suitable for a newspaper

Tennessee Landscape · Mar 3, 2008

I'm trying to break into sports photography, I don't have the fast glass as most call it, but I'm stilltrying to take pictures in poorly lit facitlities. I'm ready ( I think ) to approach the sports editor of our newspaper with a couple of pictures, but would like some input from the pro's here. They are of the local minor league hockey team......Very little press coverage in a town dominated by division 1 college football.......

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dpolston · Mar 3, 2008

Newspapers are hard to break into. I think that these have a good feel for composition but frankly lack the crisp and clear focus that a newspaper needs. I think (and I really hate saying this because I don't want to discourage you)... I think that you're not ready yet. I think some of it is that you're lenses aren't there yet either. Number 3 was the best of the bunch for me but the others had focus issues. I am assuming that you took quite a few shots that day and of the 5 best ones in your opinion had issues of some kind.

It'll take some time but you need to know that you'll need to develop a thick skin too to talk to these editors. Not that this matters, but the last time I talked to my local paper, I was criticized for composition and of all things "lens selection".

So, good luck to you! I hope that you keep trying and I have been wrong before but I think you need a little more time.

David

Seefutlung · Mar 3, 2008

As a former news photog ... I agree with David ...

None of your images are suitable for publication in a medium to large circulation newspaper or magazine. Your images lack sharpness, your horizons are tilted, you only have the puck in one shot.

Any sport that uses a ball/puck/et cetera for scoring ... as a general rule, you have to have that object in your photo for the photo to be successful.

Jack up the ISO and get some faster glass.

The best way to get better is to keep shooting.

Gary

Big Mike · Mar 4, 2008

I agree with the others.

It seems you are taking a more artistic approach, getting some sharp areas but also including parts that are motion blurred or out of the DOF. That's not typically what you see in the sports pages.

As mentioned, get fast glass and crank up the ISO.

Also, don't think that you always need to get the shots when the players are flying down the ice. There are plenty of times when a player will be some what stationary on the ice and that is when you will be able to get sharper shots.
Of course, a good action shots can be fantastic.

Tasmaster · Mar 4, 2008

These shots are at ISO 1250-1600, shouldn't that be enough? An f/2.8 lens would allow the same photos to be shot with shutter speeds of 1/500 and higher.

On a sidenote, the top level pro cameras (1Ds & D3) have great high ISO capabilities - are action photos shot at 3200 and higher with those cameras acceptable at newspapers?

Tennessee Landscape · Mar 4, 2008

dpolston said:
Newspapers are hard to break into. I think that these have a good feel for composition but frankly lack the crisp and clear focus that a newspaper needs. I think (and I really hate saying this because I don't want to discourage you)... I think that you're not ready yet. David

Seefutlung said:
As a former news photog ... I agree with David ...

None of your images are suitable for publication in a medium to large circulation newspaper or magazine. Your images lack sharpness, your horizons are tilted, you only have the puck in one shot.

Any sport that uses a ball/puck/et cetera for scoring ... as a general rule, you have to have that object in your photo for the photo to be successful.

Big Mike said:
I agree with the others.

As mentioned, get fast glass and crank up the ISO.

Thank you for the input. I was aware that I need faster glass, and I can still go higher on the ISO. Upwards of 3200 equivilant.

I am surprised to learn that I should have the puck / ball in a shot for the newspaper / magazine. I guess I thought that the action was suitable. I will be paying more attention to the pictures in Sports Illistrated now.

JIP · Mar 4, 2008

You may get lucky if your pape ris a small one and get in but you will be lost if you do not have fast glass. A 70-200 2.8 or something similar is a necessity for a job like this and if you don't have one there are a million guys out there who do and want the job just as much as you do.

391615 · Apr 30, 2008

You and ME!

I am trying like crazy to get into the papers, however I just spoke with someone at a major paper, and I can see obvioiusly you need to start at the bottom. If you see my website thats about as good as I can get with my lense, I'm thinking 10-20K is in the order if you want to be serious about sports photography.

I don't know much about Ice hockey, but I am sure there are bigger action scenes than the ones you have shown, without being disrespectful. I'm not sure how long you have been taking photos of the ice hockey for, but it can be frustrating failing to get the ultimate images due to not having the right equipment. As soon as I get enough money I'm thinking about getting a 70-300 f2.8. I've got in contact with my local footy club, the second tier down from highest level. I'm going to start taking photos for the club, keep getting them published, then talk to the league, and then when I get my shots recognized, applying for a pass to take photos for the league.

I know how you feel, I want everything to happen, but you see some of those guys "courtside" and they are sometimes in their 50s, its not something you can just get to the top in an instant. Definitely getting your work presented is a big start, then move up. I'm already seeing a lot of photographers taking photos for the clubs and they have no idea on how to take good action shots, it frustrates me. you see them following the play, wherever the action goes. I have gotten a number of good shots by picking a player and following that player.

Keep it going, Its amazing how many people have told me I will never get into what I want to do. That makes me so angry to hear that. I can't stand people who tell you can't do what you want to do, you can do anything.

KristinaS · Apr 30, 2008

Tennessee Landscape said:
I am surprised to learn that I should have the puck / ball in a shot for the newspaper / magazine. I guess I thought that the action was suitable. I will be paying more attention to the pictures in Sports Illistrated now.

This is so true. I'd say the exception would be if they are celebrating (someone scored, won the game, etc.) or possibly fighting.

henkelphoto · May 1, 2008

I have to agree with the above posters. Your photos just aren't sharp enough. I work at a medium daily and these would not be used. Sharpness is the key, even more than a ball/puck/whatever.

Before digital, we used to have to push our film to unbelievable speeds just to get above 250 for action shots. In some small high school gyms, we routinely pushed tri-x to somewhere around 12,500 or 25,400 asa. (We made up our own developing times so we didn't really know what the speed was). Then decided how much contrast we needed in the prints.

Bear in mind, when you shoot evening sports for a paper, you are under tight deadlines. You may only have about 20-30 minutes of actual time to shoot the game, that's real time, not game time. If you're lucky, you'll be able to stay for half of a game.

The first thing you should do is get out there and practice. Put yourself on a timer and try and get at least one good shot in the first 5 minutes after the game starts. You probably don't need a bunch of photos for your paper (no offense, but if they don't send a staffer, it's not usually a priority for them), maybe only two or three shots. But those need to be really good. In hockey, I would focus on goal action or player confrontations.

Good luck to you!

Seefutlung · May 2, 2008

henkelphoto said:
I have to agree with the above posters. Your photos just aren't sharp enough. I work at a medium daily and these would not be used. Sharpness is the key, even more than a ball/puck/whatever.

Before digital, we used to have to push our film to unbelievable speeds just to get above 250 for action shots. In some small high school gyms, we routinely pushed tri-x to somewhere around 12,500 or 25,400 asa. (We made up our own developing times so we didn't really know what the speed was). Then decided how much contrast we needed in the prints.

Bear in mind, when you shoot evening sports for a paper, you are under tight deadlines. You may only have about 20-30 minutes of actual time to shoot the game, that's real time, not game time. If you're lucky, you'll be able to stay for half of a game.

The first thing you should do is get out there and practice. Put yourself on a timer and try and get at least one good shot in the first 5 minutes after the game starts. You probably don't need a bunch of photos for your paper (no offense, but if they don't send a staffer, it's not usually a priority for them), maybe only two or three shots. But those need to be really good. In hockey, I would focus on goal action or player confrontations.

Good luck to you!