not notice, suppose I'd make copies and try some different crops.

Err... that was because I cut off their feet in the original shot

I cropped it the long way for their official use. It was chaos after the game, everyone was high on winning so getting them to pose was a victory in itself. Also while I had them all lined up about 2 dozen people lined up behind me to poach my shot.

 

[imagemaker46]

Stopping the action is the most important, as far as I'm concerned, besides the focus. I always bump the iso up until I can get to 800th sec, and also try and work around 3.2-4, if I can. I'm just not a big fan of 2.8 unless I have no choice. I use levels in photoshop to make the adjustments and bring the light up in the shadows. It's so difficult at times just trying to get enough light into the faces, something you didn't have a problem with any of these. I'm not a fan of of #5 at all.

As for tighter crops, I would tighten up # 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11. A few of these would crop into really nice verticals. What you can do is take a couple pieces of paper and when the image is on the screen hold them on the screen and move them around to see how a different crop would work, it's faster than trying to get the crop right in photoshop and gives you a quick idea. You'll see how much you can crop and in some of the cases here, they would be big crops. But they will work.